LIFE IN A MUNITION TOWN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 109, 25 January 1918, Page 2

LIFE IN A MUNITION TOWN

HOW THE "MIJNrTCONETTES" ARE HOUSED. Two years ago thero was a baro waste of ground whero now stands this munition town (writes Theodora Roscoo, in "Tho World's Work"). When one comes upon it from the road it looks like a cluster of brown mushrooms which have grown up out of a flat expanse; and as it spreads westward the brown mushroom buildings disappear and red brick buildings take their place. There, are no tall .smoking chimneys, no signs of factory life about this munition town. Tho works where tho girls aro employed lie a few miles away, connected by means of a light railway.

In all big munition centres it has become more or less a necessity to provide housing accommodation for tho operatives; in some cases it means tho building of hostels, in others the billeting of girls. • But in this lonely spot it necessitated the building of a complete new town for. the. hands. The war has destroyed many places, but in. this case it has caused a town to arise.

I _ There aro both men and women living in this township, but by far tho greater majority are girls. . They number about ten thousand. tho housing arrangements connected with these girls and women come under the AVelfare Department,, consisting of the Lady AVelfare Superintendent and a largo _ staff. Besides the housing ot the girls there is a complete, system of recreation arranged by this staff. The girls are housed, either in hostels or bungalows. Tho . former, if mado of wood, such as tho first which were erected, hold seventy girls, whilst the newer brick hostels accommodate ninety-six. Over each hostel is placed a. matron with her staff of maids. If the girls are not housed in hostels they live in bungalows, nine together, with a cook housekeeper. And these girls who live in bungalows nre those who have been time in the township, and bear exceptionally good characters. Naturally they _ prefer a bungalow; they are more independent, • and their separate bedrooms, or double bedrooms, are more homely cubicles. Yet tho'yarc very happyin the hostels, and in their cubicles' aro • cosy enough withouo or two.beds in each, with gay cretonne curtains- dividing them.

Each hostel find each bungalow is on a certain shift, which changes over evory week. " For instance, one bungalow will'be on night shift one week, which means' that the inmates will be asleep all day and away at the works all night. But tlio next week- they will be on morning shift, and tho week after on afternoon shift. _ ' As the shifts vary, from eight, nine, or ten hours, and the working week consists of six days, the average hours per week in tho three weeks amount to fiftyfour. The cost of board and lodging in one of those Government hostels or bungalows is twelve shillings a week, which amount is deducted out of tho wages. Tlio girls under eighteen bavo an allowance of two shillings a week allowed them towards their keep. And included' in the twelve shillings are the meals which they obtain at the factory canteen. Being on Government rations is not liko being in private lodgings, especially in war time, as tho girls themselves realise. • About a hundred new arrivals como to the township every day, and so the place grows and grows—new buildings are opened every week; new places of recreation emerge out of tho mud and bog. They come—the munition makers—from tlio farthest parts of Scotlaud, from Wales, from Ireland, and from most of the towns of England. Ono little woman arrived one day from South Africa. Her husband was too old to serve; she wanted to do something herself, so she set sail, and, leaving her luggage with friends, ar-

rived all ready to begin making munitions.

Among the army of girls housed in this town are mingled some of the roughest and some of tho finest material of which the nation can boast.

And it is the spirit of the little woman who came all tho way from South Africa to do her bit, which characterises this community of women. Yet, in spite of good food and much careful looking after, there are apt to be periods, of grumbling among tho girls, which stirs up discontent. The mixing of all kiuds has its disadvantages as well asits advantages. No girls brought up in refined Scottish and English homes care to be put Reside those who have come from the slums of the big cities. And yet this has often to be done. On the other hand the rougher girls are often the best workers at tho factory, and with the influence of the matron and through tho example of tho other girls, they soon begin to mend their ways. One day, whon we went into ono of the hostels for a small entertainment, there was a fine rod-haired girl whom ono could not help but notice. Her good-natured faco was all abeam as she received us and bustled round making the final preparations. Afterwards the matron told us that when this girl first came to the hostel she was one of the roughest characters; that if there were any mischief she was sure to be the ringleader, until one clay she was put in charge of one side of' tho hostel—a position evidently much coveted by the girls. From that day sho became a changed person. The responsibility brought out all her splendid capabilities, and her energies were now turned into a different channel.

it is a little incident, and not the first time that such a plan has been adopted, hut it serves to show the opportunities given to some thousands of girls which but for their stay at this munition town would never have como into their lives. It also speaks highly of the matron; but the matrons there do possess an understanding of human nature and a deep interest in the welfare of their girls. Sometimes, to those working in the new town, it seemed wonderful that every day more women and girls should pour into this lonely spot—with their "pilgrim baskets" and their brown paper parcels. Some came for patriotic reasons, others from a spirit of adventure; others because they needwl employment—girls and women of all trades and occupations—teachers, domestics, mill and factory hands, gardeners, soldiers' wives, and somo who had never left home before. ' And the Welfare Department works unendingly among these women, who are making their homo in this brand-new munition town.