The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1916. WOMEN WORKERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 69, 26 February 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1916. WOMEN WORKERS.

-Never before in British history have tiie Empire’s women played such a splendid part as they are doing in this time of the Nation’s need. In Britain, we are told, in the distributing trades, wholesale and retail the displacement of men by women is very marked. In many shops the salesman has disappeared altogether, even the shopwalker has gone, but so far women have not been employed to any great extent in the heavy trades, nor have they yet been given positions of responsibility over men. The female lift attendant is everywhere, women commissionaries are now employed at several or the principal shops and stores, and much of the cleaning formerly done by outside porters is now performed by women. At the bookstalls boys have given place to girls, and girls are replacing boys as messengers and pages In dubs and hotels the domestic, stall is mainly supplied by women, no man of military ago and lit lor service—other than subjects of neutral States — being employed. Women, are making

their appearance as conductors on trams and motor-omnibuses. They arc also driving motor-lorries and delivery vans, and, although, at any rate in the metropolis, they have not yet been placed in control of taxi-cabs, in many cases they have tahen the place ot chauffeurs as drivers ol private cars. Some local authorities have even gone so far as to accept the services ol women as street sweepers. On the railways, female ticket-collectors and examiners are the rule rather than tin exception. At country stations women are doing porters’ work, and at main stations girls are acting in various ways as platform attendants. Last summer farmers readily took advantage of the offers made by women and gilds to assist in gathering in the harvest. and. before next spring, if rumor tells truly, we may expect to see female labor very generally employed in agricultural work of ad descriptions. Some time ago special reference was made to this latter fact, and how English women were being specially educated for farm work'.