file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #chdcg-;h4htm or #chdcg-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#chdcg_/pg#chdcg-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#ch dcg_/chdcg-;h4zip7 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see http3_/_/www4archive4org_/details_/woman spartarecor#jjyate ,illustration3 ,,the ,,manufacture ,,of #d4e-;,,inch ,,cartridge ,,cases3 ,,operating ,,the ,,drawing ,,press ,,the ,,woman',s ,,part ,a ,record of ,munitions ,work by ,l4 ,k4 ,,yates ,new ,york ,george ,h4 ,doran ,company ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,the ,,advent ,,of ,,women ,,in ,,engineering ,,trades #g ,,sharing ,a ,,common ,,task #i ,,dilution #aa ,,heroism ,,in ,,the ,,workshop #ab ,,ii4 ,,training ,,the ,,munition ,,worker #ad ,,the ,,quintessence ,,of ,,the ,,work #ae ,,the ,,instructional ,,factory #ag ,,first ,,steps ,,in ,,industrial ,,life #ah ,,iii4 ,,at ,,work--,i4 #bj ,,shells ,,and ,,shell ,,cases #ba ,,in ,,the ,,fuse-,,shop #bc ,,cartridges ,,and ,,bullets #be ,,iv4 ,,at ,,work--,,ii4 #bh ,,the ,,making ,,of ,,aircraft #bh ,,optical ,,instruments #cj ,,in ,,the ,,shipyards #cc ,v4 ,,comfort ,,and ,,safety #cg ,,welfare ,,supervision #cg ,,protective ,,clothing #da ,,rest-,,rooms ,,and ,,first ,,aid #db ,,women ,,police #dc ,,vi4 ,,outside ,,welfare #de ,,recreation #de ,,motherhood #dg ,,the ,,factory ,,nursery #dh ,,vii4 ,,growth ,,of ,,the ,,industrial ,,canteen #eb ,,general ,,principles #ed ,,the ,,worker',s ,,oasis #ee ,,viii4 ,,housing #eg ,,billeting #eh ,,temporary ,,accommodation #ei ,,permanent ,,accommodation #fa ,,illustrations ,,the ,,manufacture ,,of #d4e-;,,inch ,,cartridge ,,cases3 ,,operating ,,the ,,drawing ,,press ,frontispiece ,,page ,,turning ,,the ,,copper ,,band ,,of ,a #i4b-;,,inch ,,high-,,explosive ,,shell #af ,,drilling ,,safety-,,pin ,,hole ,,in ,,fuse #af ,,inspecting ,,and ,,gauging ,,fuses #ag ,,turning ,,the ,,outside ,,and ,,forming ,,the ,,nose-,,end ,,of ,a #i4b-;,,inch ,,high-,,explosive ,,shell #ag ,,assembling ,,fuses #bj ,,cooling ,,shell ,,forgings #bj ,,operating ,a ,,lumsden ,,plain ,,grinder3 ,,re-,,forming #h-;,,inch ,,high-,,explosive ,,cutters #ba ,,engraving ,,metal ,,parts ,,for ,,compasses #bh ,,colouring ,,aeroplane ,,planes #bh ,,chipping ,,and ,,grinding ,,blades ,,of ,,cast ,,iron ,,propeller ,,with ,,portable ,,tools #bi ,,woman ,,acting ,,as ,,mate ,,to ,,joiner ,,making ,,sea-,,plane ,,floats #bi ,,cutting ,,frayed-,,edge ,,tape #cf ,,brazing ,,turbine ,,rotor ,,segment #cf ,,mounting ,,cards ,,for ,,dry ,,compasses #cg ,,treadle ,,polishing-,,machines1 ,,for ,,smoothing ,,lenses #cg ,,slitting ,,and ,,roughing ,,optical ,,glass #dd ,,view ,,of ,,canteen ,,kitchen #dd ,,weighing ,,ferro ,,chrome ,,for ,,analysis #de ,,balsaming ,,lenses #eb ,,making ,,instrument ,,scales #ec ,,painting ,a ,,ship',s ,,side ,,in ,,dry ,,dock #fj ,,general ,,view ,,of ,,women ,,at ,,work ,,on ,,aircraft ,,fabric #fa ,,the ,,canteen #fa ,,the ,,woman',s ,,part ,,chapter ,i3 ,,the ,,advent ,,of ,,women ,,in ,,engineering ,,trades ,,sharing ,a ,,common ,,task--,,dilution--,,heroism ,,in ,,the ,,workshop ,in a period of titanic events it is difficult to characterize a single group of happenings as of special significance1 yet at the end of the war it is likely that ,great ,britain will look back to the transformation of her home industries for war purposes as one of the greatest feats she has ever accomplished4 ,the arousing of a nation to fight to the death for the principle of ,liberty is doubtless one of the most stirring of spectacles in the human drama2 it has repeated itself throughout history2 but it has been left to this century to witness in the midst of such an upheaval the complete reorganization of a nation's industry1 built up slowly and painfully by a modern civilization for its material support and utility4 ,before the outbreak of hostilities ,great ,britain was supplying the world with the products of her workshops1 but these products were mainly those needed by nations at peace4 ,the coal mines of ,northumberland1 the foundries of the ,midlands1 the cotton mills of ,lancashire were aiding vast populations in their daily human struggle1 but the demand of #aiad for vast requirements for war purposes found ,great ,britain unprepared4 ,the instantaneous rearrangement of industries for war purposes1 possible to ,germany by reason of forty years of stealthy war preparations1 was out of the question for a nation that neither contemplated nor prepared for a ,european conflagration4 ,eight or nine months had to elapse before the people of ,great ,britain were aroused to the realities of modern warfare4 ,it was then only that a large public became aware that the ,herculean struggle was not merely a conflict between armies and navies1 but between ,british science and ,german science1 between ,british chemists and ,german chemists1 between ,british workshops and the workshops of ,germany4 ,the realization of these facts led to the creation of the ,ministry of ,munitions in ,may #aiae and the rapid rearrangement of industries and industrial conditions4 ,before the war1 three ,national factories in ,great ,britain were sufficient to fulfil the demand for output for possible war purposes2 to-day1 there are more than #aej ,national factories and over #e1jjj ,controlled ,establishments1 scattered up and down the country1 all producing munitions of war4 ,the whole of the ,north ,country and the whole of the ,midlands have1 in fact1 become a vast arsenal4 ,standing on an eminence in the ,north1 one may by day watch ascending the smoke of from #djj to #ejj munition factories1 and by night at many a point in the ,midland counties one may survey an encircling zone of flames as they belch forth from the chimneys of the engineering works of war4 ,the vast majority of these workshops had previously to the war never produced a gun1 a shell1 or a cartridge4 ,to-day1 makers of agricultural and textile machinery are engaged on munitions1 producers of lead pencils are turning out shrapnel2 a manufacturer of gramophones is producing fuses2 a court jeweller is engaged in the manufacture of optical instruments2 a maker of cream separators has now an output of primers4 ,nor is this all4 ,new industries have been started and languishing trades have been revived4 ,the work of reorganization has been prodigious1 and when the history of ,britain's share in the war comes to be written in the leisured days of peace1 it is unlikely that the record will transmit to a future generation how much effort it has taken to produce the preponderance in munitions now achieved4 ,with the huge task of securing an adequate supply of raw material has gone hand in hand the production of a sufficiency of suitable machinery and machine tools1 the equipment of laboratories for chemical research1 the erection1 or adaptation1 of accommodation in which to house the new 'plant'1 and the supply of a continuous stream of suitable labour4 ,in face of the growing needs of the ,navy and ,army this labour question has been a crucial test2 it is a testimony to the 'will to win' of the whole people that the problem from the outset has found its solution4 ,as soon as the importance of the demand for munitions workers was widely understood1 a supply of labour has continuously streamed into the factory gates4 ,there are now #b1jjj1jjj persons employed in munitions industries--exclusive of ,admiralty work--of which one-third are women4 ,the advent of the women in the engineering shops and their success in a group of fresh trades may be accounted as an omen of deep significance4 ,women in this country have1 it is true1 taken their place in factory life from the moment that machinery swept away the spinning-wheel from the domestic hearth1 and it is more often the woman mill-hand1 or factory 'lass'1 who is the wealthier partner in many a ,lancashire home4 ,women before the war1 to be sure1 took part in factory life where such commodities as textiles1 clothing1 food1 household goods1 c41 were produced1 but by consensus of opinion--feminine as well as masculine--her presence in ,engineering ,works1 save on mere routine work1 or on a few delicate processes1 was considered in the pre-war period as unsuitable and undesirable4 ,sharing a ,common ,task ,at the outbreak of hostilities1 a few of the most far-sighted employers1 contemplating a shortage of labour through the recruitment of men for military service1 hazarded the opinion that women might be employed on all kinds of simple repetition work in the ,engineering ,shops4 ,further than that even the optimist did not go4 ,there was also no indication that women would be willing to adventure into a world where long hours and night-work prevailed1 from which evils they were protected in the days of peace by stringent ,factory ,acts4 ,events have proved that the women of ,great ,britain are as ready as their menfolk to sacrifice comfort and personal convenience to the demands of a great cause1 and as soon as it was made known that their services were required1 they came forward in their hundreds of thousands4 ,they have come from the office and the shop1 from domestic service and the dressmaker's room1 from the ,high ,schools and the ,colleges1 and from the quietude of the stately homes of the leisured rich4 ,they have travelled from far-off corners in the ,united ,kingdom as well as from homesteads in ,australia and ,new ,zealand1 and from lonely farms in ,south ,africa and ,canada4 ,every stratum of society has provided its share of willing women workers eager from one cause or another to 'do their bit'4 ,even in the early days of the advent of women in the munitions shops1 ,i have seen working together1 side by side1 the daughter of an earl1 a shopkeeper's widow1 a graduate from ,girton1 a domestic servant and a young woman from a lonely farm in ,rhodesia1 whose husband had joined the colours4 ,social status1 so stiff a barrier in this country in pre-war days1 was forgotten in the factory1 as in the trenches1 and they were all working together as happily as the members of a united family4 ,employers and former employees likewise often share a common task in the workshops of the war4 ,at ,woolwich1 for example1 a lady of delicate upbringing could1 at one period1 have been seen arriving at the ,arsenal in the early hours of each morning1 accompanied by her former maid1 both being the while 'hands' in the employ of the ,state4 ,it is well known in certain circles how ,lady ,scott1 the widow of the famous ,antarctic explorer1 put aside all private interests to take up work in a munitions factory1 how ,lady ,gertrude ,crawford became an official1 supervising women's work in shipyards1 and how ,lady ,mary ,hamilton 7now ,mrs4 ,kenyon ,slaney71 the eldest daughter of the ,duke of ,abercorn1 and ,miss ,stella ,drummond1 daughter of ,general ,drummond1 have won distinction as workers in 'advanced' processes of munitions production4 ,these are but a few distinguished names amongst a crowd of women of all degrees of society who have achieved unexpected success in work to which they were entirely unaccustomed4 ,amongst this nameless multitude1 attention has been called from time to time to the remarkable feats in the engineering and chemical trades1 in electrical works1 and in the shipyards1 of kitchen-maids and of dressmakers1 of governesses and children's nurses4 ,the underlying motives1 all actuated by war conditions1 which have turned the tide of women's work into new and unfamiliar occupations1 are1 however1 more diverse than is generally supposed4 ,unquestionably1 the two main driving forces have been patriotism and economic pressure1 and of these patriotism1 the love of country1 the pride of ,empire1 accounts for a large proportion of women recruits4 ,yet there are other motives at work3 the old human forces of family love and self-sacrifice1 pride1 anger1 hatred1 and even humour4 ,i have questioned workers at the lathes and in doping rooms1 in ,filling ,factories1 and in wood-workers' shops1 and find the mass of new labour in the munitions works is there from distinctive individual reasons4 ,it is only by the recognition of all these forces that successful management of a new factor in the labour problem is possible4 ,an indication of the life-history of one or two individual munitions workers may exemplify the point4 ,there is the case of a girl tool-setter in a factory near ,london4 ,she is the only child of an old ,army family4 ,when war broke out1 she realized that for the first time in many generations her family could send no representative to fight the country's battles4 ,her father was an old man1 long past military age4 ,the girl1 although in much request at home1 took up work in a base hospital in ,france1 but at the end of a year1 when broken down from over-strain1 was ordered six months' rest in ,england4 ,recovery followed in two months1 and again1 spurred by the thought of inaction in a time of national peril1 she entered a munitions factory as an ordinary employee4 ,after nine months' work she had only lost five minutes' time4 ,another factory worker is a mother of seven sons1 proud-spirited1 efficient1 and accustomed to rule her family4 ,the seven sons enlisted and she felt her claim to headship was endangered4 ,she entered a munitions factory and1 to soothe her pride1 sent weekly to each son a detailed account of her industrial work4 ,at length1 the eldest son wrote that he thought his mother was probably killing more ,germans than any of the family4 ,since then1 she says1 she has had peace of mind4 ,in another factory1 in the ,west of ,england1 there is an arduous munitions maker who works tirelessly through the longest shifts4 ,before her entry into the industrial world she was a stewardess on a passenger-ship4 ,the vessel was torpedoed by a ,german submarine1 and she was one of the few survivors4 ,daily she works off her hatred on a capstan lathe1 hoping1 as she tells the visitors1 some day to get equal with the unspeakable ,huns4 ,then there is a typical case of a wife who has learned some of life's little ironies through her work on munitions production4 ,her husband1 an old sailor1 worked for the same firm before the war4 ,he used to come home daily and complain of the hardness of his lot4 ,it was 'a dog's life'1 he constantly reiterated1 and his wife was careful to make reparation at home4 ,war broke out and the naval reserve man was recalled to sea4 ,the firm were put to it1 in the labour shortage1 for a substitute1 and invited the wife's aid4 ,having heard so much of the hardships of the work1 she refused1 but after some persuasion agreed to give the job a trial4 ,at the end of a week1 she surmised the task was not so hard as she contemplated2 after a month had passed she realized the position4 ,the job had been a capital excuse to ensure forgiveness for domestic short-comings4 ,the wife awaits her husband's return with a certain grim humour4 ,having arrived in the engineering trades1 actuated by whatever motives1 the woman munitions maker has more than justified the hopes of the pioneer employers who sponsored her cause4 ,as soon as organized labour agreed that trade union rules and pre-war shop practice should be suspended for the duration of the war1 women were rapidly initiated in the simple repetition processes of shell-making and shell-filling4 ,machinery was adapted to the new-comers1 and the skilled men workers were distributed amongst the factories to undertake the jobs possible only to experienced hands4 ,dilution ,thus1 the principle of dilution1 as old as ,plato's ,republic1 which as a theory was reintroduced to ,british students by ,adam ,smith1 has widely come into practice through the urgency of the war4 ,women have been successfully introduced into a new group of occupations1 men have been 'upgraded'1 so that many semi-skilled men have become skilled2 and the skilled men have been allocated entirely to employment on skilled jobs4 ,once introduced to the munitions shops1 women soon mastered the repetition processes1 such as 'turning'1 'milling' and 'grinding'1 as well as the simpler operations connected with shell-filling4 ,the keenest amongst them were then found fit for more 'advanced' work where accuracy1 a nice judgment1 and deftness of manipulation are essential4 ,such are the processes connected with tool and gauge-making1 where the work must be finished to within the finest limits--a fraction of the width of a human hair2 such are the requirements for the work of overlooking1 or inspection of output2 and such are the many processes of aeroplane manufacture and optical glass production1 upon which women are being increasingly employed4 ,they are also undertaking operations dependent on physical strength1 which in pre-war days would have been regarded as wholly unsuitable to female capacity4 ,war necessity has1 however1 killed old-time prejudice and has proved how readily women adapt themselves to any task within their physical powers4 ,one may1 for example1 to-day watch women in the shipyards of the ,north hard at work1 chipping and cleaning the ships' decks1 repairing hulls1 or laying electric wire on board ,h4,m4 battleships4 ,high up in the gantry cranes which move majestically across the vaulted factory roof1 one may see women sitting aloft guiding the movement of the huge molten ingots2 in the foundries1 one may run across a woman smith2 in the aeroplane factories1 women welders work be-goggled at the anvils4 ,an engineering shop is now sometimes staffed almost entirely by women 'hands'1 and it is no uncommon sight to find in the centre of the shop women operators at work on the machines2 at one end a group of women tool-setters1 and at another women gaugers who test the products of this combined women's labour4 ,in the packing-rooms the lustier types of women may be seen dispatching finished shells1 and on the factory platforms gartered women in tunic suits push the loaded trollies to waiting railway-trucks for conveyance to the front4 ,one of the most surprising revelations of the war in this country has1 indeed1 been the capacity of women for engineering work1 and to none has the discovery been more surprising and more exhilarating than to the women themselves4 ,heroism in the ,workshop ,the work has1 in fact1 called for personal qualities usually thought to be abnormal in women4 ,the women in the engineering shops have disproved any such surmise4 ,where occasion has demanded physical courage from the workers1 the virtue has leaped forth from the average woman1 as from the average man4 ,where circumstances call for grit and endurance1 there has been no shirking in the factories by the majority of the operators of either sex4 ,the heroism of the battlefields has frequently been equalled by the ordinary civilian in the factory1 whether man or woman4 ,sometimes