WOMEN PREFERRED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24825, 27 January 1942, Page 3

WOMEN PREFERRED

SKILLED WAR WORK LONDON, Dec. 15. When the manager of a Midlands firm moved into two new country works, he had to recruit women to replace men. He got a pleasant surprise. Production increased even while he was training the women, and has now reached a higher level than ever before. This instance of how women have proved they can do skilled war-work was given by Miss Caroline Haslett, president, at a conference of the Women’s Engineering Society in London.

Under a personnel manager and a woman shop superintendent there are about 800 women and girls in the two factories, and their numbers are to be largely increased. During the year, 500 men were replaced by women, and the highest production of the year was reached with the change-over. “At the beginning of the war,” said Miss Haslett, “ some men looked upon the entry of women into industry with antagonism, but women have achieved record production, and most firms are very proud of their new employees.”