Evening star., 1942-04-12
Head Of Women unit
Sees Sex Better Fixed
In Postwar Economy
ToehoId in Mems Jobs
To Be Expanded, Says
Miss Mary Anderson
BY RUTH COWAN,
Wide World News.

BY RUTH COWAN,
Wide World News
Women came out of World Wal
No. l which began for America 81
years ago this month, with bobbec
hair. Will they come out of World
War No. 2. now four months old
wearing pants?
That remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: That
Just as the years from 1914 to 1915
wrought great economic and socia
changes in the lives of American
women, so will this second conflict
Indications already can be seen.
The authority for this prediction
Is Mary Anderson, head of the
Women's Bureau in the Department
of Labor, who is doing now just
what she did quarter century ago
helping to fit women into the wal
effort.
Miss Anderson's blond hair Il
grayer now. She has had much
more experience than when she was
called to Washington to serve In
the Women-in-Industry Section OF
the Council of National Defense
during the first World War.
Some of the problems today are
different. In the other war, Miss
Anderson related, men just couldn't
see paying women the same wage
as men for equal work. Now the
tendency, especially in the new in
dustries, such as airplane produc-
ton, is for equal-sized pay en-
velopes.
Some. Problems Linger.
But some of the same old prob
lens are about. The masculine in
dustrialist is still slow to employ
women. Laughing, Miss Anderson
told how daily she gets letters from
plant managers who write: 1T looks
like I'm going to have to hire women
What shall I do?".
Women in the minds of some
men employers seem hardly people
Miss Anderson said Foremen es-
pecially are opposed to women
workers. Over and over a foreman
balks at bossing women. How can
I cuss 'em out?" he demands to
know.
The idea of having to install rest
rooms for women employees seems a
hurdle hard for some men employers
to take. They almost seem to hate
to hang up mirror" Miss Anderson
smiled.
The American Management Asso-
citation asked Miss Anderson TO come
give them some advice at their re-
cent convention. She told the po-
tential employers of modern Ewes
that "supervision of women presents
no different problems than super
vision Of men.
But" she added, IF the foreman
resents the introduction of women
Into the plant-be it conscious or
unconscious on his part-or If the
men themselves dislike the presence
of women in the once monastic at
mosphere. there is not likely to be
that smoothness or efficiency that
results in adequate production"
California Makes Survey.
Miss Anderson said that in Cali
fornia, where an increasing number
Of women are being employed in
aircraft production, a recent survey
was conducted by the California De-
partment of Employment to see how
things were going in the coed fac
tories.
In all the plants surveyed men
and women were employed on the
same job at the same rate Of pay,
very often working side by side" she
said. In some plants it was found
that men employees ridiculed the idea
OF woman workers and were conde-
scending In manner at first.
But they tended to get over this.
In one plant the supervisors were
found especially resentful at intro
duction of women. But within a
short time the head men agreed that
women were at least as easy to
supervise as were men,
One employer preferred to have
the men and women work together
In the belief that the women's higher
rate OF production would result in an
increase in the mems, Miss Anderson
recalled.
This survey showed also that the
men workers felt women should be
employed on the less skilled Jobs
Other surveys by the Women's Bu-
feau indicate the same masculine
attitude Of mind, and 1t is one that
Miss Anderson strongly opposes on
the basis of women's proved ability,
In Shoe Plant Is Years.
Prior to 1914 there were women
workers in wearing apparel factories
and in the food industry, Miss An
derson recalled She, a Swedish
merchant, worked for 18 years
stitching shoes in a factory in West
Pullman, Ill.
In those days there were very
few women in the metal trades AS
this country became the munitions
arsenal for the Allies, however, wom-
en- began going into the ammuni-
ton plants-and men weren't too
surprised when after 1917 women
were stepping into their shoes.
They were bit worried, though,
that women might like to continue
wearing those shoes. In many cases
that is what happened. Women
went into the factories and into
many of the PROFESSIONALISM stayed.
The year after the armistice they
got the vote.
Women came out Of World War
No. 1 we'll on their way to being
citizens and people" Many lost
their jobs to men who came home,
but the working woman was no
longer a novelty.
And what is ahead for women
after this war?
Without doubt, said Miss Ander-
son, women's economic and social
status will be changed 1t will alter
with the changed condition that
will follow the war.
Job Loss Fear Remains.
In the last war, men were fearful
that women would retain their jobs,