BLAMING THE WOMAN

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18384, 4 July 1917, Page 4

BLAMING THE WOMAN

"Dear Sir,—We much regret the vi. curronce of the irregularities to which you refer in your communication of the inst., and will make exery endeavour to prevent repetition of same. '■ W» would, however;..point out that the war has necessitated the introduction of a. large percentage of female labour into 6*ur staff, aaid that in consequence of the inferiority of tKeir work it is extremely difficult to prevent occasional mistakes." ,

Thus the modern business letter of apology. We all know it by now. It las come in response to pur complaints about omitted acknowledgments, wrongaddressed envelopes, twice-presented ao- ! counts that have already been settled onoe. And always it is the women who are blamed—the women who are converted into convenient scapegoats. The Business Girl covers a multitude of sins, the iesponelbility for many of which does no* lie with her but with the economics of 1 war- -or Che lapses of her male colleagues' —or the incompetency of her employer who now has a first-class readylmado excuse for a wrongly added or wronglypresented bill. We protest against this policy, as unfair as ii is unchivalrous. It tends to lower ( tlie market value of the Business Girl in the eyes of the public. Without" doubt, the Business Girl Is often at fault, but we must remember that she is new to her job, and that *esponsibilities beyond her training hava been thrust upon her. She is stall learning—learning with a will and with a wit. Don't let us damp her ardour by blaming Her for everything. Let u» , i give her a chance.—Sunday Pictorial.