Show Women's Bureau of Labor Department 15 25 Years Old Busy With Present and Postwar Needs of Workers Agency Watches Over Rights and Security Of Eighteen Million By C. C V. V PETERS Eighteen and a half million women are now working for wages mostly in jobs essential to war Some five million of these are new new to the labor mar mar- markets markets markets they have gone into factories fac fae- factories tories and fields since 1940 when the nation began to buckle down for the great conflict All in all women have been doing a mag mag- magnificent magnificent magnificent job No task has been too dirty or dangerous or difficult cult they have cheerfully ac- ac accepted accepted accepted all discomforts and haz haz- ards World War I i when as now millions of women were called upon to replace men in a thousand occupations occupations occupations the department of labor be be- became became became came interested in the special needs and problems of working women n. n In 1920 a permanent subdivision the Women's bureau was established which superseded the temporary Woman in Industry Service set up in 1917 Miss Mary Anderson director of the war agency was appointed head of the Women's Bureau After developing the Bureau to its pres pres- present present present ent impressive status she retired last June at the age of 71 with 25 years of service to working wom wom- women women women en accomplished Under the guidance of Miss An An- Anderson And Anderson I derson d the bureau made intensive study of conditions and problems of women workers wor kers in various types of employment professional employment professional business industrial and domestic She was responsible for calling two important important important tant conferences of women in indus indus- industry try tr in 1923 and 1936 attended representatives of all ll important t women's organizations The principles principles principles ples she advocated were 1 Complete equality of opportunity opportunity opportunity for men and women on the basis of their individual indi merit skill and experience 2 Wage Wage- rates based on job con con- content content tent without regard to sex 3 Establishing of precise and ob ob- objective ob- ob objective standards for determining job content as a basis for determining ing wage rates In 1918 there were eight and a half million women workers In the 1 Tt a v Mrs Airs Nora T. T Sterns outstanding member of a class of pilots a big machine on the acre Sterns farm She is a Triple-A Triple woman and organizer of her class of women tractor operators spring of 1940 there were 13 million Now there are 18 million women in the labor force These 18 million women make up 36 per cent of the total nonagricultural labor force and 20 per cent of the agricultural labor force of the United States I Age Changes Life The amount of gainful work worle done by women at home has decreased steadily while white the amount of their gainful work outside the home has increased At the beginning of the century women still were spin spin- spinning spinning spinning ning at home but the yarn was brought for weaving to large rooms where looms were in use The ear ear- earliest earliest liest cotton mill was established in 1814 and thereafter weaving be be- became became came a factory occupation In 1831 there were women employed in various cotton factories in the United States Slates By the middle of the century the sewing machine came into effective I use usually op op- operated operated by women Thus into a world of gardening and raising sheep in the back yard of grinding flour of weaving cloth in the front room the first ma ma- machines machines chines appeared and revolutionized our whole manner of ot life Since many of the earlier machines did work that had always been done by women at home manufacturers 1 j I r 11 s bf J s sQ sI I 4 Q l t L A r i tM- tM U f t 1 i 7 k 1 y I t 4 w. w Y r i Q This specially trained girl makes some adjustments on the nose as as- assembly assembly assembly of a P 39 There is scarcely any task in aviation n manufacture that women have not mastered looking for factory operatives turned to women The factories located with a view to available power and future mar mar- marketing marketing marketing soon developed communities and these attracted other workers in various lines of activity As towns grew in size many of the older household occupations became im im- possible The entrance of women into wage- wage earning occupations was tremendously tremendously tremendously speeded up by the Civil war warI I and World War I. I Of the role women wom wom- women women en played during the first World war we have a dramatic picture The war itself wrenched the whole industrial machine In the quick shift from peace to war women as well as men were rapidly ab ab- absorbed absorbed absorbed by the iron and steel mills metal factories and foundries they were practically drafted to make munitions and other war supplies Aerial warfare created a new indus indus- industry industry industry try in which women were indispensable indispensable indispensable sable and it expanded the indus indus- industries industries industries tries that made the material necessary necessary sary sa 11 for aircraft manufacture Meanwhile the army of men had to be fed and clothed and andin andin andin in addition the nations nation's industries had to continue to supply the needs of the people at home There are striking parallels be be- between between tween the first World war and the present one in regard to women workers In steadily increasing numbers then as now en en- entered entered fields field which l had been regard regard- as exclusive province province al al although though thousands of women carried on in traditionally feminine food and fabric industries Experienced wom worn women en who were already in manufacturing manufacturing manufacturing turing in 1917 were utilized largely for munitions making They helped to io train new groups formerly otherwise other other- otherwise otherwise wise employed such as school teachers teach teach- teachers teachers ers who joined their ranks as well w U as the large numbers of inexperienced inexperienced inexperienced women never before in the labor force Growing numbers of women were