WOMEN AND WAR WORK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1623, 12 October 1916, Page 4

WOMEN AND WAR WORK.

A fine tribale to the industrial part which the women are playing m the great war has been written by Mr Lloyd George in a “foreword" to a recent volume on “Wellare Work,” by Miss E. D. Proud, an Australian whose knowledge, of her subject the Minister of I\ ar has described as unique. Respecting the remarkable advent of the women in the factories, Mr Lloyd George observes: “From the shop, from the work-room, from domestic service —many of them utterly unaccustomed to factory or even manual work —they have come in their thousands and hundreds of thousands. There has beep no readier patriotism. And these women, these young girls, submit cheerfully to long hours, to hard work, to monotonous work, so that they may ‘heat, the Germans.' Many of the firms that engage them have never employed women before; many that employed lens, now employ hundreds of thousands.” It soon became obvious that if a maximum output was to be reached and still more, it it was to he maintained for a protracted period, it was all-important that the health and well-being of the workers —espeeially the women and young people —should he caret ally safeguarded. A strong departmontul committee was set up to consider the question, and at the Ministry itself a new department was created charged with the general responsibility of securing a high standard of conditions for all workers in munition factories. Mr Lloyd George lays particular stress upon the provision which is being made to secure adequate supervision, in the factories themselves, of the conditions under which women and young persons are working. His remarks upon “welfare supervision” are of special interest: “It chosen with duo regard to personality, experience, and elm meter,” he writes, ‘fit was found that a lady welfare supervisior could relieve the management of a mass of minor hut important detail. Shy heard complaints and investigated ilLmissals. She supervised the canteens, and other accommodation. She helped to engage new labour. The elm racier and tone of the wo)ks depended largely upon her. The foreman inferred fo her ill matters of discipline, slack worlc, or bad time- keeping. The workers brought their troubles to her, The management found that her presence conduced to smooth working and increased output. She became not only the friend of the workers, hut an essential part of the business organisation,. These observations are intended |o jujve a general application to the ■‘•‘welfare supervision” movement, hut they serve elfegfiyely to emphasise the signfiennee which Mr Lloyd George attaches to the introduction of “this admirable system” in the mnnifior} factories of the Old Country, The movement is being actively fostered in (he Appointment of women welfare supervisors in all national factories in which women are employed, and other factories have had the hint as U> the desirability of their falling into this matter. Thus the flMikwg of of destruction, by a Grange iropy, is affording the occasion for the huipapising of industry, largely through the instrumentality of women.