incidents of women's courage in the works have been reported in the press as matters for surprise4 ,they are merely typical instances of the spirit that animates the general mass of the workers in ,great ,britain4 ,a few examples may be added in illustration4 ,on a recent occasion1 a woman lost the first finger and thumb of her left hand through the jamming of a piece of metal in a press4 ,after an absence of six weeks1 she returned to work and was soon getting an even greater output than before4 ,another instance relates to a serious accident in an explosives factory1 when several women were killed and many were injured4 ,within a few days a considerable number of the remaining female operators applied and were accepted for positions in the ,danger ,zone at another factory4 ,another incident is reported from some chemical works in the ,north4 ,the key controlling a valve fell off and dropped into a pit below1 rendering the woman in charge unable to control the steam4 ,an accident seemed imminent and the woman1 in spite of the likelihood of dangerous results to herself1 got down to the pit1 regained the key and averted disaster4 ,in a shipyard on the ,north-,east coast1 a woman of #bc years had been engaged for some time in electric-wiring a large battleship4 ,one day1 when working overhead1 a drill came through from the deck1 piercing her cotton cap and entering her head4 ,she was attended to in the firm's ,first ,aid room and sent home4 ,to the surprise of every one concerned1 she returned to work at #f a4m4 on the following day1 and laughingly remarked that she was quite satisfied that it was better to lose a little hair than her head4 ,in the trivial accidents which are1 of course1 of more frequent occurrence1 the women display similar calmness and will stand unflinchingly while particles of grit1 or metal1 are removed from the eyes1 or while small wounds--often due to their own carelessness--are dressed and bound4 ,the endurance displayed during the early period of munitions production1 when holidays were voluntarily abandoned and work continued through ,sundays1 and in many hours of overtime1 was no less remarkable in the women than in the men4 ,action is continuously taken by the ,ministry of ,munitions to reduce the hours of overtime1 to abolish ,sunday labour1 and to promote the well-being of the workers1 but without the zeal and courage of the women munitions makers the valour of the soldiers at the ,front would often be in vain4 ,as the ,premier remarked in a recent speech3 ',i do not know what would have happened to this land when the men had to go away fighting if the women had not come forward and done their share of the work4 ,it would have been utterly impossible for us to have waged a successful war1 had it not been for the skill and ardour1 enthusiasm and industry1 which the women of the country have thrown into the work of the war'4 ,,chapter ,,ii3 ,,training ,,the ,,munition ,,worker ,,the ,,quintessence ,,of ,,the ,,work--,,the ,,instructional ,,factory--,,first ,,steps ,,in ,,industrial ,,life ,when1 in answer to the demand for shells and more shells1 factories were built1 or adapted to the requirements of war1 it was soon found that a supply of suitable labour must be ensured1 if the maximum output was to be maintained4 ,the existing practice of the engineering shops1 by which a boy arrived by gradual steps1 counted in years1 from apprenticeship to the work of a skilled operator1 was obviously impossible where an immediate demand for thousands of employees of varying efficiency had to be fulfilled4 ,the needs of the ,navy and ,army further complicated the problem by the withdrawal of men of all degrees of skill from factory to battlefield4 ,the discovery of an untapped reservoir of labour in women's work1 and the adaptation of a larger proportion of machines to a 'fool-proof' standard1 certainly eased the situation1 yet the problem remained of the immediate provision of workers able to undertake 'advanced'1 as well as simple work1 in the engineering shops4 ,factory employers were from the outset alive to the situation1 and at once adopted measures for the training of new-comers within their shops1 but harassed as the managers were by the supreme need for output1 it was hardly possible to develop extensive schemes for training within the factory gates4 ,hence1 arose a movement throughout the ,united ,kingdom among the governing bodies of many institutions of ,university rank1 among ,local ,education ,authorities1 and among various feminist groups1 to make use of existing ,technical ,schools and ,institutions for the training of recruits in engineering work4 ,the effort was at first mainly confined to the instruction of men in elementary machine work1 and the ,london ,county ,council may fairly claim to have acted as pioneer in this connexion4 ,yet1 as early as ,august #aiae1 a group of women connected with the ,national ,union of ,women's ,suffrage ,societies 7of which ,mrs4 ,fawcett1 widow of a former ,postmaster-,general1 is the president7 decided to finance a scheme for the training of women oxy-acetylene welders1 converting for this purpose a small workshop run by a woman silversmith4 ,it was soon observed by the ,ministry of ,munitions that these sporadic efforts--sometimes successful beyond expectation1 and sometimes failing for want of funds1 or for lack of intimacy between training-ground and factory employer--must be co-ordinated1 if they were to tackle successfully the growing task imposed by war conditions4 ,the conception of a ,training ,section for factory workers within the ,ministry of ,munitions arose1 took root4 ,the section was established in the early autumn of #aiae4 ,in the ,october of that year1 authority to finance approved training schemes throughout the country was given to the new department4 ,some fifty colleges and schools1 undertaking independent schemes1 were then brought into touch with the ,ministry1 and steps were taken to develop the existing systems4 ,equipment was thereby improved1 recruiting of students stimulated1 and a scheme for the payment of maintenance during training--such as the ,manhattan ,schools in ,new ,york had previously introduced to social investigators in this country--was established4 ,the extension of the courses of training from instruction in simple processes to such advanced engineering work as lead-burning1 tool-setting1 and gauge-making soon followed1 and was accompanied by necessary theoretical instruction in the methods of calculation of fine measurements4 ,the ,quintessence of the ,work ,for these advanced classes1 men alone were at first eligible as students1 women being only instructed at the outset in elementary parts of the work4 ,in the early days1 the women were invited 'to do their bit'1 by learning how to bore1 how to drill1 how to plane1 how to shape1 and above all1 how to work to size4 ,the chief battle of the ,training ,centre with regard to the instruction of women was then1 and still remains1 the implanting of a feeling for exactitude in persons accustomed to measure ribbons or lace within a margin of a quarter of a yard or so1 or to prepare food by a guess-work mixture of ingredients4 ,i remember1 at the beginning of a course of training for women1 how an instructor at a large metropolitan ,centre remarked that 'ninety-nine per cent4 of the new students do not know what accuracy means'1 and he detailed how difficult it was to instil into their mind 'that quintessence of their work'4 ,scientific methods of tuition1 helped no doubt by women's proverbial patience1 have1 however1 enabled the lesson to be learned after a few weeks' intensive training4 ,the courses last but six to eight weeks and1 at the conclusion of the carefully graduated tasks1 it is not too much to say that the success of the women has been1 in an overwhelming number of cases1 surprising both to teachers and pupils4 ,i have before me a batch of letters from factory employers1 written in the early period of the training schemes4 ,they all bear testimony to the value of the outside instruction4 ,one manager notes how the trained women from the ,schools were able 'to become producers almost at once'2 another states that the drafting of the women students from ,school to factory has enabled the work of munitions to be carried on 'with greater expedition than would otherwise have been the case'1 and yet another1 with a scarcely concealed note of astonishment1 relates that his students were able to be engaged at once on 'all kinds of machinery1 capstan lathes1 turning lathes1 milling and wheel cutting machinery'4 ,this discovery of the employer1 of the potentialities of women's work in the engineering trades1 soon led to a development of the instruction of female students in the ,training ,centres2 more advanced machine work was added to the curriculum1 as well as tuition in aeroplane woodwork and construction1 in core-making and moulding1 in draughtsmanship and electrical work1 in optical-instrument making1 including the delicate and highly-skilled work of lens and prism making4 ,new ,training ,centres are constantly being opened in provincial areas1 the instruction being adapted to the needs of local factories4 ,there are now 7,december1 #aiag7 over forty training schools for engineering work in ,great ,britain1 as well as nine instructional factories and workshops1 and the proportion of women to men trained in all the processes may be reckoned roughly as two to one4 ,the system of instruction is based1 in some of the ,centres1 on the general principle that the ,school undertakes the preliminary work of tuition in the simpler engineering processes2 the ,instructional ,factory1 or workshop1 specializing in the more skilled processes1 acts as a clearing-house for promising students from the schools4 ,the urgency of warfare does not1 however1 permit the application of any hard-and-fast rules4 ,i have seen specimens of some of the most 'advanced' work produced in a ,school2 indeed1 the delicate work of lens polishing and centring1 the intricacies of engineering draughtsmanship1 the precise art of tool-setting and gauge-making have become specialisms of the ,schools in certain localities4 ,illustration3 ,,turning ,,the ,,copper ,,band ,,of ,a #i4b-;,,inch ,,high-,,explosive ,,shell ,illustration3 ,,drilling ,,safety-,,pin ,,hole ,,in ,,fuse ,illustration3 ,,inspecting ,,and ,,gauging ,,fuses ,illustration3 ,,turning ,,the ,,outside ,,and ,,forming ,,the ,,nose-,,end ,,of ,a #i4b-;,,inch ,,high-,,explosive ,,shell ,as ,i write1 the face of an eager girl of #ba years recurs to memory4 ,she was showing me1 the other day1 a master gauge produced at a ,school in the ,eastern counties4 ',i made it all myself1' she said joyfully1 'dead exact1 and all the other gauges of this size in the ,school are made from it4 ,i have just been appointed assistant instructor in gauge-making4' ,when it is recalled that the deviation in the measurements of a gauge is only tolerated within such limits as a #c_/ajjjj part of an inch1 the production in a ,school of a master gauge1 'dead exact' in all its dimensions1 is a proof that the student has already gone some way in the mastery of the craft of the engineer4 ,the ,instructional ,factory ,on the other hand1 the ,instructional ,factory is often forced by war conditions to enrol raw recruits who seem likely material for the urgent needs of surrounding factories4 ,in such cases1 the candidate is placed on trial for a week or two in the ,instructional ,workshop1 as in the ,school4 ,if1 at the close of the period of probation1 she is deemed unsuitable1 she is advised at that preliminary stage to return to her former occupation4 ,speaking generally1 the rejects are extraordinarily few1 and although it would be premature to draw definite conclusions1 the experience of the ,training ,section suggests that there is considerable latent capacity for engineering work in a large number of women4 ,a tour of the ,instructional ,workshops emphasizes the point2 everywhere1 women may be seen mastering in the short intensive course the one advanced job for which each is being trained4 ,in the ,instructional ,workshop1 the atmosphere of a ,school is exchanged for that of a factory1 the conditions of a modern engineering shop being reflected within its precincts4 ,thus the students 'clock on and off' on arrival and on departure1 observe factory shifts1 work on actual commercial jobs1 obtain their tools from an attached store1 and so on4 ,the work varies in these ,instructional ,factories as in the engineering shop of the commercial world4 ,in one section of such a hall of tuition you may see the women intent on the production of screws1 or bolts1 or nuts2 in another part1 such objects as fuse needles may be in the course of manufacture4 ,you stop to see the magic which is answerable for the birth of the tiny factor which shall detonate the explosive1 and you are amazed to find that a fuse needle requires six tools for its production and eight to nine gauges for testing the accuracy of its measurements4 ,or1 you may perhaps pause before a machine which is turning out tiny grub screws4 ,to see a rod of steel offer itself1 as it were1 to the rightful instruments on a complicated machine to impress the thread and slit1 to watch it proceeding on its way until a tiny section is divided and a complete screw is handed over to a tray outside the machine1 is1 to the uninitiated1 a miracle in itself4 ,to see the whole of these complicated processes guided and operated by a smiling girl makes one hopeful for the national industries of the future4 ,setters-up of tools are at work in another section of the same ,instructional ,factory and at other machines are students grinding1 milling1 or profiling4 ,you may then visit another ,instructional ,factory to find that aircraft is the specialty4 ,i recall one such training-ground in a bay of an aeroplane factory4 ,there the girls learn almost every part of aircraft production1 from the handling of the tiny hammers used on the woodwork for the body and wings1 to the assembling1 or putting together the tested parts4 ,in this training factory1 a system prevails of lectures by the practical instructors on the use of necessary tools2 questions from the students are encouraged at the close of the lecture1 and1 ,i was informed1 when on one occasion ,i was one of the audience1 that the saving of the instructor's time by the adoption of this method was beyond expected results4 ,again1 you may visit an ,instructional ,factory where foundry work is included in the curriculum1 or where advanced machine work is a feature4 ,i have stood in one ,instructional ,workshop where some #fjj machines were whirring simultaneously1 and where the spirit of energy and goodwill of both students and instructors seemed as tangible as the metal objects produced4 ,in this institution all the accomplished work is for production2 night as well as day shifts are worked1 and the needs of our armies1 or those of our ,allies1 are frankly discussed with the operators4 ,there is no occasion for other incentive3 raw recruits1 students from the ,schools1 discharged soldiers from the ,front1 men unfit for active service1 all these denizens of the training-shop vie with each other to produce a maximum output4 ,it speaks volumes for this workshop that in spite of the continual changes of operators--each set of students remaining only for a course of six to eight weeks--it is entirely maintained on a commercial basis4 ,to reach such a standard in these circumstances is to imply that the heroism of the workshop has become an ingrained habit in operators and staff4 ,first ,steps in ,industrial ,life ,i remember watching in this training-ground the manufacture of small aero-engine parts1 exact in dimensions to within the smallest limits of tolerance4 ,i put a query as to the wastage of material in such an operation1 when handled by comparative new-comers4 ',scrapping from this process'1 replied the production manager with pride1 'does not exceed a total average of one per cent4' ,the women at work at the time had come from the most varied occupations4 ,a large proportion had never worked outside their own home1 others were domestic servants1 cooks1 housemaids1 and so on1 others were dressmakers from small towns1 and one1 ,i recall1 was an assistant from a spa1 where she had been engaged handing out 'waters' to invalids4 ',it is not the rank of society from which the student is drawn that matters1' remarked an instructor2 'it is the personality of the individual that counts4' ,every care has been taken by the ,ministry of ,munitions to make it easy for women of all classes to participate in their schemes of instruction4 ,the middle class girl who has never undertaken independent work1 the woman who has always lived and worked within the shelter of her own home1 undoubtedly felt in many cases debarred from entering industrial life4 ,the necessity of living away from her family1 in order to enter a ,training-,school1 the absence of home conditions in school or factory1 the dread of an entirely masculine superintendence1 all helped to strengthen artificial barriers between potential students and the needed engineering work4 ,the ,training ,section1 watching the development of its schemes1 became aware of the necessity of making arrangements for students from the ,welfare point of view1 and an organization has thus developed by which the first steps in industrial life are made easy for the most apprehensive of new-comers4 ,girl students by rail are met by a responsible woman official and are accompanied to suitable lodgings1 or to hostels4 ,in the event of pressure in accommodation1 the new student is introduced to temporary apartments1 or to a ',clearing ,hostel'1 where she awaits in comfort a vacancy4 ,in the large ,training ,centres1 a woman supervisor is in charge4 ,she makes all arrangements as to the provision of meals1 rest-rooms1 cloak-rooms1 ,first-,aid centres1 and so on1 and is ready to advise the women students on all points relating to their personal interests4 ,women students are also enabled to wear a khaki uniform1 as members of the ,mechanical ,unit of the ,women's ,legion1 a privilege found to be of distinct value to girls unaccustomed to steering an independent course in the more boisterous streams of life4 ,the appreciation of the students of the safe-guarding of their individual desires crops out in unexpected places4 ,in a handful of correspondence from students1 one gleans such remarks as the following3 ',mrs4 ,h4 never spares herself any trouble as long as she can make things pleasant for me1 she considers it her war work to make munition workers happy1 and it is very nice to meet people that appreciate what we are doing for our country4'444 ',we were met at the station by the works motor4 ,all at once we turned up an avenue of lime-trees