Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-16
PART-TIlfE WAR WORK
FOR HOUSEWIVES ASKED
Mrs. Robins Approves Suggestion
for Women Who Cannot
Abandon Homes

y S"EEeS''h tnat special arrangementS b6
made in the hours Of the regular working
dag so women with household responsibilities
may enter war industries withouv sacrfoc-
ing the MANAGEMENT of their homes was
approved by Mrs. Thomas Robins chair
man or the women In industry COMMITTEES
"t ~" womens committee. Of the Council Of
National Iefense
4 letter written TO the EvrNrNa prratc
LEDGER by a married woman called atten-
non 10 statement that there was q great
demand for women to take up some kind Of
H'iN" war work and at the same time
pointed out that there was no chance for the
hundreds Of thousands Of married women
VINO were more than eager to give all the
time they could 20 help the country because
~ their inability 20 offer their services for
tho hours demanded
The letter quotes this statement:
There were more than 5000 women in
philadelphia who had not answered the call"
The letter continues:
~ IL impossible To believe that these
women as class are less patriotic or more
Indifferent to the situation than the other
w. classes cited.
The conditions of my own case would
place me among the 5000 and among the
married women who have not answered the
car hHl ' can say that It is not due to lack
ui rairoi SIN nor to the fear Of hard work
NY husband is engaged in the service OF
nm" mat every woman should give her time
T" active work in an Industrial line in pref
'''n'' 10 knltling ana other nonactive war
WORN have answered several advertise-
menis, called personally at four different in
duStrlcs. Interviewed the womens section NJ
the United States Employment Bureau ana
nave written At least dozen letters Of IN
u'i'fN ana app cation. Some of the answers
II advertisements remained unanswered sew
et9i II lhe letters received no response and
bui one Of my personal calls received anv
tn'ourag'uent ana that was an offer of 50
per week for a day Of nine hours SATURDAY.
Included am not seeking a sinecure but
Ie"I thai a,woman's day IS worth as much "a
manS-of course. after the woman has
'"rh'd su'hcient to properly do the work
assigned her
Hours PFohibitiye
In citing the above and speaking OF no
"h'oHfa2eW"nt ! have reference to employ
nent ~ hours that would make il impossible
Tor married woman to take up the work
MI OF the positions that were possibie
prescribed FOR o'clock or : 80 as the start
ing time and or 5 80 as the quitting time
Previous 10 and after ,ay experience have
talked to many married woman on the sub
J'ci, ana | haN" learned that there are
many or Them who would gladly take nj,
IN" work IL there any way that they
could arrange their family and household
duties.
81 believe that there are thousands or
women in my position in Philadelphia who
would Immediately go into active war work
here as they have leisure time during the
day. II some arrangement of working hours
"7uId he made that would permit them to
prepare the morning meal for the family
and get the children to school I further
believe that the industrial plant or employer
Who adopts some practical schedule or svs-
tem appealing I" women of this class will
hHd their vacancies quickly filled Further
lei no no MA ~.
date success will prompt others to make the
same move
For Live Manufacturer
"IIorc is q suggestion for some live manu-
faciurer engaged in war work qr some indus
try 10 Try out. Who viii be the first to
adopt this logical move?
In addition 10 their present hours inau-
gurate short shift married women's
urs, giving them u day of say six or
seven hours starting AT $50 or a. m. and
quitting at or 80 y. Arrange pay Of
TINS schedule in such a manner that a six
or seven hour day will pay them fair wage
and II VIII he found that thousands of addi-
tonal women will quickly answer the urgent
cal for women labor"
Mrs Robins said tlA,t 50 far she knew OF
but ;"rer Or four places where there were
shor' shifts for women VINO had heavy house,
hold duties, and that. furthermore these
place" naturally had vacancies, for they
We're ilc first Ia attract applicants
"li o. up 10 the manufacturers to consider
'hs problem. for it ~ as much theirs as IL
is the married. woman's." she said '"rhey
ar continually seudiug out appeals for labor
why is II that these married women who
are already doing everything that is within
their power for the good of the nation. feel
their duty 80 keenly, while hundreds OF thou
sands OF girls and unmarried women with
the feWrst Of responsibilities, remain deaf 10
an appeals
Nothing has been done far to admit
the great army Of married women into dvi-
81 us Of the field of labor
There should he some dovetailing in the
hours when the children must he given their
breakfast and got off to school and the
hours when the woman should have to COM
meme" her work. Manufacturers and schools
can cooperate in this. Schools should not
begin later than o'clock. and the wonians
working hours could be divided mo shifts
as this woman suggests This is a challenge
to manufacturers and they nust answer II
themselves"
MIC