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WOMEN'S INTERESTS.
War - Time Jobs For Australian
Women.
By "Penelope."
IT is becoming increasingly evident that there are many jobs
in Australia, hitherto rightly regarded as suitable only for
men, which young active women in the exceptional circum-
stances of war could successfully undertake. One sees every-
where girls willing and anxious to take positions, not only to
assist war service work which they are very willing to do in
voluntary capacities, but also to assist in the maintenance of
essential civilian services.
THE enlistment of large
numbers of tramway
employees on the Mainland re-
cently, drew the suggestion that
women might be trained for tram
driving and other similar work. Some
men considered that such work was
not within women's capabilities and
their views produced letters in the
Press from English women resident in
Australia, one of whom had driven a
motor - bus along a busy London route
during the last war, and others who
recalled the work of French women
tram drivers. It may be argued that
it would be unsatisfactory to offer
such work to girls who might leave
positions where their services were
more necessary. Such cases could
soon be investigated and adjusted, and
there are doubtless many girls either
not working or who could be spared
by employers. We know that before
this war is over we will all have to
carry an additional burden, and many
women will be doing more than their
own share of work, and indeed many
are already doing so. Thus they can
release not only men but women for
other necessary work. British women
won their spurs during the 1914-8 con-
flict. We in Australia must not be
sheltered, and the idea of women doing
such work as tram driving or any
work for which men are no longer
available should not, and no doubt will
not, be repudiated.
It is interesting to note that in a
recent address in Melbourne entitled
"The Medical Profession and the
War," Major - General R. M. Downes,
Director - General of Medical Services,
anticipated that the time would come
when the Australian Army Corps
would employ women doctors. He
commented that conservative old Eng-
land was well ahead of Australia in
the admission of women to the Army,
for they were accepted as cooks, mess
waitresses, and officers' orderlies. He
also remarked that members of the
regular nursing profession seemed to
be the most militant members of the
community, and stated that over 3,000
trained nurses had volunteered for
service. It was hard in the present
war to divide combatants and non-
combatants, but he pointed out that
if all the nurses who wanted to go
were taken, the civilian services would
be severely depleted.
The necessity for registering with
the Women's Voluntary National Re-
gister cannot be too greatly urged upon
all women in the community, and the
meeting called for next Monday by
the Lady Mayoress (Mrs. J. Soundy),
who is president of that organisation, is
an excellent step in regard to the ex-
tension of women's air training in Ho-
bart. I understand the aim of a wo-
men's air service is the encouragement
of women to train in such branches of
air service ground work as mechanics,
telegraphy, canteen and clerical work,
and thus to provide women who could
take over such work and release men
for defence duties. No girls who are
V.A.Ds. or engaged in work for which
Good News
For V.A.Ds.
their services are more necessary will
be taken, but no doubt other girls will
be able to interest themselves in the
corps in the week - ends and evenings
when they are free from their work. A
room which will serve as an office and
headquarters has already been procured
In Macquarie St. The organisation has
been functioning for about three
months in the North, and it is hoped
that the South will eventually have a
voluntary corps of 100 women with
some experience of ground work.
TWO strokes of good fortune
have befallen member of
Hobart Voluntary Aid Detachments re-
cently. Mr. H. C. Orbell has made a
room and telephone available to them
in a city build-
ing for the
duration of the
war, and the
Acting Con-
troller for
V.A.Ds. (Mrs.
J. R. O. Har-
ris) has re-
ceived information from the military
authorities that V.A.Ds. will in future
be permitted to drive military vehicles
at certain periods, thus, of course, re-
leasing men for other duties. Stipu-
lations are that the girls shall have
had one year's driving experience, and
many must have their eyes tested.
Many V.A.Ds. aeo only available for
driving during Saturdays and Sundays,
but no doubt a list of girls able to
undertake duties at various times will
be compiled. Undoubtedly they will
hail with delight this opportunity to
be of such real assistance, and will
work as enthusiastically as others
among their members have done dur-
ing service at the Brighton Camp hos-
pital.
THE small group of girls
calling themselves "The
Seagulls," who banded together recent-
ly to work for the Comforts Fund, are
working well, and conducting their
little club effi-
ently. When
they founded
it, they decided
to limit the
membership to
which num-
ber has al-
ready been
reached, and to work at present for
the men of the Navy, through the
medium of the Comforts Fund. They
have held, and plan to hold, entertain-
ments to raise money for the fund, and
they have a knitting meeting each
Monday night, when wool is distri-
buted to members, and the evening
spent in knitting. Their third activ-
ity at present is the collection of
magazines for the Comforts Fund to
send abroad. Enthusiastic and anxi-
ous to do whatever they can for the
comfort and assistance ot the men of
the services, these girls are typical of
many who are working throughout
Australia.
IN spite of the disapproval of
some members of the Leg-
islative Council, women will continue
to manicure their nails and apply pol-
ish to them. By careful filing and ap-
plication of
polish, the
shape of ugly
nails can be
improved,
therefore, next
time you at-
tend to your
nails, study
them and decide whether you are fil-
ing them in accordance with their na-
tural shape. A rounded nail should be
filed to a gradual point at the centre,
and the polish brushed over the entire
nail. A second coat brushed down the
centre in a wide sweep will give the im-
pression of a longer, narrower nail.
Oval nails should be filed to a natural
oval, and polish applied almost to the
top leaving a white crescent following
the shape of the nail, and the natural
half-moon. To improve the shape of
a square nail, file it more deeply from
the sides than usual, and the polish
should leave a narrow strip of white on
each side, a curve of white at the tip
and a deep half-moon. The extreme tip
of a spade - shaped nail should be filed
to a narrow oval, and the extreme tip
and the base of the half-moon should
be left unpolished. It is surprising
how much the appearance of hands
can be altered by the nails, and as they
must be filed, we may just as well de-
cide their correct shape. An ugly
square hand can be made to appear
more graceful by manicuring the nails
in the manner suggested for square
nails. If your hands are long and
narrow, take care that your nails are
not made to look long and pointed, thus
giving to the hands the appearance of
talons, which, when red polish is ap-
plied, is particularly unpleasant!
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