and drew up at the door of our country estate4 ,it is a real lovely house and we revel in the glories of fresh air1 lawns and gardens1 good beds and well-spread tables4 ,we cross a field to the works4 ,dinner and tea await us when we get here1 and there is a well-stocked vegetable garden to give us fresh vegetables1 so we all feel indeed that our lines are fallen in pleasant places1 and we are very grateful4' ,in these ways a bridge has been built by the ,ministry of ,munitions between the normal life of the women in this country and the work in the munitions factory4 ,,chapter ,,iii3 ,,at ,,work--,i ,,shells ,,and ,,shell ,,cases--,,in ,,the ,,fuse ,,shop--,,cartridges ,,and ,,bullets ,arrived in the munitions factory1 the new-comer1 whether from a ,government ,training ,centre1 or from another occupation1 is given two or three weeks' trial on the task she has come to undertake4 ,only a very small proportion of the women offering their services--one experienced manager puts it at #e per cent4--are found unsuitable1 and these are discharged during the probationary period4 ,except in the case of those who have received a preliminary training1 or of those who have merely transferred their energies from other factory work1 the average woman has1 at the initial stage in the munitions shops1 to overcome an instinctive fear of the machine4 ,occasionally1 the fear is intensified into an unreasoning phase of terror4 ',one has to coax the women to stay with such as these1' said one understanding foreman1 pointing to a monster machine with huge-toothed wheels4 ',we don't ask a woman to sit alone with these at first1 for she wouldn't do it1 so we put a man with her1 and let her sit and watch a bit1 and after a while she loses her fear and won't work anything else1 if she can help it4' ,the women1 in fact1 soon get attached to the machines they are working1 in a manner probably unknown to the men4 ',i've been here a year on this machine1 and ,i can't do near so well on any other1' is a remark many a girl has made to me as ,i have watched her on a difficult job4 ,from time to time1 a girl will even confess that she 'can't bear to think of some one on the night-shift working her machine'4 ,an understanding has arisen between the machine and the operator which amounts almost to affection4 ,i have often noticed the expression of this emotion in the workshops2 the caressing touch of a woman's fingers1 for instance1 as a bore is being urged on to the job on the machine4 ,this touch1 which cannot be taught1 or imparted1 enables the operation to be started in the most effective method possible1 and goes to the making of an excellent and accurate worker4 ,the femininity of the worker has1 however1 its drawbacks1 and for the sake of successful handling of women in the munitions factory1 it is as well that these psychological points should be noted4 ,if1 for example1 a machine is out of gear1 or if the operation is held up for any other cause1 the women munition makers will sometimes behave in an unreasonable manner1 quite bewildering to a foreman accustomed only to dealing with men4 ,the temporary cessation of work may make only a slight money difference to the woman operator by the end of the week3 'not enough to fuss about1' as the foreman judges4 ,but the woman nevertheless often does fuss1 because in her eyes the wages do not loom so large as the interruption to her work4 ,she 'hates standing-by'1 she will say1 for she cannot express the emotion of which she is but dimly conscious1 that a woman's deep instinct is to give freely of her fullness1 and it frets her very soul to be balked in the middle of a job4 ,illustration3 ,,assembling ,,fuses ,illustration3 ,,cooling ,,shell ,,forgings ,illustration3 ,,operating ,a ,,lumsden ,,plain ,,grinder3 ,,re-,,forming #h-;,,inch ,,high-,,explosive ,,cutters ,other initial obstacles in the employment of 'new' female labour in the factories result from the exchange of the manifold duties of the woman in her own home for repetition work performed in the company of hundreds of other human beings4 ,these difficulties are1 however1 soon overcome1 and the new-comer1 generally speaking1 rapidly becomes one of a large and merry company4 ,the whirr of the wheels and the persistent throb of the machinery may at first distract her1 but after a short time the factory noises are unnoticed1 save as an accompaniment to her thoughts1 her laughter1 or her song4 ,i have indeed met in the ,england of to-day nothing more inspiriting1 outside the soldiers' camps1 than the women munition workers at work or at play4 ,in ,august #aiaf1 there were some #ejj different munitions processes upon which women were engaged4 ,to-day1 they are employed upon practically every operation in factory1 in foundry1 in laboratory1 and chemical works1 of which they are physically capable4 ,within the limits of this publication it is not possible to follow them into every field of their endeavours1 yet a glance at their work in a few typical products may give some slight indication of women's contribution to ,britain's effort in the ,world ,war4 ,shells and ,shell ,cases ,of the numbers of operations that go to the making of a shell1 women now undertake every process1 in some works1 including even the forging of the billets in the foundry4 ,it was the urgent need of a greatly increased output of shells in #aiae which led to the widespread introduction into the engineering shops of female labour1 and the women have repaid this unique opportunity by their unqualified success4 ,so rapid1 and so marked1 has been their progress in shell production that by the spring of #aiag the official announcement was justified1 that1 by ,march #ca of that year1 ,government contracts for shells of certain dimensions would only be given where #hj per cent4 of the employees were women4 ,at first1 the women were mainly engaged in simple machine operations1 such as boring1 drilling1 and turning1 or in filling the shells4 ,they are1 at present1 working hydraulic presses1 guiding huge overhead cranes1 'tonging'1 or lifting the molten billets1 'setting'1 or fitting the tools in the machines1 inspecting and gauging1 painting the finished shell cases1 making the boxes for dispatch of the finished product1 and trucking these when finally screwed up and ready for exit from the factory to the ,front4 ,it is not possible to describe here in detail women's entire contribution to the production of a shell1 but1 from foundry to railway truck1 she has become an alert and promising worker4 ,in the foundry1 her appearance is as yet exceptional1 yet in the ,north country it is no unusual sight to find a woman in the cage suspended from the overhead travelling crane1 operating its protruding arm4 ,now1 she will pick up with the clumsy iron fingers a pig of iron and thrust it into the glowing depths of a furnace1 or she will lift the red-hot billet and bring it to the hydraulic press1 where it is roughly hollowed into its predestined shape4 ,in the shell shop proper you may watch the woman operator on some scores of processes2 at one machine1 she may be attacking the centre of the billet with a revolving nose1 at another she may be 'turning' the outside of a shell4 ,the shavings curl off in this process like hot bacon rind and fall in iridescent rings around her3 blue1 purple1 peacock1 or gleaming silver4 ,or1 you may watch the woman worker 'threading' the shell1 a process by which the screw threads are provided1 into which the nose of the shell is afterwards fitted2 or1 you may stand and marvel at the skill of the worker who so deftly rivets the base-plate into the shell's lower end4 ,but1 perhaps1 the most attractive operation to the visitor to the shell shop is the fitting and grooving of the shell's copper band1 a process which leaves the machine and worker half-hidden in the glory of sunset tints1 as the copper scrap falls thickly from the machine4 ,at every stage1 the shell is gauged and tested1 examined and re-examined1 since accuracy is the watch-word of its production4 ,sometimes1 the machine-operator will gauge her own product2 at other stages1 the shell passes into the hands of women overlookers of the factory1 the final tests being made by ,government 'viewers'4 ,the inside1 as well as the outside of the shell is submitted to such inspection1 and you may see women peering into the interior of the shells1 aided by the light from a tiny electric bulb1 mounted on a stick4 ,this contrivance is thrust successively into rows and rows of shells4 ,women are now exclusively used for the painting of the shells1 a process accomplished1 not by means of a brush and paint-pot1 but by the operator playing a fine electrically-worked syringe on to the surface of the shell4 ,this process is undertaken in what is often called 'the butcher's shop'1 the shells1 in pairs1 being swung up on a rope into a compartment where the operator works from behind a protective iron screen4 ,in the ,filling shops1 women's devotion to their work has been proved once and again4 ,whether the process undertaken be in company of a few comrades1 or in isolated huts where lonely vigils are kept over stores of explosives1 the munition-girls are hardly known to flinch in their duty4 ,sometimes1 they have volunteered to work throughout the night when air-raids are in progress1 at other times1 women-workers have returned to the ,danger ,zone immediately after some bad experience there2 and1 in every case1 the woman worker in the ,filling ,factory cheerfully sacrifices much which she holds dear in life4 ,it may signify but little to a man to give up his small personal possessions whilst at work in the danger areas1 but to many a woman worker it means much1 that she may not wear a brooch1 or a flower1 while on duty1 and that her wedding-ring1 the only allowable trinket1 must be bound with thread while she works4 ,her tresses1 which she normally loves to braid1 or twist into varying fashions1 must also be left hairpinless beneath her cap4 ,she must relinquish her personal belongings before going to her allotted task2 no crochet-hook or knitting-pin may accompany her into the zone where friction of steel1 or hard metal1 might spell death to a multitude of employees4 ,yet this sacrifice of individuality is given freely by the woman in the ,filling shop1 and she is still merry-hearted and blithe as she fills the small bags with deadly powder1 or binds the charge which shall fire the shell4 ,when the shell is finally filled and passed ',o4,k4'1 or perfect1 it is a woman who packs it into its box and who wheels it on a truck1 sometimes for a mile or more over narrow platforms1 to hand it to another woman who stacks it into the waiting railway-wagon4 ,any one who has watched throughout the production of a shell in a factory of to-day can only echo a well-known author's recent salute3 ',hats off to the ,women'4 ,in the ,fuse ,shop ,the fuse1 that small and complicated object which explodes the shell1 is a war-product now largely produced by women's labour4 ,a few inches in length1 it requires some hundreds of operations for its manufacture1 even if the initial processes on the metal are excluded from the count4 ,in section1 it looks like a complicated metal jig-saw puzzle of exquisite finish and cohesion3 viewing it externally1 a child might mistake it for a conjurer's 'property'1 a bright metal egg1 or roll often surrounded by a metal ring marked with time measurements4 ,the care and accuracy necessary for the production of this small object can hardly be imagined by the uninitiated3 it is measured and re-measured in every diameter1 since on its perfection depends the life of the gunner and his team4 ,the fuse shop is usually characterized by its cleanliness and quietude4 ,i recall one such shop stretching far away into distance both in length and breadth4 ,under its roof some #a1ejj women were at work4 ,conversation could be held in any part of the shop1 undisturbed by the usual factory noises4 ,the fuse parts are1 indeed1 so small that the machinery is necessarily light1 and in such a shop it is dexterity and accuracy that tell1 rather than physical strength4 ,rows of graceful women and girls were standing at their machines1 and ,i recall how their overalls and caps of varied hues made a rainbow effect1 as one watched from a distant corner4 ,some were in cream colour and some in russet-brown1 or apple green1 the caps sometimes matching the overall and sometimes offering a strong contrast4 ,a splash of purple1 or a deep magenta1 mingled with the head-dresses of softer hue1 for in this shop1 away from the ,danger ,zone1 no insistence was made on uniformity of factory costume4 ,other women1 wearing a distinctive armlet1 were passing in and out between the rows of workers1 now stopping and bending over a machine1 now making some bright remark to the operator1 as a ripple of laughter indicated1 or again1 pointing out in sterner wise some danger1 or some error in the job4 ,these itinerary women are the overlookers1 who since the war have perfected themselves in their special job and can now supervise the operators4 ,at long tables1 other women were sitting2 some quite elderly and grey-haired1 some mere girls4 ,they were measuring with small gauges parts of the fuse1 some the size of a good-sized bead4 ,there are #aej different gauges authorized for the measurement of one type of fuse1 and in practice even more are used1 to ensure perfection of accuracy4 ,i stood spell-bound at one of these gauging tables and watched the examination of small screws and flash plugs4 ,there were six little squares of felt on the table1 on which the examiner placed rejects1 classified according to the detected flaw4 ,the work proceeded with the utmost dispatch1 the 'accepted' or 'perfect' heap growing as if by magic4 ,at another table1 a girl was testing springs of about an inch long4 ,if any of these showed the smallest fraction too much length after being submitted to a given pressure1 they were put aside as 'scrap'4 ,at yet another table1 tiny fuse needles were being examined for length1 thickness of phlange1 and accuracy of point1 and on a high flat desk1 near a machine1 ,i noticed seventeen different gauges were ranged for the examination of the percussion end of the fuse-body1 one ten-thousandth part of an inch being the limitation or variation allowed in such parts4 ,when all the parts have been examined they are passed to other tables for assembling1 or putting together4 ,in this operation almost superhuman care is required1 and the work is reserved for the best operators and time-keepers as a reward for long service4 ',assembling' is regarded as the plum of the fuse-room4 ,the operators are well aware of the importance of the task1 as they stow away in the time fuses the pea-ball1 pellet1 spring1 stirrup1 ferrule1 and other components of the fuse4 ,the needle is fixed by blows from a small hammer1 and at length the fuse is completed and passes out of the room of its creation to receive its 'filling' from other hands4 ,cartridges and ,bullets ,the production of cartridges and bullets is another branch of munitions production in which women are mainly employed4 ,these objects1 which1 when completed1 are together no longer than a ball-room pencil1 make in their manufacture no great demand on physical strength4 ,on entering a cartridge and bullet shop1 one is at once struck with its individuality4 ,there is more stir and movement than in a fuse-room1 but less of the imperiousness of the machinery than in the shell or gun shop4 ,there is in the cartridge and bullet room still the whirr of wheels and1 above that1 the deep constant throb of the driving-force1 that makes conversation almost inaudible to the new-comer4 ,but beneath this bass accompaniment1 one can hear the lesser sounds belonging to the cartridge and bullet-room alone4 ,there may be the buzz of the circulating gas machines--which resemble miniature merry-go-rounds--the tap1 tap1 of the cartridges as they are thrown out of the machine into a box below1 and the tinkle of bullets as they are poured into weighing machines1 or on to tables1 or into huge barrels1 such as are used on the wharves for the transport of herrings4 ,a cartridge and bullet-shop sometimes is as animated and as picturesque as an open-air market under a southern sky4 ,i remember such a shop where the girls were in various factory costumes1 some at the machines in khaki and some in cream-coloured overalls and caps2 some1 who were 'trucking'1 or removing the product in boxes1 were in cream trouser-suits1 with smart head-dresses fashioned from brightly-coloured oriental handkerchiefs4 ,in between the rows of girls men in dark suits were passing to and fro1 now stopping to examine1 or alter a machine and now taking up a box of bullets and pouring out its glittering contents like a silver stream1 so that the output from each worker might be weighed and assessed4 ,through an open door1 at one side of the shop1 one could see other men1 like stern magicians1 dropping cartridges into vats of acid1 and just to the side of the vats ,i caught sight of two girls vigorously shaking a sack of cartridges1 hot from the furnace4 ,as they shook1 they sang an army refrain3 ',take me back to dear old ,blighty1' with a chorus of laughter4 ,at the extreme end of the shop1 near the door whence the product made its exit1 were long narrow tables1 piled with bullets1 reminding one of a haul of silver sprats on the quay-side4 ,these were the inspecting tables where the bullets receive minute attention from women viewers4 ,the women's work in the bullet-shop is of extraordinary interest to the onlooker1 although many of the processes must be infinitely more monotonous1 from the worker's standpoint1 than operations in other munitions productions4 ,the elongation of the little metal vessel1 resembling an acorn-cup1 into a full-length cartridge1 or bullet1 necessitates many operations in which the dexterity of human fingers and the ingenuity of the machine both come into play4 ,in the shop ,i recall1 in one machine employed for semi-annealing1 the cartridge was being 'fed' into a metal revolving plate4 ,this passed behind an asbestos screen into a double row of gas jets1 where the semi-annealing or hardening process was being accomplished4 ,the dexterity of the operators was so great that one woman was often feeding two machines1 apparently without effort1 and never missed placing the cartridge into the correct aperture in the revolving plate4 ,in another process1 ,i watched young girls sitting round a table and placing bullets into circular apertures in small trays1 resembling solitaire-boards4 ,many of the girls were working with such speed that it was impossible to follow the movements of their fingers1 but they1 unconscious of their prowess1 worked with averted heads1 smiling in amusement at the visitor's astonishment4 ,in