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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FRANCES PERKINS, Secretary WOMEN’S BUREAU FRIEDA S. MILLER, Director + Employment of Women in Army Supply Depots in 1943 O ir-si QC I: .r'cL i •^TEsoy Bulletin of the Women’s Bureau, No. 192-8 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1945 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C, Price 10 cents 3 3 Cp ■ Ll r 1 I CONTENTS Page Letter of transmittal____ v Illustration : Woman operator using fork-lift truckFrontispiece Summary and recommendations 1 Summary:_______________________________________________________ Recommendations Origin of study_______________________ Number of depots and their employment of women_____________________ Number and type of depots visited Employment of women Depot functions and women’s jobs:------------------------------------------------------Functions of depots--------------------------------------------------------------------Women’s jobs__ __________________________________ ______________ Descriptions of jobs Fork-iift-truck operators Operation of other trucks, tractors, and vehicles____________________ Manual loading, unloading, stacking, and salvaging_________________ Selectors, identifiers, inspectors 11 Storekeepers 12 Packing, crating, marking, and stenciling 13 Box, crate, and bag making----------------------------------------------------------Ammunition inspectors 15 Checkers 16 Repair, renovation, and assembly 17 Depot operation and depot maintenance------------------------------------------Supervisory jobs------------------------- ,----------------------------------------------Personnel relations jobs 20 Clerical work 21 Hiring requirements, placement, and training---------------------------------------Preplacement physical examinations----------------------------------------------Policies regarding age and marital status-------------------------------------Training 23 Absenteeism and turn-over; accidents-------------------------------------------------Absenteeism------------------------------------------------------------------------------Turnover 25 Accidents 25 Wages, hours, and other working conditions-----------------------------------------Wages---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hours, shifts, and lunch and rest periods----------------------------------------Working conditions surrounding job 28 Safety clothing 29 Medical service; food facilities-----------------------------------------------------------Medical Service 30 Food facilities 30 Housing, recreation facilities, transportation----------------------------------------Housing 31 Recreation facilities------------------------------------------------------------------Transportation----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ hi vi 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 14 18 20 21 21 22 24 24 25 25 27 30 31 32 33 Letter of Transmittal United States Department or Labor, Women’s Bureau, Washington, December 21, 191^. Madam : In the critical manpower-shortage period of 1948 the Women’s Bureau was requested by a number of Army Depot Com manders to assist them in determining the jobs in which more women could participate in depot industrial operations and the conditions under which they should be employed. Some of the Bureau’s most experienced.industrial agents were as signed to visit several depots. They found that modern mechanized equipment, scientific personnel, and job-organization practices had made possible the employment of large proportions of women in Army warehousing jobs that in the past were considered unsuitable for women. The findings summarized in this report should prove of value not only to all Depot Commanders but to industrial warehousing estab lishments. A copy of the report was submitted to the War Department and received the approval of the Chief of Civilian Personnel of the Ord nance Department. The depot visits were made by Ethel Erickson and Martha J. Ziegler. The report has been written by Caroline A. DeCaux. Respectfully submitted. Frieda S. Miller, Director. Hon. Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor. v Courtesy U. S. War Department WOMAN OPERATOR USING FORK-LIFT TRUCK TO PICK UP AND RE MOVE 3 TIERS OF MILITARY SUPPLIES FROM STACKS IN ORDNANCE DEPOT WAREHOUSE. Employment of Women in Army Supply Depots in 1943 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY Origin of Study.—In 1943, representatives of the Women’s Bureau were requested by several Army Supply depots to assist them in de termining the jobs in which more women could participate in depot industrial operations and the conditions under which they should be employed. Employment of Women.—When these depots were visited, women alieady made up close to one-third of their total civilian force and more than one-fourth of the force in the industrial sections. Women's Jobs.-tThough employment practices of ( he depots varied, women were seen at work in every branch of industrial operations. 1 hey were loading, unloading, transporting, stacking, checking, pack ing, inspecting, and crating military supplies; they were employed in i and bag-making shops; and in depot repair, maintenance, and office jobs. Many were doing clerical and relatively light unskilled industrial work, but a large proportion were on indoor and outdoor jobs that required considerable physical endurance and varying de grees of skill, and some were in supervisory jobs. All depots still employed men on work that women could do, but several were planning to increase substantially the number of women workers and were trying them out on new jobs. Depot Variations.