WOMEN AND MUNITION WORK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2664, 8 January 1916, Page 2

WOMEN AND MUNITION WORK

REMARKABLE APTITUDE AND KEENNESS. Tho Press Association learns as a Tesult of inquiries in well-informed quarters that women have done notable service In many-departments of war work, but in none luoro so than iu the actual manufacture of munitions, says an English paper. At first many employers were rcj luotant to make experiments in this direction. The event has disproved their fears. it one of tho largest shell factories in the country the vliolo of. the operations on 18-pounder high-explosive shell, from the forged blank to tho finish of the shell, is done by girls, and an excellent output has been obtained after an almost insignificant period of training. One large establishment has increased its women shellworkers bv about 2500 in the last sis months. In some of -the national shell factories women are being freely used, especially on the lighter kinds of shells. 111 one instance tho shifts contain 50 women and 10 liiou. In tlio North a firm has found it possible to employ women for inspecting, weighing, boring, facing, and packing howitzer bombs and for testing them under hydraulic pressure. In other branches of munitions work previous experience by women workers lias been turned to advantage. Thus women formerlv employed 011 photographic apparatus" are now making clinometers for artillery. Wo-nen, in fact, are displaying extraordinary aptitude as well as eagerness for this kind of employment. Somewomen 011 shell work are said to have learnt tho most difficult operations in a fojv davs, and in general about three weeks are sufficient ill which- to complete tho whole of tho technical training required. In tho works of a famous firm ,it is said uiat when there is a momentary slackness tho women worry the foremen until they are. busy again. The superintendent of a well-known armament firm dec Tares that girls aro much more satisfactory than boys at repetition work. A boy usually wants to become (i fully trained mechanic and grows discontented if kept at one job indefinitely, whereas girls, who do noti usually enter the factory'with the idea of staying in it for more than a few years,, are willing to concentrate their attention 011 attniuiug dexterily at a particular task. Incidentally this diffcronco is productive of tho further advantage.that the introduction of women's labour is not likely to produce any'permanent disturbance in tho labour marfcat altec the .wax. j