Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-05
Conductorettes
ADeoes1A J. Haskin

oethptVstE lurt INV iuus III 1sV rbff'f /
center OF = variety Of criticism. Getting |
her chance M a result If war emergency, |
abe has not yet parsh tho staer Of ex~ |
pertinent, What " 10 become Of her in n |
matter OF uncertainty.
Broadly speaking, tho public has be
eYayed no dc finite impression regarding
tho condtetorettr, except that she should
he given fair chance. Where poesible u
has tried 10 make allowances for her
shortcomings, and, whore evident, to
recognize her virtues. H. frowns when IL is
charged that the conductorctts is more
disposed 10 make cats eyes at the motor
man than categorlc eyps at tho transfer
ticket; and it smiles when told that her
diplomatic courtesy fares better IN the
management Of crowds than tho watch
your step" discipline of her male proto-
type But the public has reserved deci-
sion
Organized male labor, and 10 large
degree organized female labor, is evowed
| Nv hostile 10 the conductorette. IL ~ said
| That women are difficult 10 organize. In
| most casca they nre content IN work
| longer mt a fixrd maximum wnpe than are
men, possibly because their obligations
are fewer Though IL has been shown that
| many conductorettes are compelled to
support families on their earnings, the
| woman brcadwinner docs not happen
often enough in any sphere Of industrial
life 10 make her a predominant type.
VIEWED WITH prsrnUEr
Most women'a trade union bodies arc
| likewise disposed to view the conductor
rtte with distrilst. The general attitude OF
| woman labor leaders on the question was
espresaod by Miss I,enore O'Rnilly,
secretary Of the Women's Trade Union
League of New York, who said While
there is ono unemployed man. no woman
should be put TO work IN any field of dis
tlnctly manual labor.
Labor for the most part is willing To
concede the contention Of street railway
operators Tint the conductorrtte became
a necessity beostre n the dearth ut svssi-
| able male labor II holds, however, that
| the reason for this scarcity waa the failure
Of the operators to offer an adequate wage
to prospective motormen and conductors
| II points out that nearly all Of The com
panies which have employed tho con
ductorette, have in the past consistently
| refused 10 allow their employees to organ
ire
With the recomm endation ~ the Ma
| tiunal War Labor Board 10 the President
that street railway employees be paid an
increased minimum wage, labor believes
that the one excuse for tho conductorettc
has been removed. Afforded the prospect
| af decent pay the work of strcet car opera
ton ia attractive To enough men w MI
whatever vacancies may exist M the rosters
Of the companies concerned. IL - ey-
tre,neIy likely that organized labor will
attempt to bring the War Labor Board 10
decision on this point.
AND MrsarvTwG TOO.
The government, though 10 has not yet
placed official condemnation on the con-
ductnrette. 10 dispneed tn regard her with
rnispivinp. Through the Department Of
Labor. IT, recently made an invests eation
into the conditions affecting woman
street ! sllway employees. The report Of
BENJAMIN NJ Sqtircs Who led the InvestI-
CATION asserted belief that the opera
ton Of street carr is one Of the last
occupations into which a woman should
be ured or forced Z"
In taking this view Mr. Squares does not
see ln woman a menace to the welfare oi
other street railway employees, so much as
IN street railway employment menace TO
the welfare Of womankInd. The woman,
he says, IS not physically equipped TO
stand the strain required OF a street car
conductor. He cites the nervous tension
resulting from riding all day on car that
IS constantly starting and stopping.
This coupled with the necessity OF stand
| ing up for long periods, 10 something
| which women cannot undergo without
serious danger to their health. In con-
| nection with the matter Of health it might
| be mentioned that a large proportion OF
the women conductors prefer to be assign
ed TO night runs, giving various reasons for
this preference. Some of them are mothers
who wish to look after their children dur
ing the day.
Street railway capital is suspected OF
secret fondneSs for the conductorette.
II explains her existence on the ground OF
necessity. but officials Of the Amaigamated
Street and Electric Railway Employe S
Union are prone to believe that even were
the necessity removed, the operators
would endeavor TO retain the woman
conductor as a permanent institution.
WHERE SHE SHINES.
She is punctual, painstaking and evinces
much interest and liking for her work.
Besides she is said to have the merit OF
LOYALTY TO the company so dear TO the
heart of the traction magnate. In this
regard very little evidence IS obtalnable
! save statements from various street raul
| way presidents In cities where the con-
| ductorette has been tried TO the effect that
| she has so far proved satisfactory.
But whatever the attitude of capital
| toward the conductorette, Mr. SquireS
! has made it clear that capital has not made
| the provision for her comfort and well be
ing that might reasonably be expected
In his report TO the Labor Department ne
shows that III many cases the companies
/, failed to provide adequate rest rooms anc
lunch rooms for the women employees
and that tn ey were, in some instances
compelled TO share the rest rooms anC
| lunch rooms used by the men. This STATE
Of affairs was most frequent IN Brooklyn
where the grand jury made it the sublec1
Of an investigation. 1t must be said
though, that the companies are now en-
deavoring to provide proper facilities FOL
/ the women.
And in spite OF everything the conduc'
torettc seems pretty well satisfied with hel
| Job Available figures show that, out OF
| the 100 women conductors employed by
street car companies SINCE last December
less than one-hfth the number have left
the Sc rvice This may be explained by the
fact that it provides higher wages thar
| m ost of the women could earn IN any
other line of work.
THEY LIKE THE Jon,
But being conductorette, IN Itself
seems to have a fascination for women
Each day the employment offices in cities
! where the conductorette 8 in vogue, are
| hesipped by swarfns of the sex ranging In