The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-23
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TION
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HAaKIN, Director.
Meaningless, .. C.
EXIT THE WAR WORKER.

the most interesting problems OF re-
construction in the capital is the re-
turn to their homes, their old jobs or
the arms of their loved ones. of about
100000 women war workers VINO are
no longer needed.
About this time last year. the state
ly lobby of the great union station
was thronged with women-young wo-
men. old women. spinsters and mat
rons; dapper-iooking city women with
new and shiny bags; comfortably UNI
fashionable smali-town women with
cane suftcaseS and shoe boxes full OF
lunch; women from the country. look
ing confused and unhappy, and toting
carpet bags and portmanteaus such as
hadn't been seen in Washingt since
the second inauguration OF Grover
Cleveland.
These women were the advance
valiant army. which hurriedly mobil-
lied at the governments Macedonian
cry, and rushed to Washington with
freshly-sharpened pencils and letters
from their local clergymen. Some of
them came prompted by sheer patriot
ism. They had sent husbands, broth
ers, fathers or fiances off to fight, and
wanted to do a little something them
selves. Some had no man to send, and
were wishful to offer themselves as
substitutes. With others. patriotism
was a secondary motive. They wished
to see Washington or they craved
change. and they saw in war work"
the wished-for opportunity, Some
were coming to take Jobs which paid
much less than the ones they had left
behind; Some Tere coming to take
had ever earned before in their lives.
But, for one reason or another, they
came-about a hundred thousand of
them in all.
How, during the winter, the spring.
the summer. and the early fall, these
women worked, some patiently, some
impatiently, but most of them eff
GENTLY; how they carboned the let
tiers of General SUuggs and indexed
the letters Of Chairman Smiggins; how
they crowded into single street cars,
two hundred thick: how, altho WASH
ington was specifically kind to the
war workers. it launched against them
a campaign of rent profiteering. which
compelled them to appeal to the gov
eminent for relief; how the govern
ment ordered that all vacant bed
rooms be turned open to them. and
new dormitories be built for them--all
these things have been told.
But now the war has ended, and
with the war has gone, to a great
extent, the need for the war worker.
The war worker has undoubtedly been
very acknowledgements 1t might
be said-but Just as undoubtedly she
has been very expensive. The figures
beside her name on the government
payroll are weighty.
Come over and help u.s." was the
appeal of the government in Deem
Der, 1917. do US a favor and go
home" is the appeal of the govern
ment to the war worker in December.
1918.
One of the nice things which off,
cials like to say about the woman war
worker is that she is obedient. In this
respect she is now living up to her
record. OF course. in a number of
cases she couldn't very well help her
self, for she was turned off with more
or less abruptness. They couldn't
very well stay with their Jobs when
no jobs remained to stay with. But,
in other instances, where 1t was mere
ly suggested that the division or the
bureau would welcome designations.
the designations were forthcoming
with patriotic promptness.
Definite figures as to how many
war workers have left town are not
now available. 1t is estimated, how
ever. that about twenty per cent have
already gone, and about as many more
will go before the end of January.
II should say" said an official,
that about twenty thousand Of the
girls have already returned to their
homes. 1t is my opinion that most of
them were ready-even a bit anxious
to return. The majority of them
came just to help out anyway. and
now that there's no further use for
them, they welcome the prospect of
getting married. of finishing their edu-
cations, of getting back their old jobs.
jobs
I'm the first group released-they
were from the war risk board, I be-
lieve-were about a hundred who had
made no plans, or who were receptive
| to roster ones than they had already
| formulated. The board furnished the
names and addresses of these girls to
the United States employment service.
and I am told that places have been
| found for all of them in or near their
home towns. The same policy is be-
| ing followed by the government in all
cases of discharged war workers. AZ
soon as it becomes known which girls
are to be turned off and when their
| names are listed and given to the
| employment service, which gets in
touch with its local managers and no.
| titles the discharges of whatever
| openings exist in their respective To-
calities. 1t must be remembered, tho
that only q percentage of the girls
accept the offers"
! A bill is now before congress which
| provides that the transportation home
Of all women war workers be paid
from the public funds. At the present
| time they are expected to furnish
their own transportation. Some cases
have come to light where the workers
| taken unawares by the sudden conclu.
| sion of the war, have been unable to
! save enough to pay the railroad fare
| One particular case has been cited OF
| a young woman who came from Okla
homa to take a position with the wal
trade board. She arrived about si1
days before tho signing of the arms
tice. A couple OF weeks later she wa:
notified that her job was one Of those
made unessential by the advent o1
peace. In this instance. as in many
similar ones. the transportation home
of the young woman was paid from
the emergency fund appropriated FOL
| the board. The disposal Of such fund:
is in the hands of the various division
chiefs. A pleasing precedent has beer
| sat lasx Chairman Raruct of the wa