USEFUL WORK BY WOMEN.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16037, 20 October 1917, Page 2

USEFUL WORK BY WOMEN.

appreciable economies.

THE W.A.A.C

(FEOM OtTB OWN COBBESPONTJENT.)

LONDON, August 24

Women's work in the war has been ittended with so much success that its iCo pe is being extended, with official lanction and approval. Women axe :o take the place of soldiers in many nore departments than tho Army—not jnly here, but in France, too, at the jases and on lines of. communication, hus releasing men for active duty. the approval of the Army Coun:il, the Women's Army Auxiliary jorps lias sprung into being. It will )e administered by the Adjutant-Gene-•al's Department, and selection boards inH medical boards, composed of wo* nen, will be established. Women joinng will sign the enrolment for a year, 31- the duration of the war. ninimiim age for home duty will bo LB, for abroad 20. Hostels and hutted camps have been established, and it the bases and on lines of commurii•ation (away from the firing line) four women will be engaged in tno work of three men, often as gardeners for graves. Already accommodation has been arranged for over 4000 women to bo employed by the Army in 1 ranee. DISTINGUISHING BADGES. There will be a Civil Controller, and the following other appointments and badges (all on shoulder straps) are authorised: — Chief Controller, H.Q., double rose. Chief Controller, Overseas, I fleur-der lys and 2 roses. Deputy-Chief Controller, H.Q., 1 fleur-de-lys and 2 roses. Deputy-Chief Controller, Overseas, 1 dcur-do-iys and 1 rose. Section Controller, H.Q., 1 fleur-de-lys and 1 rose. Assistant Section Controller, H.Q., 2 fleur-de-lys. Area Controller, attached to H.Q. of commands, and to .certain areas and base ports overseas, 1 fleur-de-lys. Clothing Controller, H.Q.j 3 roses. Technical Assistant Controller, Inspector of Women's Work, 1 rose. ' Unit Administrator, in charge of large hostel, 3 roses. Deputy Administrator, when in charge of small hostels, 2 roses; when assistant in large hostels, 1 rose. Assistant Administrator, employed in hostels, etc., 1 rose; Quartermistress, class I. (a) attached to depot hostels of. 500, 2 roses; Quartermistress, class 11. (b) attached under War Office orders, 1 roso. DUTIES AND PAY. Tho official list of work previously done by soldiers which may bo done in future by women of the new corps include : —A.: Clerks, librarians accountants, typists, and shorthand-typists; j B.: Cooks, wine waitresses, waitresses, butlers, housemaids, laundresses, vegetable women, pantrymaids, scrubbers, washers-up, charwomen, and by-pro- | duct women. C.: motor transport service. D.: Storehouse women (other than those under G.), checkers, packers, and unskilled labour, tailors, sewers, messengers, shoemakers, and bakers. E.: Telephone and postal services. F.: Miscellaneous services. G.: Technical women employed with the R.F.C. and A.S.C. motor transport. Except that they will not work near the firing-line, the women will be soldiers, and khaki their uniform —a greatcoat of army pattern, a khaki coat-frock, stockings, 6hoes, leggings, and brown felt hat. Pay, from £20 a year with free board and lodging for tjho lower ranks, to £2 a week for skilled labour, less 14s for board and lodging. Members of the W.A.A.C. living in their own' homes will find their ownl>oard, lodging, service, and washing, and no deductions will be made in this respect. A deduction at a fixed rate per week, to cover board, service, lodging, and washing, will be made from all members of the W.A.A.C. at home and oversea accommodated in billets or hostels under War Department arrangements other than those whose emoluments. include free board, lodging, and washing. ECONOMIES EEFFECTEIX Already the Women's Legion has provided over GOOO cooks and waitresses in no fewer than 200 camps in the United Kingdom, chiefly for officers' and sergeants' messes and for cadet battalions, v wkile lately, they have taken over the service for Canadian and Australian hospitals, where their efficiency and the economy they have introduced have been specially marked. Instructresses in cookery have been supplied by the Legion for some of the Command schools of cookery, and _in many instances the economy resulting has been extraordinary. Officially it is recorded that at one mess the daily messing charge for officers wa3 reduced within a few weeks from 2s 6d to Is 3d a head, and in addition £100 was saved for the benefit of the mess generally; now at the same mess the charge has been reduced to 9d a day. At another large mess, where the weekly loss had previously been at the rate of £100 a week, tho messing charge has been considerably reduced. In January last the Army Council recognised mis good work by a rise in wages. Besides help provided for the Ministry of Munitions, canteens, and agriculture, a motor transport section has been able" to find women to replace men as drivers for the Army Service Corps and the Royal Flying Corps. Altogether, some 400 have found work in this way, and have released nearly half a battalion of men for other work. The number is steadily increasing. WHITE BRRAJ> AND WHITE SUGAR!

Only since last April have English girls and women taken up duty in France, and from-the onset they have 'Shown fino spirit, and the life of adventure appeals to tho enterprising. One of the girls writes: — "With regard to our life in billets, being 'Army,' of course it is very crude, and we have dispensed with such luxuries as tablecloths, etc., but we have delicious white bread and white sugar. We get a lot of bully beef, and so far I haven't risked my teeth on the Army biscuits . . . "We Qiave a bathing parade at 6.30 every morningj and get on 'swimmingly.' It sounds like a summer holiday, doesn't it? But, of course, it is not all pleasure out here, and my advice to, the girls at Connaught Club is: TDon't come out expecting a picnic, because you won't get it.' Those of us who are content with our work come out with the sole motive of 'doing our bit,' and with the determination to make' the best of our lot. "Whenever we feel inclined to grumble nt certain things we think of the men in the trenches, and wo feel that these sink into ipsipcjiifics/ace by the side of the sacrifices they are making—we must always keep that thought before us. Stick it, girls, right to the end and with the same noble spirit as they are showing, and remember that we* shall share, in no small measure, the honour of those who have taken a more active part in bringing the victory."