The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-03-27

was low and they arr content FOR =
while. after they reach ;hr United states
~ live like. pigs. They d" unskli'"d
work and their output seems ~ SATISFY
their employers.
Housing Required.
Eut Eneiand'S labor fore" was not
alien. Il WAS English. Scotch. ""iSH.
Irish. and most NJ Tin" fore" was used
To dcccnt living. t"ntuSi"n. unrest
and genuine suffering followed their
transfar.ncc 10 the munitions towns.
Something had To be- done. and since
the minister OF munitions at that tl'n"
happtncd 20 be David Lloyd George.
something was done. y thorough exam
.uation Of the entire situation came
FIRST.
The report on housing and trans
rortatIou made by IN" committee on
hcalth al the muuitiou workers revealed
conditions worse than anything existing
in Gary. Ind.
In some Of the badly conCcStcd cent
ers the less particular among the WORK
.rs hid filter up n sort Of 4 Ion al:d
Cox ~ugcn with lodging houses
whereby every bed was occupied DAY
and night. When tn" day workers went
on duty the night shift tumblcu lht"
the unnade, unaircd beds and S'cp1
there, Exhausted. until time ~ 20 pack
TO work. After a short interval Tor
rest and g smoke the day shift again
turned in
Few women and girls were found
among these dodgers. The women
sought lodgings in distant suburbs ana
evcn In ~rhhor towns. This meant
that they a 10 travel. morning ana
evening, TO and from the factories IN
orercrowded trains or trans. the sfFH-
ice always inadequate to meet the ne"
demands.
End nesficteucy.
Some the committee. reported.
had to leave their lodgings daily De-
fore 5 a. m. reaching acme rs 'ate IA.
10 at night. This gave them oare'y
SIX hours sleep Ut night. C.rarl! II was
as impossible To expect efficiency anu
q full output from tins KIND Oh an !.
ius,rtal army us it would be 20 expect
efficient fighting from n military force
badly fed and poorly equipped.
In all Government owned nnu con-
,rolled munition works. Shipyards. aero
nlane factories and other places wht'e
war materials were produced. al "''t''
istration was organized TO cstaDl'Sh "iu
maintain good living conditions ior INC
workers both In and out or the factories,
As for the housing problem. they 'a'AicH
that as they had from time lInH>eilo''N
for tho armies in the field.
They billcted the workers On the
,ovos Not arbitrarily or tactleSs!E.
however. but by persuasion Women
ve,fars workers. aided by voluntary
committees Of women. went from mouse
70 house. explaining the emergency az
healing to patriotism. and without HUGH
difficulty they obtained IN enormous
number of clean. eoHIfortabl" ann Saia
lodgings FOR munition Workers.
These lodgings have been s"pT''"'t"'-
cd all over the Kingdom by notes so'i'
established In rented houses. "tI"rs ~
D,rtable houses similar 10 IN" y. NJ. =.
hu,s which are nCw familiar o"Jse's
in Europe.
Flowers in Rooms.
Soma Of these hotels where l nave
..on, hundreds Of women and Eir! I"oE-
ers were every bit as attractive ana 10
comfortable as 4 girls boarding *Cn""''
Each woman had her own tinF cuo'':I'
,,rlsss she preferred to douhi" up with'
., f-iend. Pottsd flowers. family photo
graphs and small personal '+i""e'E9
made tho bedrooms hor"iikc.
In the big living room was oSuu,' "
hight open fire and q plan" or 4 P'o"-
ngronh There were newspapers. maya
zines. books and co'nf"Tt"nte T'',ts n nnd
y country club. Most Of the h1tcls '''u
c,,ber a small hospital or n d'spenSarE
,r,,h a trained nurse IN attendance anu
all had a superintendent VINO Was :"
trained social worker.
Tb,rc were few rules or regulations.
The hotels were boarding homes ana 'ne
hoarders we're as free thcrc as Ill my
other kind OF n lodging
This was just tho FIRST step "hef u"
English girl completing h.r training i"
IN. OF tn. hfty or more schools l"r "H-
milton workers. goes 20 Il utSth"' p"r">
"a tak. on n Job making or tillinE shells
trtII,i,e acrrniancs or whatever else.
sba lie me, at the station by 2 Tcspon-
sihle woman official. and given her cAolce
~. ..v.ral comfortable lodgings.
When she enters = factory she Is mc'
and welcomed and thereafter l'okeu o"I
for by a woman physician and a woman
superintendent. AT noon every dh! S"e
goes TO a big. clean. airy cantccn "n:Fe'
n, a modest sum. she buys Il nourishlne
mea!. planned b. dietary "NperS Ill"
prepared by professional COCKS
sh. works under conditions as safe az
rurnan ingenuity can max" lh'ln' ""e
10 provided with clean cloak rooms. law
a,rriex and sanitary c"nvrni"Ec"a. She
is Maid GOOD wages ard her hours OF
work are hunanc!y limited.
She wears working clothes designed
FOR her comfort, health and safety. ana
,hssc. cven. III som" cases !" IN" shoes
49,. provided frcH of cost by the en-
~pl"rerS
Skirtless Uniforms.
have before me a pamphlet "ntltlod
'"prrr.r.Tv. Clnthinc for Worn"n and
G;-i Workers in Factories md Work
shuus This pamHhlc; was prepared
FOR ~. l:ritish government from infor-
nation si:rrlic! h. factory inspectors,
superrut.udcntS md rhysicia1s.
According - the Information con-
tnin"d. al women working In govern
urn,-nwn.d Or controlled factories In
England rnw drres. Mn uniforms
have h.",n worked out md only two "t
them haze skirts. These two may 20.
worn only whom there is no danger or
tho skirts catching in naChie9y. They"
are no outside pockets ord tho sleeves
fastnn closely n; IN" wrists.
Was 4 not difficult nj first, 7 asked a
woman superintendent. TO !nGIc" women
to wear trousers and ~ cover M their
hair with CAPS" l. "aS. Th" admitted.
but very soon tn" women w." converted
to tho case and runvrniracc. 10; 20 mot
tioE tho safety II trousers. and now they
would wear nothing else. patton
from dangerous md improper working
clothes is n big gain for n" wage earn
!nC woman.
The EngliSh mu0i:i"1 worf"r Is r11--
a1tesd good working conditions by at
1T par!iam"n; do:"d August. 1915. In