WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 438, 2 December 1930, Page 2

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

A VISIT FROM U.S.A.

An interesting visitor to New Zealand is Miss Gibson, who belongs to a private firm in America which carries on arbitration in industry disputes. Miss Gilson is a passenger on the Mololo, and the Pioneer Club, Wellington, arranged for her to meet the members while the vessel was in port. On Friday evening she gave a brief talk about her work and observations concerning women’s work in industry and commerce, to members of the Pioneer Club and the Wellington branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union.

Miss Gilson, in an all-too-brief speech, told most interestingly of her early entry into the industrial life of the people, states the Post. She began in the Crucible Steel District, Pittsburg, in library and general social work the district being a very poor oneFrom there she went to Boston, working in restaurants and other places in turn, waiting for employment and taking a real part in the ups and downs of the lives of the girls of the city. Later "she became “Vocational Counsellor” at a great centre for girls, where she realised the Immense difficulties that had to be faced in making workers and work meet together suitably. The difficulties of production, supply, and placing out of goods were also studied and she was emphatic in pointing out how great these difficulties arc- The most modern of both employers and employees were coining together in the States and formulating a working plan which was likely to be more successful than most as each side was facing and understanding the troubles of the other and when this plan became general there would bo a far better prospect of industrial peace and prosperity. Her experience with employers in her own country and in England was that the ultra-conserva-tive among these were the best manufacturers of Bolsheviks, while the Labour leaders, who equally refused to recognise the difficulties of the other side and declined to meet the employers or consider reason, were equally culpable. The organisation to which she belonged was a private concern which endeavoured io. establish sound relations between employers and employed. If did research work, including credit and industrial insurance, the investigation extending to other countries. For several years she had been making a special study of the various methods of ! compensating those who are involuntarily unemployed in the U.S.A., also national insurance as practised in Great Britain. She paid a tribute to the efforts of the British Government to solve a terrible problem and asked for a less critical attitude than she had observed during her tour. “Great Britain,” she said, “has worried through some colossal troubles in the past and will again, I have every confidence, but the ultra-critical attitude is not going to help in any way.” She spoke of the employers in the States and in England who guaranteed employment each year to theis employee? for eleven months and remarked that in America unemployment insurance was not a Government scheme and was not a “dole.” She deprecated some of the misunderstandings about the so-called “dole” in England. At the outset and for some time, she said, it was just an insurance scheme, into which both employers and employees paid and was respected accordingly. Later people were admitted who had .not so paid. She also deprecated drawing the Government into every plan for the benefit of the people and said 4 hat in America there were many associations, run privately and without any Governmental assistance, which were of immense s.ervice, the employers and employees planning out their own policies together. She thought that the industrial people, both masters and men should combine to meet their own troubles and not always appeal to Governmental She was much Interested in the Arbitration Court of New Zealand and hoped to gather information about it before leaving the Dominion. In reply to questions, Miss Gilson said she regretted very much that in America, as elsewhere, the country problems took a secondary place to those of the towns— for she felt that those of the country were of equal, if not of greater, importance. She hoped that in the future this would be recognised, and the country people would receive that help and consideration which were their due. Regarding the unemployable —those people who could work perfectly well if they liked but were too lazy or dishonestly inclined, she said that at last America was separating these people as far as possible, investigating their histories and trying to formulate some reasonable way of dealing with them in order tljat they should not

found that everything was an rigni. further complicate the lives and circumstances of the honest but unfortunate worker.

A hearty vote of thanks was given to Miss Gilson on the motion of Mrs Polson, seconded by Mrs L. Ward, of the Country Women’s Association. Miss Kane (president of the club) presided, and after some delightful music, supper concluded a most interesting evening.