The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-07-08
Detroit Race Rioting Caused
Huge Loss On Production
Front, WPB Official Shows
u. s. Women S
(Continued From Page One)

partment's Bureau of Ordnance. One
of her assistants was Mary Anderson,
an organizer for the National WOmen's
Trade Union League, who was selected
by Secretary Wilson to be assistant
director of the new Labor Department
service. In August 1919 Miss van
Kleeck resigned her post to return to
the Russell sage Foundation and Miss
Anderson succeeded her, later becom-
| ing director of the Women'S Bureau
when the wartime service became Il
permanent part of the Labor Depart
ment by Act of Congress in June, 1920
Miss Anderson came to America
from Sweden at the age of 16, and
shortly after became a shoe operator
in Il Chicago plant. She worked in this
industry for Is years, becoming
member of the International Boot and
Shoe Workers Union and serving as
the only woman member of its eXecll-
tive board This union background re-
suited in her recruitment as an organ
izer for the National Women'S Trade
Union League. AS Il pioneer in this
gamated Clothing Workers of Amer
lea. She was virtually drafted from
this work in 1918 when she accepted
federal appointment in Washington.
Her leadership of the Women'S Bureau
has been the ma ijOr factor in building
Il government agency with q realistic,
adaptable program for intelligent en-
l,,1 J,n mil
fighting Il world war on the labor-for-
victory front.
According to its Congressional man
date the Women's Bureau must "fOr
mulate standards and policies which
shall promote the welfare of wage
earning women improve their working
conditions, increase their efficiency,
and ad vance their opportunities
for profitable employment At the
close of the first World War the
Bureau published a bulletin entitled
The New Position of Women in
American Industry"-a detailed report
on women's part in munitions making
and other war industries from 1914 to
1913. Today the Bureaus range Of
study covers guns and ammunition
aircraft, instruments, machine tools,
ships, and heavy industry as these
} fields are concerned with the employ
ment of women. Women street car CON
ductors, supposedly one of the more
colorful by-products of the second
World War, were the subjects of an
Iother early Bureau study published in
1921. During the prosperous '2Os the
Bureau made surveys and recommends
ed standards for women in many i'm
pOrtant industries. In the depression
following 1929 it issued surveys of un-
: employment among women workers.
When war and the lrlmors of war
began to resound in 1889 and 40 the
WomenS Bureau needed the warnings
, of those who fOresaw Il global war i'll
the fullest sense of the term. Staff
economists knew that Il huge labor
force would be needed to supply Il
mechanical army that would be sent
all over the wOrld-if and when the
United States again became one of the
allies. In view of these forecasts, the
Bureau began surveys of war indus
tries in which women could replace
drafted men to a large extent. When
war did come and the wholesale
SiphOning of men workers into the
armed forces began, the Bureau was
prepared with authoritative informa-
ton
Today women comprise approx
mately 30 per cent of Americas labor
force. The Bureau has aided in the
effective adjustment of women in some
of the most importnt war plants in the
country. 1t has drawn up guides for
management on such subjects as safety
clothing, service facilities, safety pro-
visions. meal and rest periods. 1t has
made studies Of entrance wage rates,
hours of work and state and federal
regulatory legislation. Job analyses
conducted by experts on the Bureau
staff have aided employment directors
in selection and placement of women
workers. 1t has contributed to com
munity efforts in housing and recrea-
ton.
In addition to the heavy load of war
work carried by the Bureaus staff,
plans are being mapped for postwar
readjustmentS that will secure for
women workers the progress they have
been making. Despite the gains of the
past % years much still remains to be
done in the field of minimum-WaSe
, legislation, h Ou Sc h o q employment
standards and farm work. Extension
of social security after the war Will
: require special study for women bene-
ticiarieS.
The woman worker has long been
regarded as "cheap labor" and this
arbitrary status has put her in the
!; same defensive position as racial
groups and child labor. Unorganized,
unskilled and unframed in the past,
she has been exploited and hampcred
by strongly rooted prejudices. Each
turn of the economic cycle has brought
har ppcuIiar pfoblpmS IN thp attention