—Wide variations were found between depots in the number of women employed and the tvpe of jobs in which they were working. Some employed very few Women and restricted them to three or four occupations; in others, women made up a large propor tion of the industrial force and were seen working in every subdivision of depot operations. Factors Limiting Employment of Women.—Though the extent to which women were or could be used in depot industrial operations de pended m large part on the weight and bulk of supplies handled, the availability of men in the local labor market was one of the jirincipal factors influencing the employment of women in industrial operations. Experience and Training.—Most women were inexperienced when hired and were trained on the job. A small proportion in more skilled jobs recei ved supplementary training at the depots and some were sent lor additional training to vocational schools or Government arsenals. In most depots women in supervisory jobs were required to take Job Instruction Training and Job Relations Training courses. 1 2 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS Age of Women,—The majority of the women were under 35 years of age, but in several depots a considerable number were over 40 and some were above 50 and 60. Work Schedules.—Practically all women were full-time employees and worked on an 8-48-hour schedule. In some depots they put in a considerable amount of overtime, which occasionally included Sun days. In most depots that had more than one shift, women -were employed on all shifts. Wage Rates.—Beginners’ rates for women ranged from 46 cents to 72 cents an hour, and a large proportion still were receiving these minimum rates. Though no rate differentials were permitted on the basis of sex, and women received the same rates as men when employed in the same grades or job classifications, men generally were in the job classifications that provided the higher rates. When visited, sev eral depots were considering the question of wage advancement for the more experienced and more skilled women. Absenteeism, and Turn-over.—In most depots where reports were obtained, absenteeism and turn-over rates were approximately the same among men and women, though many women were married, had household and child-care responsibilities, and in some cases spent 2 to 4 hours a day traveling to and from work. Efficiency.—No statistics on relative productivity of men and women were obtained or available, but in a number of depots women were praised as satisfactory, good, careful, or efficient workers, and even “wonderful” workers. Accident reports obtained indicated fewer and less serious accidents among women than among men. RECOMMENDATIONS The principal methods for increasing the employment and efficiency of women and for safeguarding their health that were already in use in some depots, and those recommended by Bureau representatives, included the following: Placement.—Careful attention to physical condition, age, height, weight, aptitudes, for the purpose of placing women on jobs for which they seem best qualified. Employment of women on work that they already are doing well in other depots. Training.—Training of inexperienced workers in proper methods of handling even the simplest tools and in correct methods of lifting and carrying weights. More extensive job-method training for super visors so that they may be better equipped to rearrange the work and make it easier and safer for women. Universal instruction in depot safety rules and depot operations. Reorganization of Jobs.—Subdivision of heavier jobs where pos sible into two or more operations on which some women, or only women, can be used. Employment of mixed crews on operations involving only some or only occasional heavy work. Lifting Devices.—Wider use of automotive and other handling equipment to facilitate the employment of women on jobs that involve handling of relatively heavy materials. Seats and Platforms.—Provision of seats on jobs wherever feasible, as a means of reducing the strain and increasing the efficiency of women workers. Provision of proper floor board on jobs that re INTRODUCTORY 3 quire continuous standing on concrete, and of wooden platforms for short women where necessary. Working Hour’s.—Formal rest periods during working hours, and as little overtime as possible, especially for married women. Wages.—More attention to upgrading and wage reclassification of women on the basis of experience and actual work performed. Supervision.—More extensive use of women in personnel relations and in supervisory jobs. Facilities.—Provision of adequate toilet, washroom, and eating facilities, and of adequate housing in depots located in isolated areas. ORIGIN OF STUDY Wartime establishments of the Army Service Forces were among the first agencies of the Government to recognize and stress the neces sity of meeting growing labor shortages through widespread employ ment of women. The most rapid expansion in the operations of Army supply depots located in continental United States occurred in 1942 and 1943, when many sections of the country were already confronted with serious labor shortages, when in many areas women made up the principal reserve of available labor, and when most war industries had already demonstrated that women could be successfully used on jobs never before considered suitable for them. Under these circumstances it was natural for the Army Service Forces 1 to urge their employment on all depot work that they could perform without injury to their health. Though most warehousing and other industrial-depot jobs had been traditionally considered men’s work, the Civilian Personnel Division of the Army Service Forces requested depot commanders to aim in 1943 at filling 60 percent of the depot jobs with women. As a step in carrying out more rapidly this policy of