yet another operation1 it was the machine that held one's attention4 ,the operator was feeding cartridges into a metal band which slipped out of view while the process of 'tapering' was performed4 ,when finished1 a metal thumb and index finger appeared1 which delicately picked up the cartridges1 one by one1 and threw them aside4 ,the displaced cartridge then hopped out of the machine into a box at the side of the machine4 ,entranced by the many mysteries in the production of cartridges and bullets in the shop ,i am recalling1 ,i had not noticed that the tea-interval had arrived1 and suddenly found that the work-room was almost empty of human beings4 ,only two girls remained4 ,they were sitting sewing1 whilst they devoured thick slices of bread and butter out of a newspaper packet4 ,the woman inspector1 who was my guide1 turned sharply4 ',what are you doing here8' she said1 ',eating your tea in the workshop1 instead of outside1 or in the canteen4 ,be off at once into the fresh air4' ,then1 with the indignation fading out of a good-humoured face3 ',what next8' she said4 ,looking out of the open door at the streams of bright and happy girls laughing1 singing1 dancing1 and running1 as only healthy youth can do in the midst of these dark days of war1 ,i seemed to see other and brighter days ahead stretching out into the years of the future1 when the workfolk would all taste a fuller joy in life4 ,with renewed hope1 ,i gave her back her challenge3 ',well6 and what next8' ,,chapter ,,iv3 ,,at ,,work--,,ii ,,the ,,making ,,of ,,aircraft--,,optical ,,instruments--,,in ,,the ,,shipyards ,the ,making of ,aircraft ,the production of aircraft1 undertaken in this country on a large scale only since the outbreak of the war1 has fallen more naturally into the hands of women4 ,the work is for the most part light1 and the new factories1 often erected in open country1 are bright1 airy1 and largely free from the noise of machinery4 ,added to these special attractions to the woman worker1 there is apparently a distinct appeal to the youth of both sexes and to women of all ages in anything connected with the art of flying4 ,it is no secret that our output of aircraft is steadily increasing1 and that during #aiag it has been doubled4 ,in one factory in ,london1 the output has been trebled within three months2 in ,lancashire1 there are instances in which it has been doubled1 and other areas show an improved production varying from #be to #ej per cent4 ,yet the increased demand for labour for this work has always been immediately answered1 and there is a steady flow into the factories of the best type of women workers from every class of society4 ,here and there1 one already meets a woman who1 during the short period of the war1 has risen to be manager or partner in an aircraft factory4 ,unconsciously1 such a one emphasizes the fact that the mastery of the element of the future is likely to be an affair of both the sexes4 ,a visit to any aeroplane factory repeats the hint1 and reveals the extraordinary versatility of skill latent in women1 which can well be applied to this form of industry4 ',women must have been cabin'd1 cribbed1 and confined before the war'1 said a foreman in taking me over his shop in an aircraft works4 ',look what they can do at this kind of job1 and yet many of them are ladies1 from homes where they sat about and were waited upon4' ,the wonder of it cannot fail to impress a visitor1 since only four years ago women were allowed to undertake in aircraft construction merely those parts which convention deemed suitable for feminine fingers3 such processes1 for instance1 as the sewing of the wings by hand1 or by machine1 or the painting of the woodwork4 ,illustration3 ,,engraving ,,metal ,,parts ,,for ,,compasses ,illustration3 ,,colouring ,,aeroplane ,,planes ,illustration3 ,,chipping ,,and ,,grinding ,,blades ,,of ,,cast ,,iron ,,propeller ,,with ,,portable ,,tools ,illustration3 ,,woman ,,acting ,,as ,,mate ,,to ,,joiner4 ,,making ,,sea-,,plane ,,floats ,to-day1 they undertake almost every other process both at the carpenter's bench and in the engineering shop1 and the chief impression you carry away from a stroll through such a factory is that the women are thoroughly at home in the work4 ,the operations are often so clean that the workers' overalls and caps of the daintiest shades of pink1 blue1 white1 and heliotrope1 remain fresh2 the material for aeroplane parts is usually so light that the handling of it presents no difficulty to a slip of a girl4 ,when within the works1 the visitor is constantly stimulated to the thought that the hand which rocks the cradle should obviously be the one to make the air-machine4 ,one expects1 of course1 women's familiarity with the occupation in the room where the fine ,irish linen is cut out and fashioned into wings4 ,one is not surprised at the facility with which the measuring and cutting out are accomplished1 and1 maybe1 an emotion of admiration arises1 similar to that evoked by the contemplation of old tapestries1 when one watches the hand-sewing of a seam in a wing of some #aj feet in length4 ,not a stitch of the button-holing of such a seam deviates by a hairbreadth from its fellows4 ,such work has1 however1 been women's province through the ages4 ,but a new sensation is awakened in the carpenter's shop where women are working with dexterity at the bench1 handling woodwork like the men1 now dealing with delicate wooden ribs1 or again1 fashioning propellers out of mahogany or walnut with such nicety that there is not the slightest deviation between the dimensions of a pair4 ,in the room where the linen is stretched over the wooden ribs1 ,i have seen women working with tiny hammers1 giving fairy blows that never miss their mark on tiny nails4 ,it is with fascination that a visitor stands by be-goggled women as they undertake the welding of metal joints by the oxy-acetylene process4 ,here1 conscientiousness is a vital quality in the operator1 since an undetected flaw in the weld1 as a works foreman recently remarked1 'might easily send an airman to ,kingdom ,come'4 ,for this process1 women of education are more often selected4 ,it is with awe that you watch the women at work on the metal parts of the aeroplane1 drilling1 grinding1 boring1 milling on the machine1 or soldering tiny aluminum parts for the fuselage1 and in each process gauging and re-gauging1 measuring and re-measuring4 ,women also work on aero-engines1 and help in the manufacture of the magneto1 the very heart of the machine4 ,they even undertake special processes1 which before the war were only entrusted to a select body of men4 ,i stood one day1 for example1 watching a woman splicing steel rope1 a process undertaken in pre-war days by sailors4 ,she was working with extraordinary speed and unconcern1 and had learned the job in three or four days4 ,before then1 she told me1 she had been her employer's cook4 ,but the most alluring scene of all is the assembling of aircraft4 ,the infinite number of separate parts are now ready2 they have been tested by factory overlookers and retested by ,government inspectors4 ,the greatest care is taken in these examinations3 it is the only possible insurance of the lives of the brave youths on their journey above the clouds4 ,all the workers know this1 and the seriousness of the job is reflected on their faces4 ,but now all the parts are ready and to hand in the ,erecting shop4 ,then wings and propeller are added to body1 the engine and leather-upholstered seats introduced1 the electric apparatus fitted up1 the compass1 ammunition box and other instruments and weapons placed in position4 ,the aeroplane is at length complete1 and stands in the hangar like some great bird1 with outstretched pinions1 awaiting its first flight into the ,unknown4 ,women undertake every process of this assembling1 and have acquired familiarity with all the parts4 ,this was put to the test recently in a certain works when a woman operator was directed to dismantle a machine4 ,without hesitation1 she stripped the complex network of the structural stay-wires and the control wires1 and then re-assembled them1 correct in every particular1 at the first attempt4 ,optical ,instruments ,of the many industries developed by the war1 the production of optical instruments offers a striking example of rapid progress4 ,before #aiad1 the optical glass industry of ,europe was largely in the hands of ,germany and ,austria1 and the outbreak of hostilities meant the total closing of that market to the ,allies4 ,the lack of optical instruments thus occasioned was at first a source of grave national peril1 since optical glass provides1 as it were1 eyes for both ,navy and ,army4 ,the eyes of the guns are the range-finder1 the director1 the sighting telescope1 periscope1 prism binoculars1 and other instruments for observing fire and correcting the aim2 the tank would be blind without its periscope1 and observations are made from aircraft by means of photographic cameras and lenses4 ,at sea1 the tale is repeated2 the submarine requires at least one eye1 and the submarine chaser needs many1 while1 by means of optical instruments1 the naval gunner can fire at a target which is about #ae to #bj miles away4 ,the very health of the army depends1 in great measure1 on optical glass1 since the ,royal ,army ,medical ,corps fights malaria and other diseases due to parasites1 which must be magnified by a microscope a thousand times before they can be identified4 ,hence1 the solution of the problem of optical munitions was a vital matter in the early days of the war4 ,with characteristic energy1 ,great ,britain set to work and soon restored a languishing trade4 ,the task was enormous2 the industry had to be revived from its very foundations4 ,the production of the peculiar types of glass required for optical instruments in itself presented a formidable obstacle1 even its principal ingredient1 a special quality of sand1 being formerly derived mainly from ,fontainebleau and ,belgium4 ,but by widespread investigation efficient substitutes were soon discovered1 the problem of mixing the ingredients was at length solved1 formulae for special glasses devised1 and we are now producing large quantities of optical glass of perfect quality4 ,the production of the raw material was1 however1 only a first step in obtaining an adequate supply of optical instruments4 ,numbers of delicate processes stand between the rough glass and the finished implement4 ,the glass must be cut1 ground1 and curved exactly to the requisite design1 which in itself takes many days of high mathematical computation2 it must be smoothed and polished1 cleaned with meticulous care1 and adjusted to a nicety in the particular instrument for which it is fashioned4 ,the difficulties and pitfalls are incalculable2 from start to finish the glass obeys no fixed laws1 but answers only to the skilled handling of the scientist and craftsman4 ',optical glass is the mule of materials'1 comments a recent writer with sincerity4 ,the absence of requisite labour for what was practically a new industry was a serious menace1 and it is to the credit of ,englishwomen that1 as soon as the need for their services in this direction was made known1 they stepped without hesitation into this unfamiliar and highly skilled industry4 ,their success therein is remarkable1 and many1 from such callings as high-class domestic service1 kindergarten instruction1 music teaching1 blouse and dressmaking1 have achieved a wonderful record in the delicate and highly technical processes of lens-smoothing and polishing and in the production of prisms of faultless polish and cut4 ,there is1 ,i take it1 no more interesting munitions development than in factories where these lenses and prisms are produced4 ,the work is so fine and so delicate that one feels it might be more suitably transferred for manipulation to elves1 or fairy folk1 who might undertake the various processes standing at a large-sized toad-stool4 ,but with the stern reality of war upon us1 willing feminine fingers have had to be trained to handle these lenses1 the smallest of which1 when ranged in trays1 resemble a collection of dewdrops1 and the largest of which would easily fill the port-hole of an ocean-liner4 ,optical glass when it comes into the workshop has the appearance of small blocks of rough ice of a greyish hue4 ,these blocks are roughly sliced and cut into shape by a rotating metal disk charged with diamond dust4 ,the prisms and lenses in their initial stage are then handed on to women1 who complete the work on their surfaces4 ,each process has its particular lure for the interested visitor4 ,you may watch the slices of glass being shaped into prisms by handwork against the tool2 you may follow these embryo prisms through the various processes of smoothing and polishing until a small magnifying prism is obtained for use in a magnetic compass1 or until a large prism is completed suitable for a submarine periscope4 ,you may follow the creation of a lens from the roughing and grinding of the glass slices with emery1 or carborundum1 until the approximate shape is given1 or you may follow a later process of sticking the smaller lenses on to pitch1 so that they may form a single surface for smoothing and polishing4 ,again1 you may watch the superlatively difficult operation of centring a lens4 ,this task is necessary to ensure the polished surfaces of the lens running perfectly true and it requires a skilled touch and a trained eye to undertake it satisfactorily4 ,in a shop in a certain optical munitions factory ,i met the first woman who worked a centring machine in that area4 ,she was formerly a housemaid1 and told me that1 at first1 all the men had discouraged her from the job and had said it was 'impossible for a woman to do such work'4 ,but she 'stuck it'--so she said--and in a few weeks1 to her own surprise and the men's dismay1 this peculiarly skilled job became familiar to her4 ',now ,i feel ,i am doing something1' she said in triumph4 ,this sentiment was echoed by another worker in that factory who was accomplishing the surprising task of 'chamfering'1 or putting a tiny bevel onto the edge of a lens4 ,the large lenses measure only #b inches in diameter2 the smaller ones are about the size of a threepenny bit1 and every operation1 whether grinding1 trueing1 smoothing1 polishing1 or centring1 must be accomplished with the utmost care4 ,even the final process in the manufacture of the lens or prism1 'wiping off'1 is fraught with responsibility to the operator4 ',wiping off1' or cleaning the lens1 can only be done with a silken duster1 for the finished glass1 like a dainty lady1 will tolerate the touch of nothing coarse4 ,in cases where the glass is graticulated1 or marked with fine lines for measurement purposes1 the task of 'wiping off' is of extraordinary difficulty2 in the opinion of at least one foreman with whom ,i have discussed this question1 the operation is only perfectly successful when performed by a girl's fingers4 ,it is of supreme importance that no speck of dirt or hint of grease from a finger-mark be left on the glass when finally adjusted1 or the instrument would become a source of danger to the user4 ,no wonder that the feeling of the optical instrument workshop expresses itself in the words3 ',cleanliness is more than godliness at this job4' ,the completed glass at length reaches the stage where it is set in its instrument1 be it periscope1 dial-sight1 telescope1 and so on4 ,although the most exact measurements have been observed both in the metal part and on the glass1 small adjustments are necessary2 for the fit must be so perfect that even if the metal case suffers shell-shock1 the glass must still not rattle4 ,but it is the metal alone which is submitted to alteration1 and it is wonderful how women have been able to obtain sufficient dexterity to make these infinitesimal changes in the metal parts4 ,one can see a mere girl undertaking such a task by giving the metal three or four delicate strokes from a file so fine that it would not hurt a baby's skin4 ,meantime1 the lens or prism is finally examined 7also by women7 for size1 scratches1 and other imperfections1 and is then re-cleaned4 ,girls and women take a full share in the production of the metal parts for the optical instruments and also assemble1 or collect the parts1 for the adjustment of the glass1 but so far they do not generally adjust or test the completed instrument4 ,the operations used in the production of optical instruments for war purposes are1 of course1 similar to those required in the manufacture of implements used in peace-time1 such as opera-glasses1 telescopes1 microscopes1 surveying instruments1 photographic and cinematograph apparatus1 c41 and it is expected that women who have entered the new war-time industry will happily find themselves1 when peace dawns1 in possession of a permanent means of livelihood in a skilled occupation4 ,in the ,shipyards ',ships1 ships1 and still ships'3 such is the main need of the ,allies in this1 the fourth year of the war4 ,to answer this demand1 every dockyard in the country is working at the highest pressure4 ,into this work1 strange as it may seem to those familiar with the rough-and-tumble life of a shipyard1 women have penetrated and have so far surmounted all obstacles in the tasks to which they have been allocated4 ,at first1 dilution in shipyards was looked upon as a hazardous experiment4 ,the work is mostly heavy and clumsy1 and the type of men undertaking it1 splendid fellows enough in their physique and general outlook1 are mainly accustomed to dealings with the boisterous elements and with men comrades of their own pattern4 ,their attitude towards women1 it was feared1 would make for trouble immediately that the other sex was introduced as fellow-workers4 ,even the most optimistic amongst shipbuilders were aghast at the idea of women working shoulder to shoulder with men on board ship4 ,yet here and there a pioneer employer has arisen1 and the experiment has been tried4 ,it is succeeding unquestionably4 ,i have been into the shipyards and seen the amazing sight and am convinced of its expediency1 at all events as a war-time measure4 ,special care must1 of course1 be taken in the planning and the supervision of women's work on board ship1 but given the right type of inspectress1 charge hand1 and workers1 there is no reason why women should not1 in increasing numbers1 fill the gaps in the shipyards1 as in the factories4 ,the women chosen to undertake such tasks are well aware of the service they are rendering to the nation at this juncture1 and to the women workers the first day on board ship is one of supreme happiness4 ',they are so excited when they actually get on board1' said a dockyard inspectress to me recently 'that they forget all about the difficulties and objections to the work4' ,it