Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-03
MISS REBEcCA W. BALL
On Empfoyment for Women

TINHE war created conditions for women III
L the labor world which were never paral-
Ieled before. and in the opinion OF Miss
Rebeccn w. Ball superintendent of the
state Employment Bureau for Women, are
not likely to exist again in the history OF
this country. except possibly under some
such abnormal conditions MS another great
national crisis might create.
Our bureau said Miss Ball, "has been
IN existence only since March Of
the present year. the work we now are
doing having been done by the Federal
Board during the war. At the close of
the war. or rather as the conditions created
by the war began to disappear, it became
apparent that some aid from tho State was
necessary TO help in the stablizing Of con-
ditions In the field Of labor for women.
"It was In March. 1921, that the reaction
from the labor prosperity OF the war became
most evident Things we're about as dead In
the labor field Of the country. especially for
women, as could be imagined. There has
been decided Improvement within the last
two or three weeks especially. It is hard
to say to just what this improvement Is due,
whether to the work Of the recent unemploy-
ment conference at Washington or to gem
orally improved business conditions through
out the country and the feeling of greater
confidence which such conditions inevitably
inspire.
Conditions Are Improving
Nevertheless, whatever the cause may be,
the improvement Is noticeable and we have
had n larger number of calls from employers
asking for workers than we have had for
a long time. Just before this Improvement
set in there was slump and during Sep
tembcr and the early part of October we had
very few requests.
"Pcrhaps this time was the darkest hour
which always precedes the dawn, and the
long looked for days of general business
prosperity are at hand.
''Our method Of work is not. however,
to wait until we get applications for workers
from employers. We have field repre-
sentative Miss Hezlep, who is almost con-
stantly visiting various employers and put
ting them in touch with what our Office Is
trying to accomplish.
''This serves double purpose; it keeps
us better informed as TO where the openings
are for women workers and it also
gives US some knowledge as to the environ
ment into which we are sending those girls
whom we are able to place. The work of
the field representative, however, is by no
means that Of an Investigator. The State
keeps track of labor conditions regarding
environment and other physical matters per-
tanning to the situation, but this work Is
done through another department; our prov
ince is simply to locate the jobs and then
to fiji them with the best material which we
can get.
"At the present time the demand is for
skilled rather than FOR unskilled labor.
When times are not at the best there are too
many skilled workers out Of employment for
the employers to take the time and patience
and bear the expense of training the un-
skilled workers II Is only in the really
busy periods that the unskilled labor is in
great demand, when the employers are using
sll the skilled labor they can get and have
to prepare others to take the extra places.
1--WE handle all kinds OF employment
cases for women at our Office, except domestic
service, but our specialties are Office workers
such as stenographers. typists and book
keepers. factory workers Of all kinds and
institutional workers.
"In all kinds Of business times, the more
highly educated women arc generally able
10 Mace themselves in fairly satisfactory
nositions, when such are to be had at ali
II Is for the less highly educated that Our
work is especially planned.
Results OF the War
"At the close OF tho war and the return
of the soldiers, many women who had been
| doing expert work were thrown out Of en-.
ployment, 80 that their places might be
| given back to the men who had given them
lin IN order TO serve In the army The
| losing Of these positions was not at ali n
! matter Of efficiency, because the women Ind
! shown themselves to be expert workers md
| fully capable Of doing what was required of
| them.
| 'Irominent among these positions v,oro
! those of chemists and craftsmen. Just now
these women are among the most difficult to
| place. In regarding this phase of the Inbor
| situation it must be said that most of theso
girls were not especially trained chemists or