WOMEN AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1917, Page 6

WOMEN AND THE WAR.

■■ A REMARKABLE RECORD. uI'FICIAL RECOGNITION OF THEIR WORK. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, January 22. ''Women's War WorU" is the title of a remarkable publication issued a fewweeks ago by the Imperial War Office. The work is s record of what British women have done in maintaining the industries and export trade of the United Kingdom during the wai period, and the information it contain? has been compiled officially "for the use of recruiting officers, military representatives and tribunals," in dealing with applications for the exemption of men under the "essential industries" jiesding. "It is considered that a more widespread knowledge of the success which has been achieved by women in nearly all branches of men's work is most desirable, and will lead to the release oi large numbers of men to the colors who have hitherto been regarded as indispensable,'- runs an introductory paragi.i;ili. "Employers who have, met the new conditions with patience and foresight readily admit that the results attained by (lie temporary employment of women far exceed their original estimates and even so are capable of much extension . . The necessity oi replacing wastage in our armies will evenUully compel the. release of all men who can be replaced by women and it i: therefore in the interests of employers to secure and train temporary subtitutes as early as possible, in order to avoid any falling off in production Military representatives and chairmen of tribunals will, it is hoped, find the list of examples in'this work of service in dealing with claims for exemption put forward on grounds of indispcnisabiUty, while may find new ways of increasing their output in spite of the shortage of male labor.) "In some parts of the country most effective substitution has been achieved by netting one of the womenfolk of the soldier's owr family to replace him in civil life. Thus wives have taken up their husbands' work, sisters their brothers', daughters their fathers', even mothers their sons'. Substitution of this kind has much to recommend it. It helps to avoid domestic disturbance and the break ing-up of homes. "Women of Great Britain and employers of labor, remember this:

"Xo man who is eligible for military service sliould be retained in civil employment if hisjdace can be temporarily filled by a, woman or by a man who is ineligible for military service; "Xo man who is ineligible for military servk-c should be retained on work which cuii be performed by a woman (for the duration of the war) if the man hhilH'lf can be utilised to .release to the colors one who is eligible for military service and who raunot be satisfactorily replaced by a woman."

The Adjutant-General of the Forces, in commanding the work to the notice of.recruiting authorities and the community generally, emphasises the continued need for men. The extent of~the drain upon fhe human resources of the Empire, he says, cannot be gauged until the day of victory is known, and in the meantime every effort must be made to replace in civil life the men required for the fighting; force. "Since the outbreak of war," says the Adjutant-f.'en-cral, "the women of Britain have showU themselves, ready and anxious to underkkt form of worx where their services can be accepted, and thin book is intended not only as a proof that women have shown themselves capable of successfully replacing the stronger sex in practically e\cry branch of industry, but also as a tribute to their effective I contribution to the service of the Em- | pire in this hour of need." The mere list of industries and processes in which women are now engaged in the United States fills a score or more pages in the book. The women are performing farm work in all its branches, they are replacing men in all the unskilled and semi-skilled trades, and they aro ascending' successfully into the higher branches of th_e skilled trades, where they handle complicated machinery and engage, in delicate and difficult processes, involving strength and endurance as well as technical ability. The most interesting and perhaps the most convincing portion of the lwok from the point of view of the general reader is a collection of pictures showing the women, of Britain at work in their new occupation*. The women are shown harrowing, harvesting, tending horses, sacking and delivering coal, stoking engines', taking tickets, moving luggage, washing and cleaning engines and railway carriages, brewing, baking, delivering goods, boiler-making, driving traction engines, road-sweeping, motordriving, flour-milling, glass-manufactur-ing and using engineering tools of many kinds. Then the women are engaged in every branch of munition manufacture, including the casting, machining and loading of shells, the manufacture of big guns and tilie finishing of rifles. In fact, a list of the industries into which women Have penetrated, with satisfaction to their employers and advantages to the nation during the time of trial, would be very nearly a complete list of Britain's industrial activities.