is well that this is so1 for it is not too easy for the novice to move about below1 even on a big battleship4 ,i was taken over one where the women were working4 ,it was in a big yard crammed with shipping of every kind--so full that one could echo the words of the old ,elizabethan1 who said of a crowd3 ',there was not room for a snail to put out its horns4' ,a stiff breeze was blowing1 and the sea beyond ran full and blue4 ,the great battleship along the dock lay serene and stately1 bearing1 as it were1 with grim humour the meddlesome tappings and chippings of impertinent human beings1 who presumed to furbish her up4 ,there were men on the conning-tower1 busy with paint-pots1 and there was a tangle of ropes and pots on the upper decks where the guns were biding their time4 ,men were calling lustily to each other1 and were darting here and there as brisk and wholesome as the breeze4 ',we go down here1' said the inspectress1 pointing to a ladder as steep as the side of a house4 ,she bounded down with the ease of an antelope4 ,another ladder1 and yet another4 ,the inspectress seemed to have forgotten their steep incline and ,i was left1 a helpless landlubber1 cautiously descending step by step4 ,when ,i joined her in the engine-room she was already deep in conversation with one of her staff4 ,and then ,i noticed the secret aid to her agility4 ,all the women aboard ship were dressed in trouser suits4 ,the suits1 of blue drill for the supervisors1 and of a similar material in brown for the labourers1 were made with a short tunic1 and the trousers were buckled securely at the ankle4 ,a tight-fitting cap to match completed the smart workmanlike costume which permits of perfect freedom of movement in confined places4 ,without such a costume it would be hardly possible for women to work on board4 ,the women workers on this particular battleship were engaged in renewing electric wires and fittings1 a job which requires a good deal of care and accuracy4 ,on the lower deck1 they were fitting up new cables and were perched in high places1 here 'sweating in' a distribution box1 there marking off the position for the wires4 ,others were drilling holes1 others again were 'tapping'1 or making a thread in the holes4 ,in the engine-room the women were busy stripping worn-out electric wiring and were working by the light of tall candles1 as merry as a party preparing a ,christmas tree4 ,everywhere the women were working in pairs1 an arrangement found especially advisable on board4 ,behind a small iron door we found one couple working on a fire-control in a nook where the entrance of a single visitor caused bad overcrowding4 ',these are my mice'1 said the inspectress2 'they always get away into the cupboard-jobs1 and very well they work there too4 ,but we have to maintain a strict discipline on board1 far stricter than anything known in the factories4' ,no talking1 ,i was informed1 is allowed in that dockyard1 during the working hours on board1 between the sailors or men labourers and the women and there is constant supervision of the women employed4 ,these work on board in parties of #bj-bb1 each party being under the care of a charge hand4 ,when the staff included three charge hands for supervision on board1 an inspectress was appointed for this special branch of the work4 ,the system seems to work well1 and ,i noticed how the men and women had evidently accepted each other as comrades4 ,coming into a secluded gangway a man-labourer1 who had finished his job1 was unconcernedly shaving before a square of mirror1 while two or three women just beyond went on1 just as unconcernedly1 tap1 tapping at the electric fittings4 ,there was no chaffing1 no 'larking'1 between the men and women1 but a sense of comradeship1 such as one notices in a ,co-education ,school4 ,the women on electric-wiring receive1 in that dockyard1 one month's instruction on dummy bulk-heads before going on board2 their instructors--expert men--accompany them to the number of two to every party of twenty or so1 and remain with them for ten to twelve months4 ,after that1 the women are able to work without an instructor1 and ,i was an eyewitness to this arrangement on a cargo vessel1 where electric wiring was also being undertaken4 ,besides the work on board1 women in dockyards are employed in the various engineering shops where almost every description of construction and repair work for vessels is undertaken4 ,i have seen numbers of women at work in such an electrical department1 winding armatures1 making parts for firing-gear1 polishing1 or buffing and repairing electrical apparatus1 c4 ,the work in such a repair section is full of interest and variety4 ,from day to day the operators receive consignments of electrical apparatus damaged on board by the elements1 or worse4 ,great dispatch is needed1 and the women work with the utmost zeal and efficiency4 ,i noticed them undertaking such varying operations as lackering guards for lamps and radiator fronts1 repairing junction and section boxes1 fire-control instruments1 automatic searchlights1 c41 and they were turning out their work1 the foreman said1 just like men4 ,in the constructional department1 women are now employed in making bulkhead pieces1 or metal-work of various kinds1 in oxy-acetylene welding1 and occasionally in the foundry4 ,when it is recollected that before the war only elderly women--the grandmothers--were1 generally speaking1 employed in the dockyards1 and those only on such ornamental tasks as flag-making or upholstery for yachts1 it is hardly credible that the granddaughters are now working successfully on intricate processes and even at jobs where physical strength is a qualification4 ',we can hardly believe our eyes1' said a foreman recently1 'when we see the heavy stuff brought to and from the shops in motor lorries driven by girls4 ,before the war it was all carted by horses and men4 ,the girls do the job all right though1 and the only thing they ever complain about is that their toes get cold4' ',they don't now'1 said a strapping young woman-driver1 overhearing the conversation4 ',we've got hot-water tins4' ,then1 in a low voice1 for my ears alone1 ',i love my work1 it's ever so interesting4' ,it is this note that one finds above all1 amongst the women in the dockyards4 ,the spirit of the sea1 the almost forgotten heritage of an island population1 has been stirred once more1 and the sight of the good ships in harbour thrills the woman-worker1 as the man1 with a sense of independence1 freedom1 and love for 'this ,england1 444 this precious stone set in the silver sea'4 ,no wonder that ,englishwomen find their work in the dockyards 'ever so interesting'4 ,illustration3 ,,cutting ,,frayed-,,edged ,,tape ,illustration3 ,,brazing ,,turbine ,,rotor ,,segment ,illustration3 ,,mounting ,,cards ,,for ,,dry ,,compasses ,illustration3 ,,treadle ,,polishing-,,machines1 ,,for ,,smoothing ,,lenses ,,chapter ,v3 ,,comfort ,,and ,,safety ,,welfare ,,supervision--,,protective ,,clothing--,,rest-,,rooms ,,and ,,first ,,aid--,,women ,,police ,the problems arising from the sudden employment of thousands of women in the factories have obviously been connected not only with the technical training of the workers and with the adaptation of machinery to their physical strength4 ,something had to be done1 and that without delay1 to ensure the comfort and safety in the workshops of these new-comers to industrial life4 ,in the first great rush for an increased munitions supply1 war emergency dictated the temporary suppression of the ,factory ,acts4 ,there was no demur within the factory gates4 ,women worked without hesitation from twelve to fourteen hours a day1 or a night1 for seven days a week1 and with the voluntary sacrifice of public holidays4 ,their home conditions in a vast number of cases offered no drop of consolation4 ,many of these women were immigrants from remote corners of the ,empire1 or from faraway towns and villages of the ,united ,kingdom4 ,housing accommodation in crowded industrial areas1 or in a thinly populated countryside1 was strained to breaking-point4 ,undaunted1 these workers--many of whom had previously led an entirely sheltered life--rose before dawn to travel long distances to the factory1 and returned to take alternative possession with a night-shift worker of a part share of a bedroom4 ,the shameful conditions to which the factory children were subjected at the period of the ,industrial ,revolution seemed about to return4 ,welfare ,supervision ,such a state of things could not be tolerated1 and ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george1 then ,minister of ,munitions1 grasped the situation4 ',the workers of to-day'1 he said1 'are the mothers of to-morrow4 ,in a war of workshops the women of ,britain were needed to save ,britain2 it was for ,britain to protect them4' ,measures were immediately adopted to improve the conditions of the workers in the factory4 ,a ,departmental ,committee was appointed to consider all questions relating to the health of munition workers1 and at the ,ministry of ,munitions1 on their recommendation1 a ,welfare and ,health ,department was established1 charged with 'securing a high standard of conditions for all workers in munitions factories and more especially for the women and juvenile employees'4 ,since then1 step by step the machinery is being set in motion for improving the conditions of life of munition workers4 ,yet ,welfare work in the factory is no new thing in ,england4 ,in pre-war days it had not1 it is true1 reached as widespread a development as in the ,united ,states1 but as long ago as #agib it was in practice in this country under another name4 ,it is recorded of that period of one ,david ,dale1 whose factory was a model to his contemporaries1 that he 'gave his money by shovelfuls to his employees' to find that ',god shovelled it back again4' ,from the early part of the nineteenth century1 sporadic attempts were successfully made to improve the conditions of the factory workers over and above the requirements of legislation1 and before #aiad a number of enlightened factory owners had won renown by the practice of ,welfare work within their precincts4 ,the seal of official sanction has1 however1 only been gained since the war1 through the influx of women into munitions trades4#a ,the ,health of ,munitions ,workers ,committee has1 since its inception1 investigated at factory after factory such questions as the employment of women1 hours of labour1 ,sunday labour1 juvenile employment1 industrial fatigue1 canteen equipment1 the dietary of workers4 ,it has published its conclusions in memoranda1 stripped bare of officialism1 so as to reveal with frankness facts acquired by scientists in touch with reality4 ,working in connexion with this ,committee is the ,welfare and ,health ,department of the ,ministry of ,munitions4 ,it follows closely the suggestions of the experts1 its ,welfare officers moving up and down the country1 now offering a suggestion to the management of a factory1 and again1 assimilating some practical experiment in ,welfare work1 originated by a progressive factory-directorate4 ,thus1 a pooling of ideas is being effected1 and isolated experiments of value are now being propagated throughout the country4 ,but possibly one of the most valuable tasks of the ,welfare and ,health ,department is the selection and training of candidates for the work of ,welfare ,supervision in the factories4 ,a panel of approved candidates is kept in readiness1 so that a busy factory-manager may have at hand a choice of ,welfare workers who will1 if necessary1 undertake the entire supervision of the personal interests of his female1 or juvenile staff4 ,these officers1 after engagement by the factory management1 are responsible solely to the firms that employ them and not to the ,ministry of ,munitions4 ,in establishments where ,t4,n4,t4 7,tri-nitro-toluene7 is handled1 the presence of a lady ,welfare ,supervisor is compulsory2 in all ,national factories such an officer is recognized as a necessary part of the staff2 and in ,controlled ,establishments1 where a number of female operators are employed1 the management is officially encouraged to make such an appointment4 ,in many cases1 engineering shops are for the first time employing female operators1 and the management depute with relief all questions as to the personal requirements of the 'new labour' to the lady superintendent2 in other instances1 such matters as the engagement of the employees1 canteen arrangements1 and so on1 are placed in the hands of other officials4 ,hence1 the duties of the lady ,welfare ,supervisor differ from factory to factory4 ,generally speaking1 the supervisor1 or lady superintendent within the factory is made responsible for some1 or all1 of the following matters3 #a4 ,she aids1 or is entirely responsible for1 the selection of women1 girls1 and boys for employment4 #b4 ,the general behaviour of the women and girls inside the factory falls under her purview4 #c4 ,the transfer of a woman employee from one process to another is suggested by the ,welfare ,supervisor where health considerations make such an alteration advisable4 #d4 ,she is consulted on general grounds with regard to the dismissal of women and girls4 #e4 ,factory conditions come under her observation1 and reports are made1 when necessary1 to the management1 on the cleanliness1 ventilation1 or warmth of the establishment4 #f4 ,the necessity of the provision of seats is suggested1 where this is possible4 #g4 ,in large factories1 where the canteen is under separate management1 the ,welfare ,supervisor reports as to whether the necessary facilities are available for the women employees4 ,in smaller factories1 the ,welfare ,supervisor may be called upon to manage the canteen4 #h4 ,while not responsible1 except in small factories1 for actual attention to accidents1 the ,welfare ,supervisor works in close touch with the factory doctors and nurses4 ,she also helps in the selection of the nurses1 and should see that their work is carried out promptly4 ,she supervises the keeping of all records of accidents and illness in the ambulance room1 and of all maternity cases noted in the factory4 ,she keeps in touch with all cases of serious accident or illness and with the ,compensation ,department inside the works4 #i4 ,she supervises cloak-rooms and selects the staff of attendants necessary for these4 #aj4 ,the protective clothing supplied to the women at work comes under her supervision4 ,in large establishments where the female and juvenile staff is counted by the thousand1 these multifarious duties are necessarily divided among many individuals1 and the ,welfare work within the factory 7,intra-mural ,welfare1 as it is now termed7 develops into a ,department4 ,a typical example of such an evolution may be seen at the ,royal ,arsenal1 ,woolwich4 ,in pre-war days1 the female staff numbered #abe2 to-day some #be1jjj women are there at work4 ,the ,welfare supervision is happily in charge of a super-woman4 ,in addition to her manifold duties she has trained a staff of assistants who1 like herself1 spare no effort to promote the health and happiness of those under their care4 ,i have stood many an hour in this super-woman's office and watched her1 surrounded by a throng of workers1 fitting new-comers into vacancies1 listening to reasons from others for a desired transference1 or advising as to work1 or meals1 health1 or recreation4 ,no girl was refused a hearing1 however trivial the difficulty1 and a grievance as to the colour of a factory cap was discussed with as much attention with one employee as the causes of a 'shop' disagreement was with another complainant4 ,i have accompanied her on visits through the works 7the entire tour would take almost a week to accomplish71 and have noted the diplomacy with which a suggested improvement in ventilation1 or a needed cloak-room alteration1 was discussed with the official in charge1 and carried through4 ,i have seen the faces of rows of workers light up as this modern ,florence ,nightingale passed through their shop1 and have walked through the ,danger ,zone amazed at the arrangements for the protection of the worker4 ,what is true of the life in such large concerns as ,woolwich ,arsenal1 or ,his ,majesty's ,factory1 ,gretna1 is typical on a large scale of the development of ,welfare work in many a munitions factory throughout the kingdom4 ,protective clothing has been universally adopted1 ambulance-rooms and rest-rooms have been opened1 cloak-room accommodation improved1 canteens established1 sane recreation encouraged1 and the protection of a women-police service introduced4 ,in short1 an atmosphere is being introduced by which the old-time barrier between employer and employed is being helped to disappear4 ,protective ,clothing ,so much has been accomplished since the advent of women in the munitions factories with regard to protective clothing for the worker that the subject might well fill a chapter to itself4 ,a separate ,department in the ,ministry of ,munitions now concerns itself solely with its supply1 and is continually experimenting with improvements in aprons1 gloves1 boots1 caps1 and tunics4 ,cotton overalls are now generally worn by the women employees and much thought has been given to the production of these garments in suitable materials and design4 ,they are made with firmly stitched belts and with inset pockets1 so as to avert accidents by contact of loose ends in the machinery1 and are more often in the popular shades of khaki1 or brown1 with scarlet facings1 or dark blue faced with crimson4 ,but there is no set rule either as to colour1 or design1 so long as the principle of protection is followed4 ,caps1 which at first were much disliked by the workers1 have at length found general favour1 not1 it is true1 by reason of the immunity they offer against accident1 but because they have been fashioned so as to add 'chic' to the wearer4 ,they are usually of the ',mob1' or ',dutch' variety1 and match the overall in colour and texture2 they are all designed so that there is no pressure round the head4 ,sometimes1 the cap of safety has been skilfully used as a mark of distinction1 and one may see1 in a shop staffed by women1 the operators at the machines in khaki headgear1 the setters-up of machines in scarlet caps1 and the overlookers or inspectors of the product in bright blue head-dress4 ,for wet and dusty work there are trouser suits in cotton1 woollen1 or mackintosh1 or tunic suits with knee breeches and leggings1 or gaiters4 ,mackintosh coats are also provided for outdoor work in shipyards1 or for trucking and lorrying1 or for overhead crane-work within the factory4 ,acid-proof and oil-proof aprons are now furnished for certain operations1 and for other processes specially prepared gloves are supplied4 ,the varieties in workshop gloves are