hired in such indus- indus industries industries industries tries as iron steel lumber trans trans- transportation transportation transportation equipment chemicals metal and metal products and oth oth- others ers erSt The Women's Bureau had record record- recorded oth-I oth ed World War I experience in ia the use of women labor so it was nat nat- natural natural natural ural that the bureau should be recognized rec rec- recognized recognized as the official agency for all matters relating to women's em em- employment employment employment in the present war wa ef ef- fort On March 15 1941 the Un Un- Undersecretary Undersecretary of War indicated that he would take measures to see that the War department take up all matters matteIS of concern to women work work- workers workers workers ers with the Women's Bureau and there has been close cooperation tion since that date Cooperative relationships have been established with the Navy Department with other Government departments and with state organ organ- organizations organizations and war contractors Can Do Any Job If It Trained The peacetime work women were doing on punch presses drilling machines ma ma- machines machines chines milling machines lathes grinders and polishers as well as their high record of achievement in inspection assembly filing and other bench work in metal and electrical industries was well known to the bureau The extent to which these developed skills would be useful to war-implemented war industries was easily demonstrated In the last war women had proved themselves able in an nn emergency to make good goodon on any job if adequately trained The transfer of vast numbers of agricultural workers to the war in in- industries in- in industries as well as the rapid induction induction tion of others into the armed forces resulted in a growing demand for the employment of women in agri agri- 4 t rl f Q cultural work In interesting wom worn women women en in such work the bureau cooper cooper- cooperated cooperated cooperated with other government agencies agen agen- agencies agencies cies concerned and in addition formulated for for- formulated formulated and helped put into practice practice practice tice standards for women's employment employ employ- employment employment I ment on farms Today women women are being utilized utilize d in three broad categories of jobs 1 Those that women have always alway S done now multiplied by the de de- demands demands mands wands of war 2 Those where they have been bee n used as substitutes for men either eithe r as replacements or in expanding in in- in 3 Those that are new processes s never nevet performed by either sex se x some of these arc are the result of r sub sub- subdivision subdivision division of skilled operations to fa fa- facilitate facilitate facilitate mass production while oth oth- others others of h ers ens arc the result of or manufacture he e of new kinds of equipment Though men are still found fount in most mos t of f the top and highly skilled indus indus- industrial s trial jobs women to an increasing sg g degree are doing the more skilled difficult and disagreeable jobs as aswell aswell a S Swell well as certain dangerous and nd some some- sometimes som e times inappropriate types of work wor k ek During World War I 1 the question n was Would women remain as work work- workers workers workers ers when the war ended Many Man people thought this question would woul be answered by the return of women n to their homes or their old a This time the question is How may we best organize and car car- carry carry ca r- r ry 7 out the shift from wartime to t o peacetime employment Million Will iVill Quit The Women's Bureau Bur au believes that at least 3 million women will wm vol vol- voluntarily voluntarily withdraw from the labor market young market young girls will wm go back to school older women at retirement age or past will retire many of the housewives who joined the labor force for the duration only will be glad to take over full time homemaking duties This will wm leave leavea a force of about 15 million women workers for the immediate postwar r period Miss Frieda S. S Miller who became Director of the Women's Bureau on August 17 1944 believes the shift to peacetime jobs is a manageable thing if we are both forehanded and farsighted as to planning She believes this planning must begin at local levels and provide for advisory advisory sory counsels for all groups and facilities for training and retraining of war workers for peacetime em em- After the last war the tt Assistant Secretary of War acting as the Di Di- Director Director rector of Munitions at that time paid this tribute to women For the successful carrying out of our program for the production of vast quantities of explosives and I propellants as well as shell loading the women of America must be given given given I en credit on account of the highly important part they took in this of helping to t win the war Fully 50 per cent of the number of employees in our explosive plants were women who braved the dan dan- dangers dangers dangers gers connected with this line of work to which they had been of course course entirely unaccustomed but whose perils were not unknown to them Miss Miller believes that women's contribution has been much more extensive in World War II In the postwar world she says Let us dovetail the skills and experiences of men and women workers so as to produce all the varied and numerous numer ous goods and services needed for a well balanced economy and well- well rounded living Jiving for all our people I With the war still far from being won women of America give every indication of surpassing all previous goals in war production Both young and old find there is a place for them in war production At left a middle-aged middle woman drills parts for Flying Fortresses in a Se Se- Seattle Scalds attle Wash Nash factory Center pic plc picture ture shows Miss Nita Carlin of Wee Wee- hawkin N. N J. J J inspecting a high high- power radio transmitting tube Miss I Carlin who is only 21 years old is a graduate of or Hunter college in New York city where she majored in physics She is being trained in factory engineering and is the first girl ever to be hired Wred for this work |