Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-07
WORLDS WOMEN BATTLE
FOR RIGHT TO HOLD JOBS
Quotas in Europe Arouse Feminine
Leaders to Action on
Work.

shown that the effect on unemploy-
ment totals has been practically
negligible.
In New Zealand, where women car
ried their fight to the Industrial Court.
the decision handed down demanded
equal pay and equal opportunities"
for both sexes.
Young Workers Hit.
Another group whose plight appears
to be WOrSening rather than improv-
ing as the depression is passing is the
young unemployed. There are more
than 100000 of idle youth of both
sexes in the leading industrial countries
today. Instead Of diminishing, their
number is growing, especially as the
So-called lean years" pass. During
the war-betWeen 1915 and 19l9-the
birth rates of nearly every European
country were below normal In Ger
many the number of births during the
war, when compared with the 1914
average. was more than 1000 900
short. In Great Britain there were
100000 less babies, and in France
865 900. From 1880 onward until 1884
the number of young workers entering
the labor market was considerably less
than the preceding years. From 1885
on the total will jump forward again.
After 1919 there was noticeable in
crease in births, and babies born dur
ing those years are just turning Is.
which is the age European boys and
girls start entering the labor market.
1t has been noticed that wherever
unemployment is decreasing II is
usually the older and skilled workers
who are first reabSorbed. Nazi Ger
many, last August, promulgated de-
cree whereunder all young persons less
than Is years of age, with rare eX-
ceptions. were ordered dismissed from
Offices, factories, etc. Bulgaria, which
started compulsory labor corps more
than 10 years ago, found itself with
20 900 young recruits last year, while
only 1000 Bulgarian boys were able
TO secure jobs. Volunteer labor camps
in Austria have capacity of $4,000,
of whom 1000 we're girls last year
Only persons under 25 years of age
are taken.
L. s. Toll Huge.
In the United States. according TO
official reports, there were, at the last
census, around $500. 900 young workers
between the ages of I8 and a years
OF this number 100000 were uni
verSity graduates. More than one
third of this 6.50O000 were unem-
ployed according 10 Miss Grace Alb
bolt, Washingtons representative at
the International Labor Conference.
A few weeks ago nearly 900 youths
representing the young unemployed
of Holland. Belgium. Sweden, Norway,
France. Switzerland and Czecho-
slovakia-came TO Geneva bearing
petitions which made a stack 10 feet
high They were signed by hundreds
of thousands OF young unemployed
boys and girls-many of whom had
never had jobs in their life.
The moral consequences of the crisis
upon young people are said to be ap-
palling. An inquiry conducted in
Great Britain showed that three
fourths of the boys and two-thirds
of the girls placed upon probation
were unemployed when they COM
mitted the offenses with which they
we're charged. The same picture is
drawn by the League of Nations In
ternational Committee on Child We'll
fare.
Labor corps or Civilian Conserva-
ton Camps (Which in the United
States are expected to accommodate
500 900 young people by Autumn) fur
nish only pallatives for the problem
Unemployed people. young today, are
deprived of a chance TO learn a trade
while they can still be apprenticed.
College and university graduates,
trained for a profession. cannot prac-
tice ESPECIALLY the medical profess
sion. engineering. musicians and
artists. Many suggestions have been
advanced, such as raising the school
leaving age. lowering the retiring age
at which workers receive old-age pen
sions, shortening of the working week,
vocational training while idle, higher
educational opportunities. etc. While
the various proposals cited above may
alleviate suffering temporarily, the
hard fact remains that with popula-
ton growing, and machines taking
the human element out OF industry.
there are not enough jobs TO 60
around as it is.