maximum employment of women, a number of depot commanders and zone chiefs asked representatives of the Women’s Bureau to visit their respective establishments and assist in determining on what addi tional jobs women could be employed and advise on the conditions under which such work should be performed. In the course of these visits, the jobs in which women already were working successfully were noted. New jobs on which women could be employed were ascertained. Consideration was given to such factors as use of engineering devices, reorganization of jobs, employ ment and placement procedures, and other employment practices and conditions that had a bearing on the availability, employment, health, morale, and efficiency of women workers. Representatives of the Women’s Bureau submitted their recom mendations to depot commanders and addressed depot personnel and officers in various sections of the country. 1 The Army Service Forces is composed of two main divisions, the Administrative Serv ices and the Supply Services. The depots are a part of the latter and they store and handle equipment and supplies for the Corps of Engineers, the Quartermaster Corps, the Ordnance Department, the Chemical Warfare Service, the Signal Corps, the Transportation Corps, and the Medical Department. The duties and functions of these services are to provide the fighting forces with food, shelter, clothing, and arms; to transport men and equipment throughout the world ; and to care for the wounded. Each of these Services has special depots for its supplies, but some depots store and issue supplies for more than one Service. 626700°—45------2 4 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS As the demands upon the Bureau’s limited staff were too many to permit it to meet all requests for visits, it is believed advisable to bring together the results of the observations for the benefit of all depot commanders. A record of women’s employment in depots is deemed essential also for future planning. This report on employment of women in depots contains information similar in character to that secured in several other war industries by the Women’s Bureau.2 These earlier reports have been used widely by Government agencies and private war-production establishments as guides to the employ ment of women on work on which they had not been employed before the war. NUMBER OF DEPOTS AND THEIR EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN Number and Type of Depots Visited. In the spring and summer of 1913,12 Army Supply depots, employ ing not far from 35,000 workers, were visited by representatives of the Women’s Bureau. These depots received, stored, and issued for shipment Ordnance, Quartermaster, Medical, Engineering, Signal Corps, Transportation, and Chemical Warfare supplies. They han dled hundreds of thousands of items, which varied greatly in type, size, bulk, and weight. Their stock included cartons of aspirin as well as X-ray machines and complete equipment for hospital units; light automotive parts and tools as well as 1.000- and 2,000-pound bombs; boxes of underwear as well as fire-control instruments, cannon, tanks, and jeeps. Nine were Ordnance depots and seven of these had, in addition to other supplies and storage facilities, extensive ammunition areas where high explosives and ammunitions of all types were stored in magazines and igloos.3 One was a “master” depot for automotive equipment, tools, and parts. One was a wholesale establishment for general ordnance materiel where supplies were stored in bulk and issued only in unbroken lots to other depots. Two were Quartermaster depots. One of these stored both medical and quartermaster supplies; the other, equipment of all the seven Supply Services. One was a Medical depot, which handled all types of medical and some quartermaster supplies. All establishments performed the normal warehousing operations involved in receiving, storing, and shipping supplies. In addition, a number had shops or sections for the repair of military equipment; one had a small-arms clipping plant; two had ammunition-popping plants; and two bag- and shell-loading plants.4 The depots varied considerably in size and in number of workers employed. One consisted primarily of 3 large warehouses; another 2 For example, aircraft, ammunition, cannon and small arms, machine tools, steel, foundries, ship building and repair. 3 High explosives and ammunition of all types, except small-arms ammunition, may be stored only in ammunition areas, and these must be some distance from administrative buildings, other depot structures and areas, and public highways and buildings. They must be stored in aboveground magazines or semiunderground igloos, spaced at consider able distances. Small-arms ammunition is not considered an explosive hazard and may be handled in areas where other supplies are stored. 4 For a description of women’s work in bag- and shell-loading plants see Women’s Bureau Bui. 192-2, Women’s Employment in Artillery-Ammunition Plants, 1942. INTRODUCTORY 5 occupied an area of over 400 acres, and 1 an area of 38 square miles. One employed less than 800 workers; another close to 8,000. Several of the depots were in labor-shortage areas; a number were in sparsely populated and other semirural sections. A few reported that they were drawing their labor supply from distances of 30 to 65 miles. Most depots were new establishments that were constructed or began operations only in 1942. Two were old depots that had expanded operations rapidly in the year preceding the visit. Seven reported that they planned to expand operations further and their estimates for additional workers ranged from less than 300 to approximately 3,000. Two depots had reached their employment peak and 2 planned to reduce the total number of workers, but 1 of these 4 planned to increase employment of women and 1 expected no change in this. Employment of Women. Though employment of women in depot operations vTas a new, war time development, when the 12 depots were visited they already em ployed more than 11,000 women, about 7,000 of whom were working in the warehousing and other industrial sections. In one depot almost half the workers in the industrial sections, and in another almost 90 percent of the office workers, were women. The commander of a de pot that had a large proportion of women expressed his attitude to ward their employment in the following words: “We like women very much here and think they can do almost everything. We ask not ‘What can a woman do?’ but ‘What is there that women cannot do?’ ” I his contrasts sharply with depot attitudes and practices during World War I. A Government report of a depot survey made in the fall of 1917 makes this statement: “But women are unfamiliar figures m Government storage depots, and to many officers of the Army the suggestion that they may later be employed seems a flight of fancy.” 5 That report also revealed that in some of the depots women were not employed even in clerical occupations in 1917, and in only one of the establishments visited were women employed in such simple operations as packing of stationery and dental supplies. The only other indus trial operation in which women worked was the inspection of clothing. Even in 1943, however, considerable variation was found in depot employment practices. While between 30 and 35 percent of all civilian workers were women, the proportion in the industrial sections ranged from just over 12 percent in 1 case to more than 45 percent in another. . Figures showing total workers and the number of women in the industrial sections were secured from 10 establishments. In 5 they made up 25 percent or more of the civilian force, and in 5 the pro portion ranged from just over 12 to 19 percent. The largest depot, with close to 8,000 workers, also had the highest proportion of women in industrial sections. In three of its warehousing branches women held between 52 and 72 percent of the industrial and clerical jobs. Considerable variation among depots was found also in the type of jobs in which women were working. Some had women in every ArmFrP&^byMr;Vnnm^!%8?,"nd Warehousin« °f the United States 6 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS subdivision of depot operations; in others women were restricted to four or five occupations. Several factors seemed to account for the difference in these employ ment practices. The weight and bulk of the materials handled regu larly or occasionally determined in part the extent to which women could be employed. A more important factor, however, was the availability of other labor. The five depots with the largest proportion of women were in labor-shortage areas—some described as acute. In one of these, the United States Employment Service and the Office of Civilian Defense in the area made a door-to-door campaign for enrollment of women. The USES representative stated that his office had no difficulty in convincing management that women could be used—the problem was rather where to get the women for the jobs that were available. One depot was 1,000 workers short at the time of the visit. On the other hand, six depots with the lowest proportions of women were in areas where the labor supply was considered adequate or surplus, one of these in an area where Negro men still were available. Another factor that unquestionably restricted the employment of women was the attitude of supervisory personnel. The use of women on fork-lift trucks provides perhaps the most striking ex ample of this. At one depot only men were employed on this work, and it was considered unsuitable for women—partly because men operators bad had several serious accidents while driving these trucks. At the same time a number of depots in other sections of the country were employing women chiefly, and were training only women for this work because they had proved very safe and careful operators. All depots still were employing men on jobs that women could do. A number were training or trying out women on new jobs previously restricted to men and several reported that they planned to increase substantially the proportion of women. DEPOT FUNCTIONS AND WOMEN’S JOBS Functions of Depots. Army supply depots are primarily warehousing establishments. Military supplies manufactured in thousands of plants throughout the country are here assembled into logically related groups and stored until issued for use in training or combat. Depots are a vital link between the production line and the fighting line and perform an important function in the timely and safe delivery of supplies to the armed forces. The main function of depots is to receive, store, inspect, and issue supplies. Generally they do not manufacture any materials, but they are responsible for maintaining stock in serviceable condition and this frequently involves production operations similar to those performed in manufacturing establishments where the materials were originally produced. Depots are described by the. War Department as supply establishments for the reception, inspection, classification, storage, issue, repair, or salvage of supplies, or the performance of other special functions as directed by higher authority. Depots are responsible also for maintaining their stock at levels adequate to INTRODUCTORY 7 supply the normal needs of all units allocated to them for supply purposes. As just stated, the warehousing work involves handling rather than production work. It consists primarily of the following operations: Unloading supplies