New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Traction Company Seeks to
Fill ], 900 Places at Rate
of 200 a Day With Men
Just Out of the Army
Custer Order Protested
Sponsors of Lockwood Law
Say 1t Does Not Prevent
Hiring of Conductorettes

The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
pany enlisted the aid of the reemploy-
ment bureau of New York City yester-
day to find 500 soldiers, sailors and
marines to replace discharged women
conductors, ticket choppers, ticket
agents and platform cleaners. The
New York Railways the green car
lines] also asked for 100 service men
to replace that number of women con-
ductors.
During the day the Women's Joint
Legislative Conference issued state
ment describing themselves as "up in
arms" against the dismissal of women
by the B. R. T. The conference was
responsible for the introduction in the
Legislature of the bill that is now
known as the Lockwood -Caulheld law,
which prohibits women from working
on tho street railways between 10 D. m.
and q. m.
Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw, chairman
Of the New York State League of
Women Voters, yesterday said:
"For the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company to make this bill their excuse
for a summary dismissal of women
workers who have done such excellent
service on streetcar lines is distinct
ly disengenuous. Good business man
agement is certainly capable of more
elastic adjustment than this.
"Pubic opinion should assert Itself
uncompromisingly SO that the street
railway officials will realize that they
have done an unjust and undefensi-
BILE thing"
chairman Of the conference, said:
"The provisions of the bill are not
difficult to comply with. They merely
extend to women employed on street
railways the same regulations that ap-
ply to women employed in factories
and mercantile establishments-nam
ly, nine-hour day and fifty -four-ho our
week, with a limit as to night work.
If the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
pany is sincere in a wish to continu.
the employment of these women it
can eesily readjust their schedules.
There is absolutely no reason why the
provisions Of this bill should operate
to exclude women from this occupa-
tion"
Miss Frances Perkins, the onlv
woman member of the State Industrial
Commission, issued statement in
connection with the B. R. T., action in
which she said:
The public should not be led to be-
lleve that it is necessary for the trans
portatlon companies to discharge their
woman employees because of this new
law. 1t is entirely unnecessary. It is
just as possible for the transportation
companies to rearrange their schedule
of working hours as it was for the
manufacturers of this state to rear
range their schedules when the law
first was passed limiting the hours of
labor of women in factories to fifty
four hours a week. The company
could make this change in one of two
ways 1t could institute an eight-hour
day for all employees, thereby creating
three eight-hour shifts, and they could
assign such women as they wish to
employ to the two day shifts. This
would mean one shift from in the
morning till in the afternoon, and
another shift from 2 to 10, on which
women could be employed. The shift
from 10 to 6 should be taken care of
entirely by men,"
But the wrath of the women who
nursed the Lockwood Caulfield bill
through the Legislature was mild in
comparison with the expressed feelings
of the women conductors and ticket
agents who were dismissed by the B.
r. T. They have appointed grievance
committee, which is being advised by
Amy Wren, a lawyer, of Brooklyn. Miss
Wren said yesterday that she would
fight for the repeal of the law.
A delegation of the women employees
called at the Offices of the B.. R. T.