The Spokane woman. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1921-1935, 1928-06-07
BY Pauline Suing Bloom

members of the Amethyst club for luncheon at
the Davenport Hotel recently she gave them an
unusual opportunity of hearing woman talk who
i, next to the heart of Washington Mrs. Gersha
V. Ilaney of the Department of Labor and Indus
trS, Olympia. She bears the tc supervisor Of
Women in Industry.
Certainly there is nothing mere imp lrrant to
the life of the state than its industries and the
women who are connected with these industries.
There is no woman in the state, regardless of her
and condition in lie, who is no, in some WAY
connected with its Industries. 1t is M alone Tie
women employed by the industries of the state
Oi Washington that Mrs. llaney rcrcllinl through
hel work but that great army made III Of women,
listed by census taker rs housewife
We have IL great stale, no one will deny lhar.
liut it might be greater. Many women in the
state could be very much better OF Than they
at present if the women who the housewives,
who are shown by statistics To nave the handling
of from So to 30 per cent of the family income,
would look upon themselves accessory cogS IN
the wheels of the machinery of the state
feeders To that great artery of trade that carries
the blood stream the heart If Washington.
IF Washington women would buy coffee only
that is roasted in the state of Washington. and
other they could furnish livelihood in the
state for several thousand families Last Year
nine million pounds of coffee shipped into
the state of Washington ready for Mrs. IIaney
analysed the benefits from this interest follows:
Several million would be made in Washington
for the coffee roasted in the state by men
and women employed in its factories Labels for
the cans and packages would have IT, be made
here, furnishing further employment tor men and
women Boxes of wood fibre would be made
for shipping; then transportation from the docks
To the trains for various local point, furnishes
work for additional men.
What is true of coffee is true Of peas. Two
thirds of all the canned peas used in az state of
Washington are shipped into the state, Mrs. llncy
said. She estimated that if these peas can
ned in the state of Washington two hundred nd
ditona girls would find employment in canning
factories.
If the work shirts shipped into the state of
Washington from the Missouri penilcary We're
made in the state of Washington il would mean
employment for 100 women every working day of
the year. An additional $50 women and girls
would find employment in overall factories if the
garments made by prison labor in West Virginia
and shipped here were excluded To-day = local
factory making these same garments is forced 10
compete with this labor and in addition pay
minimum and have an eight hour day We
want both of the latter if the health and cont
fort of our women is best served, but right here
we may note that prison labor is the secret of
failure of local factories to build up these lines
in the state of Washington.
A year ago when candy manufacturers of the
state obliged To lay off their help because of
a surplus of candy, from two to three ear loads
were being shipped into the state daily Last year
$4,000 worth Of oh Henry bars made in Chicago
were sold in the United States Washington makes
bars equally good, if will hut remember. and
then our girls out of work part of the year
when we are willing to buy just anything. Isn't
il strange the far reaching effect of the eXpendi-
ture of just five cents? Think, though, how many
people spent Just five cents to accumulate that
100000 and that is just one of the thousands of
varieties sold.
Mrs. Haney said that the last Legislature meet
ing at Olympia really did something for the state
in that ii ate berry pies and apple pies instead of
the cocoanut cream, lemon and raisin pies on which
members of former sessions suhsisted. and thus
helped the Washington apple and berry market.
Washington takes good care Of its women. Mrs.
Kinney believes. Problems of employer and EN-
plovee throughout the state usually easily
ironed out when both sides lay their cards on the
table Employers generally recognize, now, that
contented worlmen are an asset in dollars and
cents
Mrs. Haney says that if she has a hobhy, it