received; unpacking and inspecting loose-issue supplies; assigning and transporting or carrying supplies to their proper storage locations and stacking them according to depot specifi cations; repacking supplies received in damaged containers; inspect ing and segregating deteriorating supplies while in storage; locating, selecting, packing, and marking supplies for shipment; transporting supplies from storage areas or packing lines and loading them into freight cars or trucks for shipment; checking supplies when received, packed, and issued. The work of depot employees is not, however, limited to warehousing jobs. Maintenance of supplies in condition suitable for shipment and use includes such work as the inspection, repair, repainting, disassem bling and reassembling of deteriorated or damaged supplies. It may also involve the production and replacement of broken parts. A considerable number of workers are employed also in the depot box-, crate-, and bag-making shops, in the sections where components of damaged supplies are salvaged, and in various depot maintenance jobs. Women’s Jobs. Most of the women in depot industrial sections were employed on warehousing jobs. They were loading, unloading, stacking, and stor ing supplies received and issued. They worked on numerous packing and crating jobs. Many were on laboring crews that unloaded, sal vaged, and stacked lumber, boxes, and other materials used in depot operations. Many were employed in packing, crating, and box making shops or sectibns. A considerable number were checking in coming and outgoing supplies and performing factory clerical jobs in the storage and other industrial sections. Some were working in the equipment-repair and depot-maintenance shops, and on other depot-maintenance jobs. The jobs of women varied greatly in skill, nature of work, and physical endurance required. Many were of a clerical and other rela tively light nature, 'but a large number were jobs that required considerable physical endurance. Most of the women were doing rela tively unskilled work, but a small proportion were on more highly skilled jobs that required a good deal of training and knowledge of depot operations. A number were employed in supervisory positions. The use of women was generally more restricted in sections where very heavy and bulky supplies were handled. This limited in part their employment in some ammunition areas and in depots where supplies were stored and issued in unbroken lots. Women did, however, work on many jobs that involved the handling of relatively heavy weights. Their extensive employment on such work was made possible by several factors and depot practices. The most important of these was the wide use of mechanical handling equipment, such as conveyors and fork lift trucks in loading, unload ing, stacking, and packing operations; and the use of various other motorized vehicles for transporting supplies within the warehouses or from one depot area and section to another. 8 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS In a number of depots the practice of subdividing jobs into several operations, and assigning men to those tasks that involved too-heavy weight lifting or too much strain, also made possible the employment of many women on work that otherwise might have been considered unsuitable for them. Another variation of this practice was the use of mixed crews on jobs that involved occasional handling of supplies that were too heavy for women. Men on such crews at times performed the lighter work that women could do, but their presence for the occasional heavy work made possible the use of a considerable proportion of women. A very important factor was the careful placement policies of some depots where younger and stronger women were assigned to jobs that required considerable physical endurance while older women were used on lighter work. Another method was the practice of assigning two women to handle weights that were too heavy for one. A considerable proportion of women were classified as laborers. They were, however, performing many different types of work and could be shifted around from one job to another. The job descriptions that follow, therefore, relate generally to the work women were actually doing rather than to their pay-roll classifications. DESCRIPTIONS OF JOBS Fork-Lift-Truck Operators. Loading, unloading, transporting, and stacking supplies are among the principal industrial tasks in depot operations, especially in war time when materials are continuously moving in and out of storage. Fork lift trucks were used extensively in a number of depots for this work, and in such depots a large proportion of these trucks were operated by women. The fork lift truck, which has revolutionized warehousing pro cedures, is a modern time-and-labor-saving machine. One woman op erating such a truck can, unaided, pick up, transport, and stack a load up to a ton or more in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the effort it would take to do this work by any other method. These trucks are relatively small gasoline- or electric-powered ve hicles equipped in front with heavy protruding forks and a tall guard to prevent the load from falling over. The operator who drives the truck manipulates levers that raise or lower the forks and guides them into the pallets6 on which many supplies are stacked, or under skids and crates especially constructed for the fork-lift operations. The operator can drive the truck into a freight car, motor truck, or warehouse, pick up a load of supplies stacked on pallets, convey the load to the assigned storage place, and deposit it in any designated location simply by raising or lowering the load and pulling the forks out. Several tiers of packed boxes stacked on