The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-12-29
WOMEN IN INDUSTRY.
Report on Conditions Submitted By
Women's Bureau.

Women's Bureau.
Mary Anderson, director of the WON
ems bureau of the United States de
partment of labor, does not believe
that legislation controlling the hours
of womens work should deprive then
of any jobs they are claiming as theirs
She has the statistics to prove hei
position-which is more than the 9th
err side" has, that contends against spe'
cal laws for women lest the women be
restricted to special jobs.
The annual report of the women's
bureau has Just been released. This IS
the youngest of United States bureaus
was created on the last day of the last
session of Congress, and therefore was
but three weeks old when the fiscal year
ended. But the bureau is the perma-
nent continuation Of the women IN IN
/! dusty war service" of which Mary
| Van kleeck was director until she went
to the Russell Sage foundation, and
1 Mary Anderson, who had been assist
ant director, was appointed in her place.
! The past years work of the bureau
has been a survey of the transition OF
women in war service to women in
peace service Hours of work, condi-
| lions of work, wages, the relation OF
women workers to men workers ex-
pressed or implied, are the subjects OF
discussion. and will be the subjects OF
| legislation in these changing times. The
discussion, and will be the subjects OF
4 L e. -, hn xurplA
because women have never before voted
in the American world. Already the
women world tends TO divide into two
camps.
To quote from the report: "The en-
ployment OF women in many new occu-
pations and efforts to protect them
from the i'll effects of long hours have
resulted in a certain amount of conflict
between those who would have no spe-
cial laws for women, and those who
feel certain amount of protection is
absolutely essential if women are not
to suffer from industrial exploitation
with accompanying injury to them
selves and future generations. This
conflict has resulted in some instances
in assertions from the former group
that special legislation was resulting in
the shutting out of women from any
occupation where they had a right
to work and where they could be en-
ployed to great advantage both to
themselves and to the industry"
Two pieces of investigation into
widely scattered territories for similar
occupations were undertaken by the
women's bureau under the direction,
first of Miss Van Kleeek then of Miss
Anderson.
Women who had been employed in
New York and Brooklyn as street car
conductors and ticket agents were be-
ing dismissed because of legal restrie
tions. The bureau Of women in indus
try of New York state undertook an
investigation into the local facts. The
federal womep's bureau made an in
vestigation in four other cities where
women were employed in transporta
ton, Boston, Detroit, Kansas City and
Chicago.
at was found that women ticket
agents were being employed in Boston
and Chicago under conditions far in adj
vance of the local legal requirements,
and, of the requirements in New York
which, according to the statements of
the employers, it had been impossible
to meet.
The eight hour day was in force in
both of these cities, and in Chicago
night work was eliminated for women
ticket agents by voluntary action Of
the company, as the law did not pro
hibit it.
"A law limiting tho hours of women
conductors in Detroit to ten day, and
ga a week had resulted in shorter hours
for the women but not in their dismis-
sal
"The Kansas City women street car
conductors were working less than the
nine hours permitted by law and their
runs were arranged so that they did
not work at night"
But transportation is specialized
Job 1t demands constant emergency
shifting The findings in that occupa
ton cannot be held applicable to other
occupations, and the conclusions drawn
from it might not be deduced from con
ditions in other employment. A study
was made therefore beginning in Feb
ruary, 1920, of women employed in rep
resentatiye rubber, electrical and tex
tile plants in Massachusetts and New
Jersey Figures were obtained for a six
months period, April TO October. 1919.
During that time law limiting the
employment of women to As hours went
into effect in Massachusetts, while New
Jersey retained ten-hour law. This
made it possible to make significant
comparisons The investigation showed
that even with the restricting law the
number of women employed in Msssa-
chusetts increased considerably during
the period, while in New Jersey there
was a decrease in numbers. The pro- /
portion of Women employed was even
more significant, il decreased in both !
states, but in New Jersey 81 per cent, !
in Massachusetts only 9-l0 of one per !,
cent.
Perhaps most interesting of all is |
the item carried in the report that the
hours for women were reduced in New !
Jersey, without law. for nearly half
of the women included In the survey. I
More than that, the hours for men
were reduced in Massachusetts, with 4.
the legal reduction for women, and in 4
New Jersey with the sympathetic re-
duction for women.
Several other pieces Of definite serv
ice to the wsge-esrning women OF |
America were performed. The bureau
made a study of civil exsminat ions and !,
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