FRANCE'S GREAT EXAMPLE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 22 February 1916, Page 8

FRANCE'S GREAT EXAMPLE

NO TANGLING RULES AND NO ! LOST TIME I The remarkabe patriotism and spirit x>f self-sacrifice in which France has the work of making munitions i*ave greatly surprised the members of j, British mission appointed to inspect the industrial conditions of our Ally. The report of the members, Mr J. T. chairman of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers; Mr Alexander Duckham, Minieary of Munitions ■; Mr Smith, secretary "of the Engineering Employers' Federation, speaks of the great increase of production and the causes for the increase. A 'feature of the French system is the fostering of the small producer for machine operations. Of these there are about 1800 in the Paris district; they work on sub-contract, paid for at the price the mam contractor received -from the Government. Many small shops are manned by various members of a family and work day and night shifts. In one case, a A rery small shop, the work was being superintended by the wife of the owner, avlio Avas serving in the army. The woman worked herself to death^ and the husband Avas ordered back from the army to continue the ■work she had been doing. The opinion in the French factories is that the output o: Avomen on small work equals and in some cases excels that of men, and in the case of heavier work, Avith certain limits. Avomen are of practically the same value as men. It was noticed that part of the work done by women, involved greater strain .than might be thought reasonable in this country. The period for training for machine operations for women is, on the average, one week. In some cases it extends to a fortnight, Avhile in others it is less than one day. The work of teaching ■fche unskilled is done in each factory. ■In some -cases a man will teach a woman, who will then take his place and teach another Avoman, and thereafter be promoter! and be replaced as a teacher by her pupil. In a feAv cases men originally objected to this system, but that objection has long s-.nce disappeared. 9?he introduction of unskilled male *md female labor has not presented the difficulties experienced in this country (says^the London Daily Mail). It Avas ascertained from representatives of the trade union, movement in France that trade union conditions as regards wages and labor had been nractically suspended. " A remarkable feature in the French factories is the almost entire absence -of lost time. No strike has taken place. No application for general advances in wages have been made.