The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-11-27
LABOR news
FROM BRITAIN
. WOMEN BUILDING
. UP AIR OUTPUT
. SINGING IN THE RAIN
IN ROOFLESS FACTORIES

London.-Britain's man-power prob
lens are being eased mainly by wom
en-. War production depends to an
increasing extent upon the women
and girls who have been and are be-
ing trained in great numbers to take
the place of men called up for mill
tary service. More than 100000
women have been registered for en-
ployment by the Ministry of Labor,
and Individual registrants are now
being interviewed by the Ministry's
representatives at the rate of 10000
or $4,000 week.
The interview enables the authori
ties to direct each individual to the
best form of war work she is capable
of doing. Many hundreds of thous-
ands have been directed to work of
national Importance in this way and
elaborate schemes are now in full OPP
Grafton training women for skilled op-
erations in munitions factories.
They Learn Intricate Jobs Quickly
Particular attention was directed in
the early stages of these training
schemes to the instruction Of women
for inspection work, machine opera
tions, and work in the fitting and as
sembly shops. Large scale expert
ments by firms engaged in aircraft
manufacture have now become an
established procedure for training Of
women workers.
ha Gycf 1x,nnly
given lectures and practical instruc-
ton almost as though they were in
high school, or at a university. In
this way they acquire the funda-
mental principles of inspection work
and the use of precision tools. They
are then transferred to the shop and
acquire practical experience very
rapidly even in the most delicate
forms of measurement-many of the
trainees become qualified in sur
prisingly short space Of time to
measure to the 10th thousandth part
of an inch. Other specialized forms
of industrial training are developed
under these schemes.
Part-time women workers are also
contributing to a solution of the labor
supply problem. Many women who
cannot give whole time work are be-
ing organized for part-time shifts.
They are mainly married women
Shift arrangements provide for num-
bers of them to work from $3.50 in the
morning to l O'Clock in the afternoon
and for other women to take on from
/ D. m. to $50 p. m. In this way nom
stop production goes on, and even
meal-tme intervals are cut out by
the overlapping of the shifts.
Helpers From All Over the World
Another contribution to practical
solution of industrys man-power
problem is forthcoming from the for
eign residents in Britain. Most Of
them are refugees. But quite large
numbers of foreigners, in addition to
those who have fled from countries
under enemy occupation are being
trained for war work in British in
dustry There are anti-Fascist ltal-
ians and anti-Nazi Germans and Aus
trians training side by side with Bel
gians. Czecho-Slovaks and Poles; but
among the trainees are to be found
also Japanese, MeXicans, Turks, Por-
tuguese, Spaniards, and even citizens
of the United States.
How do these "alen" industrial
volunteers get on with their British
workmates? Testimony upon that
point is offered by German refugee,
a woman who entered a government
training center. This is what she says:
81 have been treated like anybody
else by the managers and lnstruc-
tors alike. The people have worked
with have proved real comrades, as
helpful to me as | always try to be to
them. 1t is a matter of special en-
joyment to me, that they taught me,
without their knowing, the English Of
the people which | would never be
able to find in any dictionary or text
book. Now | know the meaning of
"Bob's your uncle" "That machine IS
a mangle," and so on. Joking apart,
to my mind it is the best way for the
refugees in England, not to be trained
separately, but to mix with English
workmen."
Guarding Against Accidents
The great influx Of women and
girls into the factories has given rise
to problems which are now engaging
the very serious attention of the fac
tory inspectorate. In some districts
an increase has been noted in acci-
dents on automatic lathes and drill
ing machines which are largely
manned by the trainees now coming
into industry. One source of these ac-
cidents has been met by the launch
ing OF a new campaign to instruct
women and girls to wear caps and
overals and to learn to manage loose
articles Of dress.
A specific educative campaign for
the prevention of accidents has also
been launched with very good results.
The annual report of the chief in
spector of factories, just published,
emphasizes that there is no evidence
pointing to any appreciable number Of