now very great2 they are made in such materials as india-rubber1 canvas1 or leather1 or a union of these three1 or in teon-faced canvas or teon-faced leather4 ,some are cuffless2 others1 for work in acids1 have turned-up cuffs1 and others again are gauntlets reaching the elbow4 ,in every case1 the process for which they are provided is minutely studied1 and the fashion adopted is dictated by utility4 ,footgear has also received a considerable amount of attention1 and there are now available ,wellington boots1 or half-,wellingtons1 for outdoor work1 or wooden clogs for processes in the shops where the flooring is apt to become persistently wet4 ,but1 possibly1 factory fashions receive most care when designed for wearers in ,filling shops4 ,for these1 suits in wool lasting-cloth are found satisfactory1 the most popular and smartest being in cream-colour1 faced with scarlet4 ,fire-proofed blue serge overalls and asbestos coats with caps of the same material are also employed in certain of these factories4 ,for work in the ,danger ,zone no metal fasteners are permissible1 and the coat1 or overall1 is cut so as to protect the neck and throat from contact with the powder used in the process4 ,boots and shoes for this type of work are also specially designed4 ,no iron must enter into their composition1 the soles being either machine-sewn1 or riveted with brass4 ,sometimes1 cloth and india-rubber over-shoes are the chosen footwear of the ,danger ,zone1 and in this case the fasteners must also be free from iron4 ,these precautions are no mere fad1 but essential safeguards where friction between a fragment of iron and a combustible powder might lead to an explosion4 ,respirators1 and in some cases veils1 are also needful accessories of the ,filling factory1 and these too are provided for the workers4 ,a complete factory uniform has thus evolved since the war3 it is a model of suitable clothing for industrial work4 ,arising from within the workshops to meet essential needs1 these fashions are not only free from vulgarity1 or eccentricity1 but have a distinct beauty of their own4 ,it is unlikely that women1 once accustomed to the comfort and cleanliness of such garments1 will desire to return to the discredited habit of tarnished finery worn at work4 ,rest-,rooms and ,first ,aid ,ambulance and ,first-,aid work within the factory was not unusual even in pre-war days4 ,since the development of munitions production it has become almost a commonplace1 and from ,december #a1 #aiag1 its provision has been obligatory in blast furnaces1 foundries1 copper-mills1 iron-mills1 and metal works4 ,where ,t4,n4,t4 is handled1 the employment of at least one whole-time medical officer is compulsory1 if the employees number #b1jjj1 and1 if in excess of that figure1 at least one additional medical officer must be employed4 ,the professional work of these doctors is supervised by the medical officers of the ,welfare and ,health ,department1 who also in a similar way supervise the safety of workers employed upon the manufacture of lethal gases4 ,the extra expense involved in the provision of such safeguards is by no means unproductive4 ,in one factory1 for example1 it has been estimated that #b1ejj hours were saved in a single week by prompt attention to minor ailments2 in another factory1 where the firm meets all smaller claims for ,workmen's ,compensation1 it was found that in a period of eighteen months following the establishment of a ,first-,aid organization1 a credit balance of nearly ,l#ejj accrued to the management after all expenses connected with the factory doctor and the nurses had been defrayed4 ,tribute should be paid to the medical staff for their share in the triumph of ,first-,aid work within the munitions factory1 for without their extraordinary devotion the record of misadventure would undoubtedly be higher4 ,one hears from time to time how1 in a temporary breakdown of such a staff1 a single worker will hold the fort4 ,a typical case is recorded in the press as ,i write4 ,it tells of a young nurse who worked shifts of twenty-four hours at a stretch1 for a fortnight1 during the absence of her colleagues4 ,the development of the factory rest-room and cloak-room has also been a marked feature in the munitions factories where women are employed4 ,formerly1 it was usual to see the women workers' outdoor garments hung round the workshop walls2 to-day1 in numbers of munitions works1 the women's cloak-rooms are provided with cupboards where hot pipes dry wet boots and clothing1 where each girl has her own locker with lock and key1 and where the maximum of wash-hand basins supplied with hot and cold water are set up4 ,in ,t4,n4,t4 workshops compulsory washing facilities are even more elaborate4 ,bath-rooms are available1 as well as a generous supply of towels1 and face ointment1 or powder1 are supplied as preventatives to any ill effects from handling explosives4 ,inside the workshops the spirit of reform is equally apparent2 seats are provided where possible1 and lifting-tackle1 or sliding boards1 are introduced to minimize strain when dealing with heavy weights4 ,sometimes1 one hears how such improvements1 suggested for the women employees1 are extended to the men4 ,at a certain engineering works1 for example1 where in pre-war days women had never been employed1 it was suggested by a ,government official that seats should be supplied for the women4 ,the management looked askance4 ,it would be 'such a bad example to the apprentices'1 it was said4 ,the point was1 however1 pressed1 and after a short time the suggestion materialized4 ,the manager then stated1 with surprised satisfaction1 that the seats 'seemed to renew people'1 and he had accordingly extended the improvement to the men4 ,women ,police ,one of the most recent developments in the protection of women in the factories is the employment of women police4 ,in the summer of #aiaf1 when it was found necessary to obtain further control and supervision of the women employees in munitions works1 ,sir ,edward ,henry1 the ,chief ,commissioner of ,police1 recommended that the ,ministry of ,munitions should apply to the ,women ,police ,service for a supply of trained women police4 ,this request has now created an extensive development of such work1 and to-day women police are undertaking numerous duties in munitions works4 ,they check the entry of women into the factory2 examine passports2 search for such contraband as matches1 cigarettes1 and alcohol2 deal with complaints of petty offences2 assist the magistrates at the police court1 and patrol the neighbourhood of the factory with a view to the protection of the women employed4 ,as many of the works have been erected in lonely places1 and as the shifts are worked by night as well as by day1 it can easily be imagined what a safeguard to the young employee is the presence of these female guardians of the peace4 ,even within the precincts of the factory1 the security assured by the patrolling police-women is of great importance1 since many of the factories are built on isolated plots extending perhaps six miles from barrier to barrier1 and within these boundaries women are often employed in isolated huts1 should they be engaged on the production of explosives4 ,the preventive work of the women police is1 in these areas1 incalculable4 ,in such ways1 ,welfare work has taken root in the factories of ,britain1 and in the words of ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george1 'it is a strange irony1 but no small compensation1 that the making of weapons of destruction should afford the occasion to humanize industry4 ,yet such is the case4' ,illustration3 ,,slitting ,,and ,,roughing ,,optical ,,glass ,illustration3 ,,view ,,of ,,canteen ,,kitchen ,illustration3 ,,weighing ,,ferro ,,chrome ,,for ,,analysis ,,chapter ,,vi3 ,,outside ,,welfare ,,recreation--,,motherhood--,,the ,,factory ,,nursery ,recreation ,the gift in the early days of munitions development of several thousands of pounds from an ,indian prince1 the ,maharajah of ,gwalior1 for the benefit of munitions employees1 helped to focus attention from the outset on their needful recreation4 ,the necessity for a maximum output1 bringing in its train long shifts1 overtime1 and a minimum of holidays1 at first left scant leisure at the munition girl's disposal1 yet it was at once apparent that some effort must be made to render that leisure healthful and invigorating4 ,as soon as the ,welfare ,supervisors took up their positions in the factories and came into living touch with the needs of the women employed1 requests found their way to the ,ministry of ,munitions for grants for recreation purposes from the ,maharajah's fund4 ,at first1 'a piano for the recreation-room or canteen' was the more general appeal2 for1 strangely enough1 after the long hours in the engineering shops the normal munitions girl craves most1 not for passive amusement1 such as 'the pictures'1 but for free movements of her own body4 ,above all1 she desires to dance1 or to enjoy the rhythm of physical drill1 or1 in the summer1 to swim or dive1 or to chase a ball in one or other of the popular team games4 ,within doors1 the piano provides1 as it were1 a spring-board from which she can jump into a leisure-time atmosphere of merriment2 it is the send-off to her dance1 the guide to her song1 and the backbone to the joy found in the united action of physical drill4 ,the piano once provided in canteen1 or recreation-room1 you will find the munition girl footing it in the dinner-hour1 or tea-interval1 or in any other period when she is off duty4 ,so long as the tune be bright1 the merry-hearted munition-maker will dance the old dances1 or the more complicated modern steps1 as her mood suggests4 ,from self-taught dancing1 the desire for a more perfect expression in movement is a natural evolution1 and in certain cases grants from the ,maharajah's fund have defrayed the fees of dancing mistress1 or sports instructor4 ,sums from the same source have been paid to assist the organization of a club1 for the provision of a recreation-room1 for the erection of swings and see-saws1 for the installation of a swimming-bath1 for tools and seeds for factory girls' gardens1 for dramatic entertainments1 for lectures for the instruction of apprentices1 and in ,ireland1 for the enlargement of schools for children of women munition workers4 ,side by side with these endeavours1 other efforts to promote sane amusement for munition makers have been fructifying4 ,many an enlightened factory employer1 studying the problem of woman-labour within his own works1 has come to the conclusion that 'if women are called upon to work continuously1 especially at repetition jobs1 their pleasure in life must be kept alive'4 ,being business men1 they have soon turned the theory into practice1 and have encouraged1 started1 and financed recreation schemes for their own employees4 ,in ,sheffield1 for example1 successful dramatic entertainments have been given1 the actors and actresses emerging from the engineering shops2 near ,birmingham1 a firm has provided a cinema1 an orchestra1 and a dancing-room for their workpeople1 and on ,saturday evenings1 free conveyance in an omnibus is arranged for those workers resident in outlying hostels and married quarters4 ,at ,norwich1 another firm has appointed a woman recreation officer to teach the girls physical drill1 dancing1 tennis1 and other games4 ,dances and a fancy-dress ball have been organized there1 and in the summer1 tennis1 bowls1 and cricket are played in a large recreation ground4 ,these are but a few instances1 typical of the growing understanding amongst employers in this country of the value of playtime to a women's staff4 ,outside the factory other agencies have been at work1 voluntarily attempting to provide rest and refreshment for the women whose sacrifices for the war are so great and so patiently endured4 ,such bodies as the ,young ,women's ,christian ,association or local ,civic ,associations have opened recreation clubs--sometimes for girls only and sometimes 'mixed'--where concerts1 dramatic entertainments1 and lectures are given1 and classes in useful arts or games are held4 ,women from the aristocracy and working women1 civic authorities and the clergy1 have joined hands throughout the country to help forward this effort for the physical1 spiritual and intellectual recreation of the munitions worker4 ,the very spontaneity and eagerness of the movement have naturally led here and there to overlapping1 and in the spring of #aiag it was found advisable to co-ordinate local streams of goodwill and energy4 ,a branch of the ,welfare and ,health ,department of the ,ministry of ,munitions was thus established to keep in touch with all agencies outside the factory which deal with schemes regarding recreation1 sickness1 maternity-cases1 creches1 housing1 and transit facilities4 ,extra-mural ,welfare officers have since been appointed to undertake such duties in various localities4 ,these act as liaison officers between existing associations of every denomination in a given district1 and centralize all outside efforts for the protection and relaxation of the munition women of that area4 ,the ,welfare officer at first surveys carefully the needs of the district1 and institutes an inquiry as to provisions for their satisfaction4 ,if necessary1 a conference is then called of individuals and representatives of local bodies dealing with these matters1 and sub-committees are appointed for each part of the work4 ,when the numbers of women workers are comparatively small in a given area and no adequate provision has been made for their recreation1 a central club is often opened4 ,in other localities1 existing clubs1 or institutions1 are adapted to new requirements1 or new ones are added1 according to local needs4 ,where night shifts are worked in the local factories1 it is usual to arrange the open hours of the club to suit the workshop leisure hours4 ,thus1 a club may be open from #f to #h a4m42 at midday1 for two hours1 and again from #d4cj to #i4cj p4m4 ,in such cases1 it is often necessary to employ paid club managers1 as well as local voluntary help4 ,the clubs1 however1 vary1 both in scope and management1 the general principle followed by the ,welfare officer being to ensure provision for recreation1 and then to leave the administration to local effort4 ,encouragement is given by the ,ministry of ,munitions to employers of ,controlled ,establishments and to the management of ,national factories to help forward the movement for recreation for their staffs by allowing ,treasury grants out of excess profits to be made towards approved schemes4 ,in many districts the grants are 'pooled' for recreation purposes for the whole area4 ,recreation for the munition worker thus rests on a secure basis4 ,in the winter months1 dancing1 physical drill1 theatricals1 games1 and classes are in full swing in the principal munitions areas1 and in the summer1 outdoor sports are encouraged1 as well as the tending of vegetable plots and flower gardens4 ,motherhood ,a more difficult task falling to the ',outside ,welfare' officer is the supervision of maternity cases arising among munition workers4 ,the all-important question of motherhood necessarily crops up in the factories where hundreds of thousands of women are in daily employment4 ,numbers of them are wives of men hard at work in war industries at home2 others are war-widows1 and while the illegitimate birth-rate has not gone up disproportionately in munitions areas1 the unmarried mother1 from time to time1 presents a special problem4 ,the care of the expectant mother necessarily begins within the factory gates4 ,we have so far no published conclusions from an authoritative survey of this question1 such as ,dr4 ,bonnaire 7,chief ,professor of ,midwifery at the ,maternity ,hospital1 ,paris7 has provided for ,france1 yet scientific investigations and experiments undertaken by the ,health of ,munition ,workers' ,committee are in progress4 ,as far as possible1 the women ,welfare ,supervisors within the works keep their management informed of maternity cases as they are noted1 and1 where possible1 the expectant mother is placed on lighter work4 ,no woman known to be in that condition is1 after a certain period1 kept on at night work1 nor is she allowed to work in an explosives factory1 nor yet to handle ,t4,n4,t4 ',we send the girl to the doctor and we act on his advice4 ,if we can keep her1 we always take her off night work and heavy machines and where there is a good deal of exertion1' is a report typical of the procedure in such cases in many factories4 ',it is too risky for an expectant mother to stay on at all1' is a characteristic opinion from a ,filling ,factory2 and from a high-explosives factory comes the verdict that an expectant mother should1 after a certain period1 be discharged from the works in view of the occasional occurrence there of small explosions4 ,such maternity cases are1 when possible1 transferred1 through local agencies1 to lighter national work outside the factory4 ,the ,factory ,nursery ,closely connected with the safeguarding of motherhood is the case of the munition workers' children of pre-school age4 ,after two months' interval from the baby's birth1 many of the maternity cases from the factory return to their previous work1 and the infant must1 in the mother's absence1 be nursed by others4 ,a similar condition applies to the work of other mothers whose labour is required for munitions production4 ,it sometimes happens that in a given area the call to the munitions factories has been answered by practically all the available women in the neighbourhood whose home ties are light1 and the local labour reserve is found amongst the women with one or two young children4 ,if these women are to offer their services1 it is essential that their young family should not be neglected4 ,sometimes1 the mothers are able to make their own arrangements and a 'minder'1 either a relative1 or a neighbour1 is forthcoming1 but1 generally speaking1 such a plan is not satisfactory in a locality where every active individual is undertaking urgent war work4 ,thus has arisen in many districts the claim that a nursery for munition workers' children should be established4 ,a local association1 or an individual1 often finds it possible to finance such a scheme2 in other cases1 monetary aid is required and obtained from the ,ministry of ,munitions4 ,in the latter circumstances1 the ,ministry of ,munitions1 co-operating with the ,board of ,education1 grants #ge per cent4 of the approved expenditure on the initial provision and equipment of the nursery1 as well as #g;d4 a day for each attendance of a child1 the balance of the expenses being met partly by fees 7varying from #g;d4 to #as4 a day1 or from #gs4 #f;d4 to #is4 #f;d4 a week7 charged to the mothers1 and