New-York tribune., 1918-06-16
Prove Competence as
Work ers, From Lo-
cornotive Dispatchers
to w atchwomen at
Crossings
BY Rebecca Drucker

By Rebecca Drucker
THERE have been few industries
that have guarded themselves
more jealously from the en-
croachment of women than that Of
railroading. Even in those branches
of work to which women have long
been admitted in other industries the
railroads have preferred using boys to
women. The tradition was that hoy
who entered the railroad even as Office
or switch-boy would aspire to become
engineer or conductor or agent by
intervening stages that we're insur-
mountable by women, and that there
fore women would not devote them
selves to their work with the same
application On the part Of the work
men there was the well sustained OBJ
lection that the admission OF women
would mean the breaking down of
wages. The experience Of the past
year, though slight as yet by COM
parison with that of England, has mod
fled both these traditions. Women are
entering railway work on the same
wage schedule as men, and the railroads
are finding to their surprise that the
same desire to achieve exists with
women as with men.
In England, by the munitions act,
the government set up an elaboraze
bureau for the dilution with women
labor of all industries directly con-
nected with the war. None is more
directly connected with it than trans
portation. OF a million women at
war work in England 100000 are at
work on transportation. In this coun-
try the labor shortage is SO much
less acute that the diluting is pro-
ceeding much more cautiously. Yet
I have before me table Of the en-
ployment of women by the Pennsyi-
vania Railroad Company's system OF
lines east of Pittsburgh and Erie,
showing that in the last year women
have been put to work at fifty-elght
occupations, as against possibly dozen
of the year before.
What They Have
Done Up to Date
There were on March 1, 1918, for in
stance, 1851 clerks and stenographers,
as against 44S on May /, 1917; 267 at
tendants in store rooms, tool rooms and
parcel rooms, as against five OF the
wear before; 1872 messengers and as
sistants, as against 10; 90 signal wom-
en-, as against 60. And Of pioneers in
Jobs never before filled by women there
are the following interesting statistics:
locomotive dispatchers,
Distributors Pullman space,
20 Draughtswomen,
6 Draughting apprentices,
Hammer operators,
Gang leaders,
Coal inspector.
Mechanics helpers,
Painters,
Power operators electric plant),
"a Shop hands,
1873 Telegraph operators (students),
Switch tenders,
Ticket sellers,
6 Tracers,
Turntable operators,
sc TrackwOmen,
4 WarehousewUmen,
81 Watchwomen at crossings.
The more obvious results are on what
one railroad man has illuminatingly
called the Housekeeping side of rail-
roading" AS cleaners Of cars. dis
pensers of information, sellers OF
tickets, markers of bulletin boards and
in the performing Of the minor semi
important and important duties OF the
indoor departments the substitution
has wrought no change In quality OF
labor performed or in the usual condi-
tions Of labor for women.
On the New York Central they found
the women dispensers of information
by phone quicker, more patient anc
often more reliable than the men they
had heretofore used. And the thou
sands of questions that are hurled
from invisible sources at these girls
tax these qualities to the limit.
"When does such and such train
leave? What connections do I make
at such and such a place? What IL
the fare One way, excursion and round
trip?"
Not only does the work require {
high degree of alertness and patience
but a grasp of the whole intricate
railroad map.
Railroad School
Open to Women
The Pennsylvania has opened to WON
: en- their Philadelphia school that ma
heretofore been conducted for youn,
men desiring to learn railroad work
The course includes telegraphy, man
ual block signal operation and station
Office work. The Missouri, Kansas 1
Texas has opened four schools ON
general plan similar to that Of tn
Pennsylvania schools. So that as mel
leave these jobs for war service traine
women will be ready to take thei