A WORKLESS ARMY

Evening Star, Issue 16992, 14 March 1919, Page 7

A WORKLESS ARMY

BERLIN DEMOBILISES 300,000 FRAULEINS. Berlin is demobilising its women workers with great efficiency. To-day I visited the chief Labor Bureaux, which have five branches, and was through the women’s department by Fraulein Edith Klausen, who took Mr Bonar Law and Mr John Bums over the Labor Bureaux when they visited Berlin, writes Mr J. Greenwail from Berlin to the London ‘ Daily Chronicle ’ in December last. Three hundred thousand women are being demobilised. Only 10 per cent, of them belonged to trade .unions before the war, but they are now rapidly joining them. Women munition workers earned an average of 8s daily, the pieceworkers' average being £1- All women who went on war work were told that they would have to leave instantly the war was finished in order to allow men to return to their old jobs, workless women being allowed 2s fid daily, or 3s if over 70 years of age, with Is daily for each child. The registration room was crammed full of old and young women clamoring

for position where food is provided. The bureaux are receiving 6,000 applications daily. The women have to call and get a card stamped every two days. In another i-oorn I saw hundreds of girls between 14 and 17 years of age looking for work. Applications average 400 daily, and most of these girls are placed on municipal farms, 16 of which are situated in the outskirts of Berlin. The girls are paid 4s daily and provided with food. Fraulein Klausen said that there are 20.500.000 German women over 20 years of age, but she does not think_ that thev will cause any trouble. Certainly all of those I saw seemed to be decently clothed and contented looking despite the low diet. • Dr James Grack, an American, who has long resided in Germany, is head of the men’s department. Three thousand men register daily. There are now only 24.000 men workless in Berlin, but not quite a quarter of the Berlin troops have yet returned home, and it is estimated that 70,000 will be workless when all boot and shoe and most textile factories have closed down. Workless men receive 15s weekly from the trade unions and 4s daily from the municipality, which is employing men on road and canal making. Hot baths, towels, and soap are provided for both men ana women for l£d, and there is a canteen, but for the past year the canteen has only been able to supply Ersatz beer,, lemonade, and acorn coffee.