partly by contributions from the local originators of the scheme4 ,where night shifts are worked1 the munition workers may claim night accommodation for their children2 arrangements are also made to board the infants by the week4 ,in the schemes approved by the ,ministry it has generally been found possible to adapt existing buildings1 but where no suitable accommodation is available within reasonable distance of the mothers' homes a new building is erected4 ,such a nursery has been erected near ,woolwich and provides a useful model for this country4 ,it is a long low building of bungalow type1 surrounded by a small garden4 ,the main room1 the babies' parlour1 is a long apartment enclosed on two sides by a verandah1 and on the third1 by a wide passage well ventilated at each end4 ,the room itself is full of light and air1 there is plenty of play room1 and no awkward corners to inflict bruises unawares4 ,a lengthy crawl brings a baby-boarder into the sunshine of the verandah and the safe seclusion of its play-pens1 and a longer crawl and a hop is rewarded by entrance into the surrounding garden1 where a delectable sand-pit is a permanent feature4 ,brightly-coloured flowers enliven the garden in spring and in summer and attract bird and insect visitors1 companions often more interesting to a two-year-old than the most sprightly of humans4 ,mattresses occupy part of the floor space of the nursery1 and at night-time are developed into full-fledged beds4 ,at one end of the room are cupboards let into the walls1 at the other1 furniture fashioned for the needs of each 'two feet nothing'4 ,there1 instead of being perched on a high chair to feed with giants from an elevated table-land1 the infant visitor sits on a miniature arm-chair at a table brought to the level of childhood4 ,the low tables are1 in fact1 kidney-shaped and hollowed on the inside1 so that a nurse1 or attendant1 seated in the centre1 may feed half a dozen children in turn4 ,the toddler's dinner in this retreat recalls the feeding time in a nest4 ,a smiling nurse in the centre feeds1 turn by turn1 her open-mouthed charges whose satisfaction is expressed in human 'coos'4 ,another room in this delightful babies' house is devoted to infants3 a brigade in cots1 of which the advance-guard1 during fine weather1 invade the verandah4 ,the daintiness of the room with its blue curtains and cot-hangings and the chubby satisfaction of the cot-dwellers must be a constant inspiration to the visiting working mothers4 ,spotless kitchens for the preparation of the children's meals are situated in the rear of the nurseries2 there is also an isolation room where suspect infectious cases are detained1 and a laundry with an indefatigable laundress4 ,the bathing room1 fitted with modern appliances1 is in many respects excellent4 ,the whole establishment is warmed by a central-heating installation1 the radiators being well protected with guards4 ,it may not always be possible1 through lack of funds1 to reproduce these ideal conditions1 but where the accommodation is less and the ground space more limited1 every care is taken that the factory nursery shall have an ample provision of fresh air4 ,efforts are also made to obtain as much local support as possible4 ,in some districts1 the whole of the clothing provided at the nursery is made by the little girls from a neighbouring ,elementary ,school4 ,at ,acton1 ,middlesex1 for example1 ,i was shown piles of the daintiest little underwear1 diminutive shoes and charming cotton frocks1 all made in the sewing classes at their school1 by pupils of eleven to thirteen years of age4 ,the boys of the local manual schools--not to be outdone--contributed to this nursery all the carpentry for the cots for the elder babies4 ,these small beds1 fashioned out of hessian cloth1 swung on long broom poles1 with a wooden board at head and foot1 seemed of a particularly economical and practical pattern4 ,the factory nursery is certainly gaining popularity as a war-time measure2 as a permanency in peace times it is recognized that there are some objections to its establishment4 ,an alternative scheme1 even in the war period1 is being mooted4 ,the suggestion is made that babies should be 'billeted'1 or boarded out in the munitions area amongst women who are not employed outside their home4 ,supervision of the baby boarders1 it is thought1 might be undertaken by inspectors under the ,local ,authority4 ,this scheme might1 it is true1 largely prevent the congregation of many children in one nursery and the resultant danger of the spread of contagious infantile disease4 ,on the other hand1 the proposal1 if accepted1 might open the doors to overcrowding in thickly populated areas and to the neglect of the baby boarder1 undetected by a local inspectorate1 already overstrained by war-time conditions4 ,the scheme is1 however1 only at the discussion stage1 as ,i write4 ,in any case1 the care of the munition workers' children is attracting considerable public attention1 since in spite of the war1 or because of it1 the importance of the health and well-being of the ordinary individual1 and more especially of the young1 is becoming part of the creed of the average citizen4 ,,chapter ,,vii3 ,,growth ,,of ,,the ,,industrial ,,canteen ,,general ,,principles--,,the ,,worker',s ,,oasis ',money hardly counts2 it is labour we have to consider nowadays'1 recently remarked the managing director of a large munitions works4 ,it is this new conception that has given impetus to the development of the industrial canteen1 now a feature of the munitions factory4 ,in the opinion of ,mr4 ,john ,hodge1 ,m4,p41 ,minister of ,pensions1 who since the war has acted for a long period as ,minister of ,labour1 canteens in the engineering shops were 'necessary from the start'1 and one of the earliest investigations of the ,health of ,munition ,workers' ,committee was on the subject of the provision of employees' meals4 ,the results of the inquiry are embodied in three valuable ,white ,papers4#b ,i have since been into many canteens connected with munitions works1 and so far ,i have not met a factory manager who has regretted their introduction4 ,yet1 only three or four years ago1 the average employer would have told you that a dinner brought by a worker in a newspaper1 or tied up in a red handkerchief1 stored in the works1 heated anywhere1 and eaten near the machines1 was 'quite all right'3 and1 as for the boys in the factory1 it was considered shameful to 'coddle them'2 if necessary1 a factory lad should 'eat his dinner on a clothes line'4 ,to-day1 when the utmost ounce of energy is needed from man and woman1 and boy and girl1 wherever munitions production is concerned1 it is recognized that the quality and quantity of the workers' food matters1 and that even the surroundings where the meal is partaken of counts in the conservation of the essential reserve of human energy and power of will4 ,thus1 the best type of industrial canteen is designed not only 'to feed the brute'1 but to rest his mind4 ,this is especially the case in certain ,filling ,factories1 where immunity from ill-effects from the handling of ,t4,n4,t4 has been found to depend largely on the physical fitness of the workers4 ,in such factories1 as well as in establishments where women are employed on night shifts1 the provision of canteens is obligatory on employers and1 indeed1 recent legislation 7the ,police1 ,factories1 c4 7,miscellaneous ,provisions7 ,act1 #aiaf7 has empowered the ,home ,secretary to require the occupiers of workshops and factories to make arrangements1 where necessary1 for the supply of meals for their employees4 ,in the stress of warfare1 when the demand for a maximum output is necessarily the pre-occupation of the factory manager1 it was1 however1 recognized that the canteen must be ,state-aided4 ,a ,canteen ,committee was therefore appointed under the ,central ,control ,board 7,liquor ,traffic74 ,the work of this committee is twofold3 it aids the factory management to open its own canteen or canteens1 and it supervises and helps approved dining-rooms managed by voluntary bodies4 ,in the first case1 the expense for any necessary canteen is entirely borne by the ,government1 if the factory is a ',national' one4 ,in ,controlled ,establishments1 the employer is allowed to charge the cost of the canteen as 'a trade expense'1 a concession by which the ,state practically bears the expense out of funds which would otherwise reach the ,exchequer4 ,in the case of canteens provided by voluntary bodies1 such as the ,young ,men's ,christian ,association1 the ,young ,women's ,christian ,association1 the ,church ,army1 the ,salvation ,army1 the ,national ,people's ,palace ,association1 ,ltd41 c41 the ,board pays half the capital expenditure1 where approved4#c ,illustration3 ,,balsming ,,lenses ,illustration3 ,,making ,,instrument ,,scales ,the efforts of these voluntary bodies have been of the utmost service1 especially at the outset of munitions production on a vast scale1 when the factory proprietors1 or directors1 were unable to devote even a fraction of their time to matters not obviously connected with output4 ,the devotion of the unpaid workers in the voluntary canteen has through the turmoil of war hardly received due recognition1 but it is no less than that of the nurses in the military hospitals1 or of the munitions workers themselves4 ,women of aristocratic families1 accustomed to personal service from a large staff of domestic servants1 and entirely unused to physical labour1 as well as women hard-worked in their own homes or in livelihood occupations1 have1 since the need of the canteen was declared1 come1 by day and by night1 to undertake the arduous duties of cooking and scrubbing for vast numbers of working-people4 ,mr4 ,punch's delightful illustration1 ',war1 the ,leveller'1 where the rough scullery-maid from the slums is depicted issuing the emphatic order to the well-bred marchioness1 ',nah then1 ,lady ,montgummery ,wilberforce1 'urry up with them plates'1#d is by no means a fancy picture of the hither side of canteen-life4 ,in one factory1 substantial meals have been provided daily by #ag voluntary assistants for some #a1bjj workers2 in another locality1 the food of #b1jjj to #c1jjj munitions employees has been arranged by #bc volunteers2 and in another establishment1 #f1jjj workers have been provided with standing-up refreshments by #ag voluntary helpers4 ,the rapid growth of the canteen system during the past fifteen months1 accompanied by the increasing difficulties of catering for vast numbers under war-time conditions1 has1 however1 led to the transference of numbers of voluntary canteens to the care of the factory management4 ,general ,principles ,industrial canteens differ from one another in many respects1 partly because there was at first no fund of common experience in this country from which to draw1 and partly because hours of work1 tastes and customs in industrial areas vary considerably4 ,hence1 methods of administration and catering1 found possible or popular in one canteen1 are sometimes a complete failure when tried in other districts4 ,in one canteen1 with a seating capacity for #b1jjj women1 ,i found that three gallons of pickles were sold in pennyworths daily2 in another district1 the popular taste ran in the direction of jam tarts4 ,yet1 even with the small store of experience so far accumulated1 certain general principles at least as regards site1 construction1 equipment1 and administration of the canteen have been evolved4 ,for instance1 as regards site1 a gloomy dining-room is never popular4 ,if possible1 a garden outlook should be arranged1 and at the least1 the canteen walls should be of a restful colour4 ,it seems obvious that if pictures are introduced1 they should be varied and bright1 yet ,i have seen one canteen of which the walls were covered at intervals with reproductions of the same uninteresting print4 ,another obvious point1 too often neglected1 is the insurance of good ventilation in canteen and kitchen4 ,the dining-room should1 if possible1 provide separate accommodation for men and women1 and should have a buffet-bar and serving-counter with separate hatchments for different items of the menu4 ,again1 it is a matter of common consent that the 'ticket system' of payment for the food handed over the counter is the best4 ,ticket-offices1 where the 'checks' are obtainable for cash1 should be carefully placed with regard to entrance doors1 serving-counters and dining-tables1 so that the minimum time is expended in preliminaries by a clientele who has but a strict dinner-hour at its disposal4 ,in a well-organized canteen ,i have seen over a thousand workers seated and served within ten minutes of the announcement of the dinner-hour within the factory shops4 ,in the larger canteens1 developments1 as may be expected1 run chiefly along the lines of labour-saving appliances4 ,electric washing-up machines1 electric bacon-cutters1 as well as electric bread-cutters1 tea-measuring machines1 counter hot-closets for warming food brought by employees may now be seen in many kitchens where the needs of thousands of diners must be considered4 ,but it is perhaps in the smaller concerns that the development of the industrial canteen is most assured4 ,experiments can there be more easily tried1 and if necessary1 discarded1 where the customers are counted by hundreds1 rather than by thousands4 ,from a tour of canteens1 ,i select a couple of such instances4 ,the other day ,i happened1 during the dinner-hour1 to be in a new munitions factory concerned with the production of magnetos1 aero-engines1 electric switches1 and so on1 work undertaken by men and women1 boys and girls4 ,the manager of this works has studied the labour question up and down the country1 and has set down his conclusions1 not on minute sheets1 but in the bricks and mortar of new buildings1 in green lawns and flower beds bright with colour1 and in allotments round his shops4 ,the ,worker's ,oasis ,the canteen is a feature of the place4 ,it stands apart from the factory1 a long low building1 one side looking on to a tennis court and the other on to homely but delightful vegetable plots4 ,the workers' dining-room is divided down the centre3 one side for the men1 the other for the women4 ,a serving-table1 but no partition-wall1 separates it from the kitchen1 which1 in its turn1 is divided by further serving-tables from mess-rooms for the engineers and staff employees4 ,the kitchen1 in reality a series of ovens1 stoves1 and steamers1 is a revelation of labour-saving appliances1 heated by electricity4 ,on the day of my visit there was not the slightest odour of cooking from these various utensils1 although hot meals for some #bej persons were in preparation4 ,the factory hooter 'buzzed'4 ,the dinner hour1 the workers' oasis1 had arrived1 yet there was no clatter of dishes1 or bustle of serving-maids1 in the canteens4 ,an atmosphere of repose was as manifest as in a well-appointed reception-room of some stately ,english home4 ,the workers evidently react to these conditions1 and standing at the back of the kitchen ,i was quite unaware of the diner's entry4 ',when do the people come in8' ,i asked from my shelter behind a huge steamer where puddings were rising to the occasion4 ',a hundred men are already seated and served'1 was the amazing reply4 ,they had entered through a side door leading out of the garden1 had there purchased a 'check' for the value of the dinner required1 and presenting the 'check' at the serving-counter1 had received their portion1 piping hot from the hot shelves fitted beneath4 ,picking up the necessary cutlery from an adjoining table1 the customers had seated themselves at any special small marble-topped table of their fancy4 ,waitresses1 some voluntary workers garbed in rose-coloured overalls and mob-caps1 and some staff employees in white or blue uniforms1 moved about amongst the tables1 supplying small wants4 ,through the open windows floated the scent of hay and flowers2 it seemed almost ludicrous to connect the scene with war and the manufacture of its engines of destruction4 ,the quality of the food was excellent and the variety great4 ,a dinner hour spent in such a canteen is a refreshment to both body and soul of the employees4 ,in another instance1 the firm have handed over the canteen and its management to a workers' committee upon which the managing director also sits4 ,i noticed in this canteen various devices worthy of imitation1 where catering is undertaken for large numbers4 ,the method adopted1 for example1 of dividing the serving-counter into hatchments for the various items on the menu1 and separating by rails the floor-space in front of each compartment1 seems to economize both the time and patience of the customers4 ,the note of economy with efficiency is emphasized in this1 as in many canteens1 and ,i was shown with pride some 'little brothers' on an adjoining piece of land--pigs that were fattening on the canteen 'waste'4 ,these developments1 started in munitions areas during the urgency of warfare1 will1 without doubt1 have permanent importance in the days of peace1 and it is probable that the munition workers' canteen1 doubtingly adopted by employers some two years ago1 is symptomatic of a revolution in the home life of the industrial worker1 as well as of new methods of economy in the national supply of fuel and food4 ,,chapter ,,viii3 ,,housing ,,billeting--,,temporary ,,accommodation--,,permanent ,,accommodation ,of the indirect problems arising from a prolific output of munitions the most acute has undoubtedly been the affair of the housing of the workers4 ,the opening of a new factory1 or the conversion of existing works to the needs of the ,state1 often involve the transference of thousands of workers1 and in some cases the districts to which the stream of immigration is directed are already congested1 and already suffering from inadequate housing accommodation4 ,in one town in the ,north1 for example1 the population has since #aiad increased by immigration from #af1jjj to #ce1jjj2 in another town1 where the #aiaa census showed a population of #ajg1hba1 an unexaggerated estimate gives the figure for the end of #aiag as #abj1jjj2 in other munition areas a similar inflation of population has taken place4 ,the housing problem has been further complicated by the almost total prohibition of building during the war period1 save for ,government purposes4 ,the effect of these conditions in the early days of the war was1 as may be imagined1 highly unsatisfactory to the residents in certain munition areas1 as well as to the immigrant work-people4 ,overcrowding became rife2 lodgers were at the mercy of unscrupulous landladies1 and all the evils associated with bad housing conditions began to make their appearance4 ,then the ,ministry of ,munitions came to grips with the