Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-17
WAR AND WORCESTERSHIRE THE WORKMANBy Haskn

as disclosed in the army cloth contract revelations
would each alone be justification for the step.
AS mentioned above it will be the investigation
and inspection service of the department of labor
which will be charged with the duty of collecting
the data necessary for national supervision of the
workers interest. Plans that this service shall
provide the field forces also for all the other div
siOns of the department of labor. For this pnr-
pose the various examiners, investigators and in
spectors hitherto maintained by the various war
production branches of the government are now
being transferred to the investigation and lnspec-
ton service. In addition, large number of ex-
pert labor inspectors will be added to the personnel
of this division
Another new division of the department of labor
which is becoming more prominent every day the
continues is the women in industry service.
Approximately three and a half million women are
employed in war industry alone in Great
Britain. In this country a quarter of million
men month being withdrawn from civil occu-
pations to enter the army and to the labor
of women to degree approaching what is being
done in England will soon become necessary.
1t is not the intention of the department Of
labor to establish two different policies for the pro-
lection of and women in industrial occupa-
tiOns. Thus the problems of womens employment
being handled with equal attention to those of
male labor by the various agencies already ouG-
lined-the United States employment service, the
training and diluton service, and the working
dons service. 1t is plainly felt however, that the
demands of war, calling for the employment of
women in American industry to unprecedented
degree, have also necessitated a special guardian
ship of their interests.
women in industry service is observing in respect
to the employment of
The shortage of male labor should be met in
part by introducing women into occupations easily
filled by them, such as clerical and cashier service,
sales clerks and floor walkers in mercantile estab-
lshments including among others, department
stores, speciality stores shoe stores, mems furnish
ing stores, florists shops jewelry stores, drug
stores, soda water fountains, etc.
Women should not be employed to replace men
in occupations or places of employment clearly
physical moral
tions, for instance in barroOms saloons, in
poolrooms, in about mines, smelters and quar-
ries. In addition. girls under twenty-one years of
should not be employed in occupations or places
of employment clearly unfit for them owing to their
youth, as for instance, in street car, elevated and
subway transportation service, as bell boys in hotels
and clubs.
The introduction of women into war industries
involving special hazards, such the of in
dustrial pOisons, must be guided by the standards
to health, comfort and safety set up from time
to time by the department of labor. Similarly the
introduction of women into new occupations, such
the public messenger service, must be safeguard
ed by the standards of working hours, night
ployment, ETC., established by the same source.
The recruiting of mothers of young children for
war industries is discouraged.
Somewhat similar to the safeguards placed
around the employment of women is the pro-
lection afforded children by the childrens bureau
of the department of labor. No child under the
age of fourteen may be employed directly in
directly any contract let by the government and
minors between the ages of fourteen and sixteen
may not De worked more tnan eight hours day.
six days a week, or before a. m or after D. m
Lack of adequate housing facilities in areas con-
gested by the establishment of big plants is
other factor which the department of labor has had
to meet because of the industrial unrest involved
The establishment of a national housing corpora
ton, capitalized at sixty million dollars of public
funds and under the jurisdiction of the secretary of
labor, promises to meet this problem The local
communities involved have done a great deal to
meet their own housing problems and the depart
ment of labor through this agency, is now engaged
in nm VIII
production to be threatened because of
their lack.