WAR WORK FOR WOMEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2750, 19 April 1916, Page 6

WAR WORK FOR WOMEN

A NATIONAL REGISTER?

At the time the National Register was proposed, certain enthusiastic ladies, of the Women's Branch of the National Reserve urged that a war census of women should bo taken, not to discover the number available to fight, but the number available to take up the work of mon called upon to servo with the colours.

A number of those ladies had an interview ..with the Minister of Internal ' Affairs yesterday about the proposal.' lAs a result of the conversation, the executive of the Women's National Re- | serve is to prepare a scheme. of registration for the consideration of Jhe Minister. At the beginning the object ■ of the organisation will-be to provide thoroughly efficient ladv stenographers, typists, and clerks, who will be able to take the places in mercantile offices of men who have left for'the front, thus casing the pressure on employers' who ha.\e allowed their employees to enlist, and making-it easier for other employers to spare moro men who cannot at present bo spared. Details of the scheme will be worked out in the course of a few days. All the work of compiling tlie register will be done by the women themselves; A test of efficiency in _ mercantile office work will be required; and applicants will have to submit themselves for examination. The examiner will probably 1 ho an officer of one: of the IMucation authorities. To train women; in this work, training classes on a largo scale will be established.

■ clear_ up. one misapprehension," said the Minister yesterday, "it may he> stated that the women who offer for service are not offering for honorary employment. A scale of pay, based on current rates, will be prepared by trio National Reserve, and employers ac- ■ copting the services of members of the reserve will pay them the prescribed rates ; -There ,are also probably some vocations in which masculine manhood possessing ample power for the trenches Is ; engaged in service that can easily be rendered by young Women. These men will have an early opportunity of forsaking the shop counter in order to take their turn in the trenches, as tho reserve will be prepared to provide women for ail such work."