Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1942-09-10
WHY GIRLS LEAVE
WASHINGTON

WHY GIRLS LEAVE
WASHINGTON
Many young girls who left home
to. come to Washington are now leav-
ing Washington to go home. They
thought it would be thrilling to work
in the capital in wartime, but they
are sadly disillusioned.
Clerks and junior stenographers
simply don't make enough money
to live on. A labor department sur
vey indicates that a single person
must earn $1,470 year to live in
Washington, at present rent and
food costs. Yet there are two Civil
Service ratings below that figure
81, 260 and ST ,440, for clerical and
stenographic jobs.
Young girls like Washington at
first. It's something to write home
about-living right in sight of the
great Capitol dome, passing in front
of the White House every day.
But the thrill wears off when the
boss works them IL hours day in
war office, when their feet get
tired standing in crowded buses, and
when they can't sleep comfortably
four in room.
Norah Booth personnel expert in
OPA, knows these cases by the
score. A girl from Nashville, Tenn,
came to Washington last June,
thrilled to the eyebrows. Now she
is leaving.
''I don't know what's the matter
with me-" she told Miss Booth. "I'm
all jumpy. I guess you call it
nerves. 1t was fun being here at
first, but you have to work so hard
and pay so much for room! I'm
tired of worrying whether I'll have
enough money next week for new
pair of stockings. I'm going home!"
HOW TO WRITE TO SOLDIERS
The army is far from satisfied
with the way it's V-1nail (photo let
ter) service to troops overseas is
going. Despite the big advantages
of V-mail in the speed and trans
mission as well as guarantee against
loss, the general public hasn't taken
to it.
This is partly due to misunder-
standing of the technique of the serv-
ice and partly to the fact that V-mail
blanks have been available only at
larger post offices. However, the
army is planning to extend the serv-
ice soon to every post office and
rural route in the country. At the
same time, an educational program
will be launched.
Actually, it is much simpler to
send letter by V-mail than the
regular way, since you don't have to
bother with envelope or stamps. All
you do is write your message, with
your address and that of the receiv-
er, on a blank form, and fold and
seal it. The sealed form goes to
port of embarkation, where it is put
through machine and photo
graphed on small micro-flm roll.
Later the roll is printed and de-
veloped in a reproducing station at
it's overseas destination The photo
letter is then placed in an envelope
and delivered. Since the filming and
developing are performed mechan-
ically in the dark, senders of V-mail
are assured absolute privacy.
Also, they get faster delivery. The
army gives priority to V-mail be-
cause of a one-third saving in cargo
space. The army postal service es-
Inmates that % sacks of V-mail
are equal to 81 sacks of regular
mail. However, the chief considera-
ton to senders is that V-mail is
guaranteed against loss. The origi-
nal Worm is preserved for refilm-
ing, in case a mail cargo is lost at
sea.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
q Tennessee mountaineer Cordell
Hull never forgets. Recently he re-
fused a job to prominent New
York publisher because some years
ago he had signed a petition de-
manding that the state department
stop sending scrap iron to Japan.
q Good sport EVE Robert, after los
ing a $1,000 bet that Senator Jim
Mead would get the Democratic
nomination for governor of New
York, telegraphed triumphant Jim
Farley: "You sure were right-and
howl"
q, U. S. army officials suggest that
headlines on American participation
in the Dieppe Commando raid were
misleading. Our part was insight
icant.
d Various American citizens of Jap
anese descent are urging second
front now and volunteering for front
line duty.