The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-08-11


January |, to fulfill existing war
contracts in the Greater Miami
area The paper also said. Where
are they coming FROM
So YOU see why I'm anxious TO
do my part. I've worked before
and need the work terribly now.
as I've just told YOU. My first huS-
band. the father of the boy who is
in the hospital. died in the last
war. So / had 10 work. and kept
On working till | married again.
and had two other children. and
had To give il up. But as soon as
| could. took a job as cashier IN
a chain grocery store. Down here
the wages of d man like my huS-
band are not enough when he has
growing children. So | worked.
and hired a girl to look after the
children and keep house while |
was al the store. | managed pref
Nv well until the girl wanted SIS
a week. | made SIS then. But
when | subtracted my deductions,
which included taxes and all. |
only had little over $40 left. II
didn't paw me 10 work. So ! had to
give up this job. And now I'd like
10 work in some war plant. But
even if | did try out for this kind
oi work. how can ! afford TO pay
the high wages girls demand TO
keep house and care for the chill
dren while I'm away? OF course |
could take the children 10 day
nursery and do all the work my
self when | get home at night and
ON my DAYS off. But / have a
neiehbor who does that. and she 5
all worn out and sick from over
work. A woman who has family
10 look out for. If she works SIX
DAYS a week. can't rest on her off
uayS. That's the time she must
do her washing and ironing.
cleaning. and cooking and prepar-
.ng enough food to help her
through the rest of the week The
laundries one cannot resort to-
They're too expensive and indie
pendent in times like these.
Still. besides needing the mon
". do want 10 work at some
thing which would help IN the
war. That's how a mother feels
who has a boy in the army.
Drafted mothers Of our nation.
Won can well understand what tins
womans problem must be. | hap
Len to live in the Miami area my
self. and know that low wages IN
industry predominant ~ and de
spite the great increase in the cost
of living TODAY. l also know OF
many women who have had to
take DAYS off. because of illness
due to overwork Obviously that
situation puts big cut in war pro-
duction. as well as IN the cut OF
wages which those days off de-
mand.
To keep the wheels OF war in
dustry accelerated women who
have the burdens of the nome to
carry. should not bc oVeTworked-
4 woman should not b. REQUIRED
,o do more than that which IS eX-
oectcd Of man When man
gives himself 10 a war JOB, ne can
hardly effect II will. # hc were
10 bear the added burdens which
are required of the average wo-
man
Therefore. why not induce m
dustrv 10 engage women workers
Tor three DAYS a week. instead ol
SIM And why not have those three
DAYS comprise ten hours. instead
II eight2 Furthermore. why not
urge industry 10 increase women ;
wages sufficiently to create the
incentive FOR them 20 go Ia work
i War industry would not lose Its
quota of production. since women
who are not overworkcd can &C
ccmpliSh more IN three ten-hour
! DAYS than IN the usual SIN. This.
however. should only apply 10
thosa who must carry the added
burden Of the home. when they
engage m war work