question1 and although it remains a thorny subject1 the activities of the ,department may be fairly said to have accomplished a miracle in some areas in the housing of the munition workers4 ,the infinite variety of local conditions1 as well as the humanness of the workers1 obviously complicate the matter1 and while it has been found possible to synthesize the factory system of a given area1 no stereotyped regulations can conceivably be produced to cover the accommodation of its employees4 ,the problem is therefore attacked piece-meal1 each local proposition being decided on its own merits4 ,a broad guiding principle has1 however1 been educed wherever the housing situation occasioned by the output of munitions demands ,state intervention4 ,in the first place1 it is decided whether the needed accommodation can be met in part1 or altogether1 by existing houses--a system now sanctioned by the ,billeting ,act of ,may #aiag4 ,secondly1 when it is found necessary to provide further housing room1 consideration is given as to whether new buildings shall be of a temporary or of a permanent type4 ,billeting ,chronologically1 an authorized system of billeting munition workers has been the latest development in the ,state housing schemes1 but even in the early days of the war this arrangement existed in embryo4 ,local committees were then appointed which1 with the aid of the ,employment ,bureaux1 compiled lists of suitable lodgings for immigrant women workers4 ,from the earliest war period1 too1 provision was made to meet young women new-comers at railway stations and to place them1 if necessary1 in temporary unimpeachable lodgings1 until permanent accommodation was available4 ,this scheme has now developed into the regularized activities of a ,billeting ,board 7established ,august #aiag71 working under powers given by the ,billeting ,act4 ,under this enactment1 compulsory billeting is provided for1 but in practice is not adopted1 sufficient facilities having so far been forthcoming from voluntary sources4 ,the ,billeting ,board works in hearty co-operation with local authorities and individuals1 and has met with extraordinary success4 ,in the first instance1 two executive members of the ,board proceed to a congested munitions area and1 with local aid1 institute an inquiry as to whether billeting can be successfully carried out4 ,in such areas as the ,clyde1 or ,woolwich1 billeting would1 for example1 be out of the question1 but in other localities1 such as ,barrow and ,hereford1 where public opinion ran that there was no further accommodation even for a stray cat1 the ,board has yet found suitable billets for #ijj persons in ,barrow and #a1bjj in ,hereford4 ,the question of transit1 it is true1 is intimately connected with the housing problem1 and through the action of the ,billeting ,board it has in many cases been possible to remove difficulties of locomotion1 and hence to bring further accommodation within reach of the factories4 ,the ,board has also been enabled to form local committees on which sit representatives of each housing interest 7e4 g4 landlady1 locality1 lodger71 and it has authority to recover rent from defaulting tenants4 ,these1 and other powers1 have resulted in throwing many additional apartments on to the market4 ,yet difficulties remain in the administration of the ,act in that the industrial workers are under no discipline such as that applied to soldiers1 and there is no local authority to compel a munitions worker either to go into a given billet1 or to remain there when placed4 ,the goodwill of the locality and of the employees has1 however1 been so great that the system works smoothly1 and from ,august #aiag to ,december #ca1 #aiag1 #c1jjj to #e1jjj munition workers have been placed in existing houses4 ,in a congested district where lodging accommodation is exhausted1 the ,billeting ,board reports on the need for further houses1 and at such centres as ,barrow and ,lincoln new houses are now being erected on their recommendation4 ,temporary ,accommodation ,excluding the utilization of local lodgings and the adaptation of existing buildings such as ,poor-,law structures1 ,elementary ,schools1 charitable institutions1 three distinct types of provisional accommodation for munition workers have made their appearance3 temporary cottages1 hostels1 and colonies4 ,the temporary cottage corresponds fairly closely to the ordinary type of permanent industrial cottage1 save that the former is built of wood or concrete and is usually one story instead of two2 it contains three to five rooms1 and is rented on the basis of about #es4 #f;d4 to #gs4 #f;d4 per week for a three-roomed abode4 ,generally speaking1 these rooms are allocated to married rather than to single women2 sometimes the wife1 as well as the husband1 works in the neighbouring factory1 but more usually the wife1 housed in the temporary cottage1 remains at home1 housekeeping for the man worker4 ,the unmarried girls and women workers in crowded districts are generally accommodated in hostels1 or in colonies1 the term used for a group of hostels4 ,the hostel1 which is designed to accommodate from #cj to #ajj persons1 is provided with its own kitchen1 dining-room1 and common-room1 and to a certain extent life therein approximates to that of a large family4 ,the ,colony1 or group of hostels1 has been found convenient where a large number of women must be housed4 ,each hostel1 or hutment1 in the group is arranged for the sleeping accommodation of #ajj-acj persons1 the dormitories being divided into cubicles 7some single1 some double71 accommodation for bath-rooms being always made in these dormitory blocks4 ,under the ,colony system1 meals are usually partaken of in a separate building or buildings4 ,the residents from all the hutments also meet in the recreation-room and in the laundry1 common to all4 ,experience1 however1 teaches that each hostel should have its own common room and that a ,colony should not shelter very large numbers4 ,about #ejj girls1 in five hostels1 seems to be the ideal number for effective home-making1 yet we have large housing schemes for the accommodation of many thousands which are at present answering their purpose as a war-time measure4 ,for the management of the ,colony an exceptionally capable lady superintendent is needed1 into whose hands usually falls the selection of the hutment matrons and their staffs1 as well as the canteen managers and their subordinates4 ,in the most developed ,colonies a recreation officer is often appointed4 ,i recall a visit to one of the largest ,colonies for munition workers in the ,midlands4 ,the scheme embraces the housing and feeding of some #f1jjj women1 drawn from every part of the ,united ,kingdom1 indeed1 possibly from every corner of the ,empire4 ,the staff1 in all1 comprises some #cjj persons4 ,perfect harmony reigned1 and the girls seemed thoroughly at home in their novel surroundings4 ,each girl can claim a separate cubicle1 which is divided from the adjoining compartment by a wall and door4 ,here and there1 indeed1 the arrangement was varied and two friends--terrified at sleeping alone--had secured permission to pool their bedrooms and to arrange a double sleeping-room and dressing-room4 ,the cubicle system is1 notwithstanding1 much appreciated by the woman1 who1 working in company of hundreds of her fellows1 and sharing perhaps a common life for the first time1 rejoices in the possession of some spot in which to express her inner self4 ,in some cubicles in that ,colony a desire for beauty asserted itself and the walls were gay with prints from illustrated papers2 in others1 dainty coloured curtains had been introduced and the locker was covered with a cloth to match4 ,in another room1 the owner had evidently a taste for embroidery1 and all the toilet accessories bore this feminine touch4 ,but1 generally speaking1 the chief feature ,i noticed in that1 as well as in other ,colonies where the cubicle system prevails1 was the cleanliness and order of the apartments4 ,a taste for purity is infectious1 and it is unlikely that girls1 having once come under an influence that induces them to leave their sleeping apartment immaculate before going to work before dawn1 will ever again tolerate slum conditions4 ,the many problems involved in the housing of these girls of various types are indeed almost lost sight of by the visitor1 but1 as a lady superintendent once reminded me1 there are difficulties inherent in the job4 ,some girls will arrive with uncleanly habits1 even when the medical officer has sorted out those unclean in person2 others will1 at first1 show signs of violent antipathies and strange fears1 and there is always the need for upholding an atmosphere of religious and racial toleration4 ,in the ,midlands ,colony a system has been adopted of placing the bedrooms of girls from one part of the ,united ,kingdom in the same corridor1 the ,irish in one wing1 the ,scotch in another1 and so on1 but in the other parts of the country ,i have found perfect harmony where such classification is not observed4 ,illustration3 ,,painting ,a ,,ship',s ,,side ,,in ,,dry ,,dock ,illustration3 ,,general ,,view ,,of ,,women ,,at ,,work ,,on ,,aircraft ,,fabric ,illustration3 ,,the ,,canteen ,the feeding of the hostel residents presents its own difficulties1 especially in these days of war4 ,in some hostels and colonies1 such as the one in the ,midlands1 the residents take their meals in their own canteen2 it being possible to supply the needs of a shift in the interval from work4 ,in other hostels1 arrangements are made by which meals can be had either at the hostel or the factory canteen4 ,in these days of fluctuating food prices1 it is difficult to indicate the cost of up-keep of a munition-workers' hostel1 but1 in general1 it has not been found practicable to put the hostel on an entirely self-supporting basis4 ,this is especially the case in the ,government establishments1 where the return on expended capital is at present only sought in increased munitions output4 ,permanent ,accommodation ,at first sight1 the provision of temporary accommodation alone may appear the obvious method for the housing of munition workers4 ,cheaper and more rapid construction is obtainable by this method1 and existing buildings may be adapted4 ,but if1 in an area of pre-war housing shortage1 there is good prospect of permanent manufacturing activity1 it is more often decided that permanent1 rather than temporary1 structures are provided4 ,it may be of interest to note the methods that have been adopted by the ,state in the provision of permanent accommodation4 ,these may be detailed under four heads3 #a4 ,in a certain number of cases loans have been made to ,public ,utility ,societies for the construction of dwellings for munition workers4 ,such loans are conditioned after the manner already made familiar to the public by ,garden ,suburb and other ,associations4 #b4 ,loans have been made directly to certain individual firms to enable them to house their immigrant employees4 ,these loans have been issued at the current rate of interest--usually #e per cent4--and run1 generally speaking1 for a period of forty years4 #c4 ,in a few exceptional cases1 certain private firms--now ,controlled ,establishments--are permitted to charge a part of the increase on the cost of building 7due to war conditions7 to that portion of the firm's profits which would otherwise have gone to the ,exchequer4 #d4 ,a contribution is1 in some instances1 made by the ,state to certain local authorities of a part of the capital cost of building4 ,in all cases this contribution is less than the estimated increase due to war conditions4 ,the type of permanent building erected by such means is that which characterizes many of our newer industrial districts1 namely a two-story brick cottage1 containing two or three bedrooms1 a living-room and a kitchen1 a bath1 in some cases a bath-room4 ,sometimes a complete village or township has arisen1 as it were from the earth1 to shelter the working population who have so willingly left their homes to further the common cause by land and sea4 ,in another instance1 a large ,national factory has been erected on an isolated waste in the ,north country4 ,the workers come from long distances1 and not only need accommodation1 but some reasonable provision for recreation and the amenities of life4 ,beyond the great high road sweeping on to ,scotland1 some one- or two-roomed cottages1 a village shop or two1 and a few more imposing residences there was1 in ,june #aiae1 nothing but bogland in the immediate neighbourhood of the site of this new factory4 ,the landscape presented a view of coarse grass and brackish water2 beyond that1 beach and sea1 and a horizon bounded by rugged mountains1 capped in winter by snow4 ,it needed courage1 as well as genius1 to undertake the transformation of such a desolate waste into surroundings which should offer a lure to industrial workers4 ,but the work has been done in silence1 quickly as well as efficiently1 with imagination1 as well as thoroughness1 and with an eye to the future destiny of the place4 ,by ,july #aiae1 the first huts were occupied1 and by ,december #aiag1 when ,i was a privileged visitor1 there had arisen a thriving busy township and a village some five miles beyond4 ,excellent railway communication between township1 village1 and factory has been established1 many good roads have been built1 there are permanent cottages1 churches1 a school1 shops1 a staff club1 an institute1 a large entertainment hall1 a cinema house1 and a central kitchen1 providing cooked meals for all the workers in the factories1 and raw food-stuff for hostels and huts4 ,little gardens surround the houses big and small1 temporary or permanent1 and allotments are in great request1 and there is also provision for outdoor recreation1 such as bowls1 tennis1 cricket1 c4 ,the permanent brick cottages are built in blocks of twelve1 which are now thrown together to form a hostel4 ,the construction is so planned that ultimately these cottages can be re-separated for family use4 ,there is housing accommodation for over #f1jjj women operators1 which was practically all in use4 ,the task of supervising the home conditions of this army of women falls into the hands of a lady ,welfare ,superintendent1 who keeps all the complicated machinery of hostels1 huts1 and lodgings in running order4 ,the possibilities in the housing of industrial women away from their own homes have1 ,i believe1 never been so clearly demonstrated as in this town on the marshes4 ,the lady superintendent who has pioneered this movement is of the opinion that its success is bound up with the fact that the hostels are limited to the accommodation of from #gj to #ajj girls in each4 ,other key-notes to the prevailing happiness of the women residents are1 ,i gathered1 that a minimum number of rules are enforced and that the women are treated as responsible human beings4 ,the elder women are often housed in bungalows under the care of a housekeeper-cook1 and they greatly enjoy the greater independence and the appeal to their individuality possible in such surroundings4 ,the hostels1 at the time of my visit1 were in most hospitable mood4 ,it was the eve of ,christmas1 and festivities1 tempered to war-time needs1 were the order of the day4 ,the sound of a piano and singing outside a certain hostel suggested a frolic within4 ,we entered1 the lady superintendent and myself4 ,the lower floor had been converted into reception-rooms and supper was laid out on tables decorated with spoils from the hedge4 ,gleaming red berries and glistening holly-leaves were on walls and brackets and here and there a sprig of mistletoe placed in suitable places for 'auld lang syne'4 ,there were present young men1 as well as girls1 and a lively game1 'the ,duke of ,york'1 was in progress4 ,suddenly the singing and accompaniment came to a sudden halt and the whole of the company trouped in from adjoining rooms4 ,a young girl came forward4 ',we wish to take this opportunity'1 she said1 'of thanking our matron and our secretary for the most happy time we have had under this roof4 ,we do it now because we hope not to be here next year1 but instead to be welcoming our boys home from the ,front'4 ,it was a simple1 spontaneous expression of the general emotion of the hostel residents in that area4 ,everywhere ,i found a similar joy of life among the workers3 in the ,institute clubs1 where both girls and men were reading1 studying1 singing1 and dancing2 in the cinema hall1 where the ever-popular 'movies' were taking place2 and in the big recreation hall1 where a weekly 'social' was being held4 ,there1 two girls provided the band1 to which other girls danced with girls1 or with men in khaki1 or with factory workers in civilian dress4 ,there was a healthy comradeship between girls and men and1 when the hour of parting came there were leave-takings of which no one could be ashamed4 ,laughter and jollity in plenty1 and snatches of song up and down the darkened streets1 as group after group found its way home1 but self-respect and dignity noticeably present4 ,in a new town1 emerging during the hurry and bustle of the war1 amongst new occupations1 at which women needs must wear a masculine costume1 we have at least accomplished this3 that the spirit of home-life1 of joy1 and of love has not been discouraged3 rather has it been fostered1 or rekindled1 in these unaccustomed homes provided by the ,state4 ,indeed1 many of the girls passing through this strange war-time adventure have assuredly gained by their pilgrimage precisely in those qualities most needed by the wives and mothers of the rising generation4 ,it was an inspiring glimpse into a new industrial world1 a portent1 maybe1 of the time to come4 ,the words of a golden sonnet welled up3 ,then felt ,i like some watcher of the skies ,when a new planet swims into his ken2 ,or like stout ,cortez when1 with eagle eyes1 ,he stared at the ,pacific--and all his men ,looked at each other with a wild surmise-- ,silent1 upon a peak in ,darien4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,welfare work has since been officially extended to factories other than those engaged in munitions production by ,clause #g of the ,police1 ,factories1 c4 7,miscellaneous ,provisions7 ,act 7#aiaf74 #b ,health of ,munition ,workers ,committee1 ,memorandum ,no4 #c1 ,report on ,industrial ,canteens 7,cd4 #hacc72 ,memorandum ,no4 #f1 ,appendix to ,memorandum ,no4 #c1 ,canteen ,construction and ,equipment 7,cd4 #haii72 ,memorandum ,no4 #ai1 ,investigation of ,workers' ,food and ,suggestions as to ,dietary3 ,report by ,leonard ,e4 ,hill1 ,m4,b41 ,f4,r4,s4 7,cd4 #hgih74 #c ,a ,food ,section of the ,ministry of ,munitions has since been established to carry on the work of the ,central ,control ,board 7,liquor ,traffic74 #d ,punch1 ,september #f1 #aiaf4