ment shops they are paid by the Ministry, in controlled
establishments by the management and their appointment is notified to
the Welfare Department.
The Ministry has issued a leaflet on "Duties of Welfare Supervisors
for Women," which is given at the end of this chapter.
It will be seen that the Welfare Worker must be a rather wonderful
person. She must be tactful, know how to handle girls, and be a person
of judgment and decision. We have succeeded in securing a very large
number of admirable women and excellent work is being done. The
Welfare Workers are in their turn inspected by Welfare Inspectors and
Miss Proud, the Chief Inspector in dangerous factories, who sees the
precautions against risk of poisoning from Tri-nitro-toluol, Tetryl,
the aeroplane wing dope, etc., are all carried out by the management,
has written an admirable textbook on welfare work. The country for
this purpose is divided into nine areas, and two women inspectors work
in each.
Woolwich Arsenal is one of our great centres of women's work and
the Chief Welfare Supervisor there, Miss Lilian Barker, is the most
capable woman Supervisor in Britain, a statesman among Supervisors.
Any visitor to the Arsenal cannot help being struck by the general
impression of contentment, happiness and health of the woman worker
there in her thousands. It is rare to see a sickly face among them,
even among the girls in the Danger Zone. Miss Barker is constantly
adding to her own staff of supervisors and training others for
provincial centres. She and her Assistants interview new hands
and arrange changes and transfers of women. She enquires into
all complaints, advises as to clothing, keeps an eye on the vast
canteen organization of Woolwich, and initiates schemes for
recreation--notices of whist drives, dances and concerts are
constantly up on the boards. The housing of the immigrant workers--no
small problem, she and her assistants deal with. They suggest
improvements in conditions and are awake to signs of illness or
overfatigue. They follow the worker home and look after the young
mother and the sick girl and women.
Hostels have been built there and all over the country by the
Government and by factory owners, and the Hostel Supervisors have a
big and useful work to do.
They are very well arranged with a room for each girl and nice rest
rooms, dining rooms and good sickroom accommodations. Rules are cut
down to a minimum. Most Supervisors find out w
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