The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-08-24
Observations
Women Should be
Considered Upon
Own Ability
BY ESTHER VAN W. TUFTT

BY ESTHER VAN W. TUFTT
To Miss Margaret A. Hickey the
American working woman as well
a. the working man has quite a
postwar employment problem 10
solve. And Miss Hickey knows for
abe Is chairman OF the women ad-
visory committee OF the War Man
power Commission.
OF the 1925, 900 who did their
wer-ume bit by holding down a
Job on the homo front some 10000
900, or about SIS per cent, will wish
10 or be in need 10 continue work
ing. This is about 100000 more
than were gsin:ully employed be-
fore the United States went into
about war production.
AS Miss Hickey pointed out in
my column yesterday, the l2.00O,-
900 who were in the labor market
before the war, consisting OF stem
ographers. nurses, teachers, sales
girls and clerks and mattresses. are
pretty secure in their Jobs. But. not
SO the inexperienced woman-espe-
cially the ones who took their Jobs
lightly and took advantage OF the
fact the need for help was so des-
perate.
The clear-eyed and always can
did Miss Hickey admits many girls
who held jobs In wartime will be
quickly fired now that peace is
here. No longer will they get away
with sloppy work, insubordination.
and q total lack OF job integrity.
She adds:
"They won't get by with II the
minute the employer has people in
the waiting room applying for
jobs"
Today, Miss Hickey has q few
words o. advice for the employer
who may still labor under now-ex-
ploded misconceptions in regard to
women in industry.
II Miss Hickey whispered in the
ears Of employers. she would give
them these four tips:
dust off that bugaboo that
men need work more than women.
2-Don't assume every woman is
going to get married and leave.
Statistics are against Il.
3. Don't judge by appearances
(even a glamor girl may have an
invalid mother and a kid brother
TO put through school)
4-Judge the applicant as an In
diyidual on the basis OF ability.
These were some OF Miss He
keys thoughts before she left for
England, where she will exchange
opinions with women leaders In q
country where all women were
drafted TO work or serve In the
armed forces
Miss Hickey. who Is president OF
the Business and Professional Wo-
mems Club, was invited by the
British president, Miss Caroline
Haslett. She also was invited BY
what could be called her British
counterpart, Miss Ethel Woods,
honorary secretary OF British Wom-
an Power Committee. =.
Both OF these British women have
visited In America and have been
fully informed, through Miss Hic-
key, OF the contribution women war
workers have made on the produc-
ton front.
While she n q guest OF the Brit
fish, her trip has been arranged and
financed by our War Manpower
Commission.
Miss Hickey was one Of the con-
sultants at the San Francisco Con-
ference, and while her interests are
focused on helping the working
woman in the United States, she Is
90 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS she
knows that what affects British
women will affect American wom-
en-.
When she comes home, early in
September, abe will probably find
the character OF her Job complete
" changed. No more will she be
begging women TO take war Jobs,
but consoling and helping them 20
get Jobs, as war plants close and
help wanted" signs go down.