Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-08-31
Personal AcceptGbilitY
Of Workers
By Ethel NJ. Williams

During the war period just ended,
the salaried or white collar worker
and the wage Garner had many
common problems of adjustment to
their wartime jobs. All workers
were Inconvenience by overtaxed
public transportation facilities, long
or staggered hours and irregular
shifts or assignments which con-
flicted with the individuals estab-
lished patterns of daily routine.
Lack of time for shopping, recrea-
ton, and satisfying other personal
needs such as education or develop
ment, were particularly disquieting
to the regularly employed person
who had spare-time interests.
On the job the worker often found
that supervisory personnel was has
tily and sometimes inadequately
trained; consequently, none too well
suited to the demands made by
their overseer responsibilities.
Many employees failed to carry
their just share of the load and took
unfair advantage of situations re-
sulting from the acute labor short
age. The competition which only a
few years ago was between the
workers for jobs later became a
struggle between employers for
workers. Employers experienced
manpower problems which made
difficult the enforcement of their
prewar standards. Requirements
were frequently lowered and less
efficient persons employed to meet
production needs. AS a result, prob
lens involving personal relation
ships greatly increased.
Today, however, the manpower
situation is no longer acute and
competition between workers for
jobs again looms high over the en-
ployment horizon. The worker
must now take inventory of his
skills and also his personal &C
ceptability in a competitive post
war labor market
Good Conduct and Hygiene
A point of intense irritation to
wartime workers was the public
transportation facilities used daily
by nearly all workers-the white
collar as well as the factory en-
ployee. Failure to practice the
"give-and-take" of good sportsman
ship by indulging in pushing, SHOW
ing and "seat-hogging," often in
vited trouble. Talking loudly and
discussing ones personal or social
activity was thoroughly annoying
to passengers who wished to relax
during their ride to and from work.
Persons belonging to some minority
groups were inclined to indulge in
their common fault-offending by
their personal discourses obviously
held for the benefit of other pas
sengers who neither cared nor wish
ed to hear the recitals and discus
sions which interested only the mar
rator.
Recently, a young woman who is
a daily street car rider on a line
serving a neighborhood in which a
large number of Negroes reside,
told the writer that it was neces-
sary to inconvenience herself by
taking an earlier car. Overhearing
discussions of the personal affairs
of absent members of their social
group, was just too much.
The personal untidiness of some
wartime workers not only offended,
but also alienated many potential
friends. Untidy greasy clothing
which had absorbed cooking odors
and offensive body odors added to
the confusion and unpleasantness
of fellow workers who must de-
pend upon public transportation
and car pooling or share lockers and
small rest or work rooms. Although
perfumery-which includes highly
scented body powder and hair POM
ades-has no role in the workaday
life of the individual who must
travel or work in close contact with
other persons, it was much too COM
monty used. Taking a daily bath
with soap and plenty of water and
making a daily change to fresh
clothing as a matter of personal
hygiene had to be learned by many
the embarrassing way. But in many
cases the lessons were worth much
to the offending employee. The pay
off came in greater personal ac-
ceptability which accrued to the
wartime workers gains.
Self-ImprOvement Attainable
Whether on the public conveyance
or in the factory or office, rudeness
and vulgarity are equally annoy
ing. These unsocial characteristics
Of boorishness and over-aggressive-
ness are usually indicative of ones
sense of inferiority. Many wartime
workers learned how to overcome
an inferiority complex by measur-
ing up in standards with the best.
There are, of course, inequalities
in opportunity for education, blu,
regardless of his schooling each
worker who honestly desires to i'm
prove himself can do so. He can
easily bring himself up to the point
OF being acceptable to his fellow
workers by taking notice of and