WAR-WORK OF WOMEN.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15244, 4 December 1919, Page 2

WAR-WORK OF WOMEN.

ACTIVITIES tin ii^uLAND.

TOLL OF LIFE AND HEALTH.

I Some interesting details m connection with women's war work in. iingiand wore given by Miss J. L. Cossiey-iiatt, 0.8. E., 8.A., li.Sc, who arrived in Auckland from Sydney by the Makura the other day. JVliss Batt holds a special commission from the London "i'iniea" for a series of articles upon , Dominion trade, and for several months past has been investigating industrial, economic and scientific condii tions in Australia. She is now on her ! way to New York, but expects to ro- | turn to the Dominion early next year j for the purpose of continuing her in>- ! vostigations here. . Miss Batt is a graduate of Oxford '. and London Universities, and tho : 0.8. E. was conferred upon her for services rendered the British Chemical Warfare Department during the war. She was just completing her university course when war broke out, and at once .filtered for a month's training under ' the War Department as an inspector of statistics. She wa,s then appointed 'to conduct the Statistical Department :of a great Tri-Nitro-Toluene factory at Qeen's Ferry (Chester),, and shortly afterwards had a severe attack of T.N.T. poisoning. While in this factory, she had opportunity for witnessing not only the war work of the munitioners, but the terrible toll of life and health paid by the women of England in their country's cause. In the course of an interview with a "Herald" representative, Miss Batt stated that in the munitions factory in* which she was employed there were GfiOO girls working, and the casualties sometimes numbered as high as 700 in a week. Some girls lost their lives, others were injured in a score of ways. Amid vast networks of machinery, acid retorts, concentration and testing plants, they daily lived in a danger zone. ua recovering from her illness, Miss Batt waa engaged as assistant recorder to the Chemical Warfare Committee, her duties including a large amount of secret research work in connection with was warfare, analysis of German gas, and preparation of still deadlier gases for counter-attack. She was later transferred to the Government War Supplies Department as inspector. An interesting point mentioned by the visitor was the number of patents brought out during the war by English women, a number of which were adopt- j ed by the authorities. Among these were the invention of the papier-mache splints and a process for water-proof-ing papier mar-he. Not a few of the women wan-workers had been made members of tho British Optical Society, because of their highly efficient service.