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Women in Industry.
i effect on national health.
. At the monthly meeting of the National
Council of Women last night, Mr. H. M.
Murphy, Secretary of Labor, and Mr. L.
I Neil made some interesting statements re-
\ garaing women in industry. When con
scription was introduced in England it was
; discovered that only one man in ton was
! capable of handling a rifle, the direct re-
| of the physical impoverishment of
! their mothers through working in fac-
. torics. Here in Victoria there are 94,000
factory wompu. Out of every seven factory
hands, four are women. There are pioneer
employers here who are introducing ideal
; conditions for their workpeople, and who
tet good and contented workers, worthy
. "f their higher pay, aud who in return
give a better 'output and do not contem-
: striking. If equal pay for equal work
were introduced, all well-iuformod opinion
greed that women would be displaced by
nieu, excepting where payment was given
tor piece work.
Mr. Neil contended that a great
economic mistake was made by giving
higher wages for. subsidiary, non-wealth-
jiroducmg wdrk than for wealth-creating
industry. Hundreds of parents besieged
Dig arms for positions for their daughters
M typists, counter hands or for cash desks,
wane in the factories work was starving
: tu, assistants. The roason was
' / to. cer week more was
the fixed rate of wage for. the non-nro-
iu w g u er%the position reversed
; ,it would be better for all.- There was a
! the, CllaI?lber f Manufactures
, | Mthm the past week to decide the hour
, of woman workers. After, it had been
i moved and seconded that 48 hours per
week- should be the standard time, the
. speaker moved that 45 hours should rule
Me gave his reasons and his own exneril
ce» with the result that the amendment
' and at the conclusion of the
i meeting there was only one dissentient in
;< a body Of 50 or 60 strong. UppW)
i| Much industrial unrest would disappear 'if
employers anticipated the needs of their
; i workpeople and gave what was just before
1 1 it was demanded of them..
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