The Topeka state journal., 1919-01-18
LET WOMEN WORK
Lloyd George Says There Will
Be No Discrimination.
There WI Be Ample Scope for
the Peace Pursuits.
trv the Associnted prass.l

London, Jan. 1S.-No discrimination
is to be made against women in Brit
ish industry, Premier Lloyd George
declares in a letter addressed to Lady
Rhondda, president of the Women's
Industrial league, who had submitted
to him a memorial setting forth the
claims of women to freedom of en-
ployment.
After the pledges made by the gov
ernT1ent to the trade unions have been
fulfilled. wrote Mr. Lloyd George in
his reply, women will find ample scope
in peace pursuits. He supports the
principle of equal pay for equal out
put" and promises full opportunity
for women in training and education.
There VIII Be Opportunities
''In those industrial occupations in
which women were engaged before the
war; the premier added, "oppOrtu-
mites of every sort will be opened up
for every class of woman worker. and
believe that the real working repre-
sents tives of organized labor may be
trusted when the time comes to see
the necessity of utilizing, in the inter-
ests of production and to the best ad-
vantage, every class of worker avail
able
Regarding payment. he says: ITO
permit women to be catspaws for re-
ducing the level of ages is unthink-
able. 1t is not desired by enlightened
employers, to whom good production
and uniform wages are desirable; cut
ting of wages, with its consequent in
sta bility. is not at any time either IN
their interest or that of the nation"
Lady Rhondda urged in her memo
ri that artificial restrictions on the
employment of women in industries
should be removed, not only as
measure of justice to the sex, but In
the interests of national industrial eff
ficiency. She asserted that it was now
threatened to withdraw even the i'm
perfect toleration' that was extended
to women during the war and that in
the industries to which they were in
vited with urgency they should now
resume the condition of helots. Such
restrictions on their employment, she
declared, were artificial, unjust and
disgraceful to civilized community.
Women Not Consulted.
The present conditions of rwomen's
employment Lady Rhondda asserted,
prevent them from being utilized in
the national interest. Women were
not consulted in the arrangements for
the reconstruction of industry. She
pointed out that while the govern
ment was bound by its agreement
with trade unions, there are many
shops which had sprung up during
the war in which the governments
bargain with trade unions would not
operate to exclude women from em-
not seeking in industry a renewal of
strife but d clear grant to them of
their just rights as human beings and
freedom of employment. They recog
nize, she added, that their claim comes
. after the claims of the sailors and
soldiers in the war.
Women know that in some of the
occupations in which they have served
during the war they have been only
a makeshift by reason of inferior
strength" Lady Rhondda admitted
''and in the long run women must be
excluded from such by the ordinary
rules of economy. With these reserv-
ations, women claim unrestricted lib
erty to be engaged in any industrial
employment, provided only that they
& receive the same pay as men do for
equal output. They claim the oppor-
tunity of being trained in the most
efficient way and particularly the pro-
vision of women instructors on work
in which women have proved more
than successful than men. They claim
the same opportunities as men for
promotion, representation on govern
ment committees and all public bodies
and facilities of education in schools
and universities that will enableNhem
TO qualify equally with men in all
Siita BILE trades and professions