The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-22

CORNELIUS J. DANAHER
 rate, nor could expansion and large-scale operation be carried on. In the final analysis, however, it must be labor that deserves the lions share of credit for produc- tion achievement.
 How, the labor picture in our country has bone through @ per- iod of great transition. I refer, Of course, to the most noteworthy change: the hiring of women for heavy industry. Less than a quar- ter of a century ago 1t was rare to find women engaged in what we termn manual labor" True, in the small skilled and precision in- dustries there were many. The garment industry also employed them. But in the main, our manu- featuring concerns relied upon men for their productive output.
 The war has greatly changed all this. Today we find women taking the place of men in more jobs than have heretofore been believed possible. They are work ing on heavy machines, handling the welder's torch, engaged in the transportation industry; in fact, only in the skilled trades such as tool making. die sinking and machine work where long appren- ticeship is necessary, do We find them about.
 The American employer and our government can hardly forget their obligations to the women of the nation. This is true not only on the home front but also in the armed services, where we find WAC's, WAVES, STARS and Marines by the thousands. It is estimated that roughly five mill lion women have entered factories and offices since 1940. With prac- tically every peacetime industry in the nation anticipating eXpan- sion after the war, there is little reason to doubt that there will be places for those women who desire to remain in industry. Competant authorities tell us that this ex- PdL1olO11 WILL UC O4 1dASC CAAOhSA nature to accommodate not only the women but also the men re- turning from service.
 For example, in the household appliance field alone, electric re- frigeratorS, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and the like will become practically indispensable in all of our homes. Large-scale production of these items will au- tomatically insure their retail price being low enough for even those wage earners in the lower brackets. We are told that the radio industry will have expand ed from a half-billion dollar vol- ume per year. Television is in it's experiemntal stage. The volume of that branch of radio will afford opportunities for many new work CTS.
 In the manufacture of these items to which I have referred, women employees definitely fit into the picture. A recent survey of 54 war plants discloses that women were as competent in 30 per cent of the jobs to be filled as were the men. Thsi could well hold true in peacetime industry.
 Horrible as this war may be, it has already developed into a proving ground out of which a new world will emerge filled with productive miracles the like of which man in his widest dreams has never imagined. War is a test ing ground for science, medicine and industry. Tn America, women have met the challenge necessi- tated by the dictates of war. They have filled gaps in all branches of industry, gaps caused by men leaving for the service. and have proven that they can hold their own in business and industry without special consideration for their sex. The doors of opportun- ity have been opened for women because of this war. and indica- tions point strongly to the fact that they will remain open in the postwar world.
 Are women to be used just to work when needed and then to he casually dismissed when their services are no longer vital to the welfare Of either government or industry7 ! do not believe so. The