Evening star., 1943-07-08
Roosevelt Praises
Women's 5 Bureau in
Program
Rodio Forum Speakers
Include Secretary Of
lobor Perkins

I0DOf TeTklnS
Reading congratulatory mes
sage from President Roosevelt, Sec
retary of Labor Perkins led a group
of woman leaders in celebrating the
25th anniversary of the Women's
Bureau of the Labor Department
on the Radio Forum last night.
Participating with Secretary Per-
kins in the program were Miss Mary
Anderson, director of the Women's
Bureau; Senator Caraway, Demo-
crat, of Arkansas, and Representa-
tive Rogers, Republican, Of Massa-
chusetts.
The Forum is a Blue Network
feature arranged by The Star and
broadcast locally over WMAL.
Emphasizes Importance.
Stressing the important work done
today by the Women's Bureau,
with millions of women replacing
men on the production line" Secre-
tary Perkins read the following
message from the President:
The Women's Bureau of the De-
partment OF Labor will be Is years
old tomorrow and it is altogether
fitting that its many accomplish
ments over the years be told to-
night. The bureau is to be con-
graduated on the work it did in
the first World War and on the
work it is doing now in the interest
of women workers all over the
United States.
Il am informed that approx
mately 5000 900 American women
are now working, more than 2,000,-
900 of them being engaged in pro-
ducing the munitions with which
the United Nations are steadily
beating down the Axis.
More and more of our women.
in the months to come. will go into
munition. plants, into aircraft fac
tories, into shipyards and into the
other industries making actual
equipment for our soldiers. sailors
and marines or into plants servicing
our armed forces.
Show Skill, Efficiency.
They are doing a grand job. all
of them. Working under what are
new conditions. for most of them,
they are showing the skill and ef-
ficiency which make for high pro-
duction. We owe them and their
sisters. who are taking the places
of men in many drudging civilian
jobs, a great debt and l join with
Americans here and those on fight
ing fronts all over the world in
acknowledging it upon an occasion
such as the anniversary of the Gov
ernment agency which is so much
concerned with their welfare
Mrs. Perkins emphasized that the
activities of the bureau are not
founded alone on the current need
for womanpower in industry but
also encompasses the postwar Pc
riod, when women will play vital
role in the adjustment that will
come with the peace
I'VE are determined. she said.
that the difficulties which followed
the first World War will not recur.
Ali of us who are charged with
guarding the well being of future
Americans are planning now
against the period of reconstruc-
ton.
IF no other purpose is accom-
plished by this war, we shall make
sure that better standard of liv-
ing is placed within reach of the
millions of depressed populations of
the world"
Reviewing the work done by the
Woman's Bureau, Miss Anderson
recalled that the bureau pioneered
in the establishment of the policy
of equal pay for women.
why, you may ask" she said.
has the Womens Bureau for a
quarter of century steadfastly in
sisted upon equal pay for women
for comparable work? Why is the
principle so important part of our
victory effort? Because underpay-
ment of women Is not only undemo-
cratic but economically unsound.
1t is obviously unfair to ask the
woman who is taking the place of
man called to the front to do the
same job for lesser pay.
Employers today know-and the
studies of the Women's Bureau con-
flrm-that the industrial efficiency
and the output of women workers
are as satisfactory as those of men
in some cases more so"
Safe Standards Emphasized.
Representative Rogers agreed that
thousands more of women workers
will be needed for the war effort
but warned that I'VE must jealousy
ono Touno RrILe