Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 223, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1917 — Women to Replace Men in Industry [ARTICLE]

Women to Replace Men in Industry

The only method of solving the labor shortage here is the solution which was accepted by. Europe. Gradually women will be more and more drafted into industries.- In England over 7,000 went out to harvest the crops. Into every industry they swarmed night and day to keep the wheels going. However, we must profit by the bitter experience that England and France suffered when they overworked their women and even their children. We must protect our women from a universal breakdown by providing proper conditions- wages. Only thus will we be able to get the full output from the woman worker without injury to her. It is interesting to note that the army and navy have lately announced that wherever woman applicants can take the place of men m the routine work they will be given the preference. This is significant of the tendency in other departments. It is also the tendency of the big manufacturers and merchants. Banks have replaced their clerks with women railroads have put in woman operators, munitions plants are training women so as to gradually release their men for service. Women have proved in France and England that they are courageous and eager to bear their share in war. We did not think of women as soldiers yet the recent example of the Russian women’s legion has thrilled’those watching for Russia to find herself as one of the most interesting factors.