The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-03-22
URGES women BE
KEPT AT JOBS IN
RECONSTRUCTION
Miss Mary Van K|eeek Sees
Need for Them to Aid
America,

The need for women to keep their
positions during the period Of recon-
struction, the necessity for community
action in behalf Of the women in in
dustry, the need for women to be paid
wages according to efficiency and not
according to sex. and the urgent ne
cessity for the passage Of the eight
hour law pending in the state legis-
lature were discussed Sunday at the
mass meeting held at Memorial hall,
court house.
1.-The time is for women not to stop
working, not to stop their industrial
activities, but to meet present prob
lens with the same energy that they
put into their former tasks during the
period of the war;" stated Miss Mary
Van Kleeck. director Of the woman
in-industry service of the United
States Department Of Labor. and the
only woman member of the war labor
policies board.
Traces Sentiment Change.
Miss Van Kleeck graphically traced
the change in the sentiment regarding
| the employment Of women.
1T is vital that the idea that women
| are working in transient way be dis
carded," she declared. 1T is the duty
of the communjtyS. and the women
workers to realize this and insist that
wages be paid according to their skill
and production, Our. situation now
! is to secure added. opportunities for
! women and improve the conditions
under which they are employed
-: Cites Efficiency.
She told :ot the: work: that the wo-
! men: of"Pittsburgh had accomplished
4 in :industrial lines: and cited United
States government investigations
which .attested. to: women's: efficiency
in: metal trade works.
! The results of these investigations
acquired by the: sending of question
naires to employers showed that the
women were" produsing more or equal
amounts than had been accomplished
by men,. She spoke. of the need for
community action in legislatures and
the schools. - - -
1.-The war has given women in in.
dustrya four>gains," said She: "Thes@
are the forward. steps taken for sui.
frage,a the need for women in indus
try from the nations standpoint ant
their splendid :respopse.: the. stimula
ton of interest in labor and women!
employment, and the esta blishment O
the women's bureau of the depart
ment Of labor. which aims to be YOU
!. representative in the federal govern
ment and the mouthpiece for you
views" So >..."~
:5:5::; casks: Eight Hour Law.
The vital necessity for the: passag'
Of the eight-hour law pending in.:thI
Minnesota. legislature was :;forcefull.
explained: by Miss Eliza; p. Evans
secretary of the Minnesota minimum
wage bureau. The women were urge,
to realize that,:the minimum wag,
could accomplish little as long as wo
men were being. employed in som
lines of work for from II to 20 hour
"a day.. An appeal was voiced tina
they write to their representatives il
the state legislature and urge the pas
sage Of the bill.
AT the close Of the mass meetin,
films on women in industrial pursuit
were exhibited at the Y. w. C. A. TIL
mass meeting was held :, under tn
auspices of the Woman's council an,
the Woman's committee of the council
Of national defense. Mrs. w. Sum
>ner. Convey introduced The speakers.