The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-02-03
Many Important Positions Of
Trust With Good Pay Are
Being Taken Over By Skirted
Employees.

Washington. d. c., Feb. THAT
distinct future Tor women is Of
Tered in railroad work was the con-
clusion Of Miss Pauline Coldmark,
manager Of the Women's Service Sec
ton OF the division Of labor OF the
United States Railroad administra-
ton, in her annual report Tor the year
1919 to w. 5. Carter, director OF the
division OF labor, and Walker u.
Hines, director general Of railroads,
made public today.
Testimony from their superiors in
dicates that women will undoubtedly
progress further in all forms of work"
said Miss Coldmark. While in some
offices there is hesitation in encourage
ing them to advance into the more
responsible positions. in other offices
there is distinct effort to put no OBJ
stacle in their path, in fact they are
being urged to bid Oh the higher po-
sitions. While some officials are still
testing out the capacities of their
women employees, others are emphas-
izing the need of training as the on
ly requisite for further advancement.
AS one official put it, If women have
desire to advance and get we'll
rounded background, as q young man
must do in order to secure promotion,
they can do any class of work. An
other official stated, We used to hire
women in positions set aside for them
such as stenographers. Of course,
they never had chance to develop.
We start the boy in at the bottom as
office boy and give him long ladder
to climb. Things are changing now.
If the women are started at the bot
tom like the boys and given the
chance, they will climb too.
The outstanding feature of the year
has been the continued employment
Of women in the service. While the
number has decreased 20 per cen,
since the highest point reached on Oct
ODER l. 1918. it still remains two and
one-half times larger than before the
entrance OF the United States into
the war. Recently, moreover, there
has been an increase again in the to-
tai number employed by certain
roads.
IAN important development during
the last IL months has been the fina
discontinuance of certain forms Of
railroad work which women perform,
ed under unsuitable conditions, OF
which involves too great muscular ef-
fort and undoubted danger to Their
health"
Miss Goldmark stated that, in hei
opinion, it would be unfortunate fol-
the women railroad employees SHOULD
the work of the Women's Service sec
ton be discontinued with the end o.
government control OF railroads.
Miss Goldmark reported that OIL
January 1, 1917, there were 3l,4Ot
women employed on class railroads
in the United States; that this mum
Der had increased to ,lo2 on Jan
uary-, 1918. and to l0l,7S3 on Octobel
|, 1918 and had dropped on Octobe
l, 1919, to Sl.903.
The reasons for the total decreas'
must be carefully considered for al
understanding of the present statu
of the women employees" said Mis-
Goldmark. 1.-TWO important factor
were in part respousiblc-first, tn
return of men from service with tn
army and navy who were reinstate'
by the railroads according to thei
seniority, and second. the drastic re
duction of labor force on the railroad
of the country made by the admins
tration early in the year in order t
effect necessary economies. In bot
cases, on account of their lower sen
iority rights, women were properl
lad off.
Have Eight Hour Day.
Beginning early in the year, tn
eight hour day has been put increas
ingly into effect in all the railroad OF
equations in which women are en-
ployed. The inspections of the Won
ems Service section show that of
total of l2,o0S women employed in a
classes of work 90 per cent were WORK
ing 48 hours or less-that is, da
of eight hours or less, compared wit
a total of 20 per cent working thes
hours in 1918. The number of won
en- employed more than so hours an
ounted to 20 per cent as compare
with per cent in this group in 1911
x The improvement {
working conditions for women durin
A. L. k.>. ~L>A IN .,