pallets can be handled at one time. (See frontispiece.) In 1 of the depots a warehouse bay that contained 30,000 boxes weighing each from 100 pounds to 1 ton was pointed out as an excep0 Many supplies stored in depots arrived or were stacked after receipt on pallets or palletized boxes. Most pallets seen were either small platforms raised on cleats, or plat forms consisting of an upper and a lower section joined in such a way as to leave an open ing a few inches wide to allow the entry of the fork-lift prongs. JOB DESCRIPTIONS 9 tionally fine stacking operation done by 1 woman fork-lift operator. Women were seen operating these trucks in and out of warehouses and freight cars; on loading platforms and docks; in the ammunition, and other depot areas, they were loading, unloading, and stacking ammunition, other military equipment and supplies, as well as ma terials used in depot operations. In a number of depots where large proportions of the fork-lift op erators were women they were praised as good and very careful work ers. In one case they were described as “wonderful workers,” able to do practically anything that could be done with a fork lift. In an other, where more than three times as many women as men were em ployed, the foreman said that women were very skillful and careful stackers and that he expected to have only women operators soon. In a thud depot, also with many more women than men, only women were being trained to operate fork lifts. These trucks are simple but sensitive vehicles. They turn over easily, and swerve or bounce back if they hit a bump or stone. The operator is in danger not only of falling off the truck—it may be onto railroad siding—but from the falling of loads carried on the forks. When these_ machines are used on crowded platforms, in the limited space of freight car or warehouse, or in ammunition areas where other motorized equipment, supplies, and workers are constantly movinothe operator must have a good deal of skill in handling the truck, bhe must be able to stop and start again quickly in tight places, to drive forward and backward, around corners and stacks, and on the edges of crowded platforms. Notwithstanding the fact that women were considered exceptionally good workers in the depots where they operated fork lift trucks, some depots had not begun to use women on this work. In one where a large number of trucks were used, only men operators were consideredm three others women were being trained, and in one of these it was stated that if the first woman proved successful, more women would be employed. Operation of Other Trucks, Tractors, and Vehicles. In addition to fork lift trucks, women were operating cargo trucks tow trucks, various types and sizes of trailer trucks and tractors, carry alls, pick-up cars, jeeps, and other vehicles used for transporting sup plies and workers between areas and inside warehouses. Most of the trucks operated by women were not above iy2-ton capacity. However m three depots it was reported that women were employed on heavyduty trucks; in one a woman spoke of operating 3-ton trucks; and m another women drove 2^-ton trucks and powerful tractors with lar^e trailers transporting heavy and bulky loads. In some depots women drivers were required to know how to make simple repairs on their vehicles. In one it was specifically indicated that neither men nor women drivers had to do any loadiim 0r un loading. One depot that had a serious shortage of labor apparently was not employing women truck drivers because drivers were re quired also to load and unload. Some of the women who operated trucks with long strings of trailers coupled and uncoupled the trailers at the proper destinations. 10 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS Most women operated vehicles only within the depot areas; in only two depots was it stated that some women truck drivers were occasion ally assigned to short trips outside the area. In one depot where women drivers were praised as good workers, each was taught to operate one car and used the same car when shifted to various areas or to work with different groups. Driving these vehicles in depot areas called for more than ordinary skill and involved some hazards. Special safety rules had to be ob served while operating in ammunition areas. Skillful driving was essential on the crowded platforms and ramps and in the limited aisle space of warehouses. At times, cars with loaded trailers fell off plat forms onto railroad tracks. In one of the depots it was reported that falling off the ramps happened often enough to constitute a real haz ard. Some accidents to women were reported, but none were serious and in a number of depots the women were praised as careful drivers. In a depot where women operated trucks up to 2%-ton capacity, it was reported that after a few months some stayed away from work frequently. Others, however, “stick well to their job”, according to the foreman, who estimated that 80 percent of the women truck drivers were good or excellent and 20 percent were fair. In the same depot women who operated Clarkats that pulled long strings of low trailers were considered better than men, though these “cats” were somewhat hard on the driver, since they were small, had no springs nor soft tires, and were easily jounced about. In another depot where women drove 116-ton trucks the officer stated that they had worked out very well, and in still another where women drove carry-alls and pick-up cars the officer stated that they had proved very efficient workers. Not all depots visited employed women for driving trucks or other vehicles used for transporting supplies, but in practically all women were driving passenger cars or station wagons, buses, carry-alls, and other vehicles used for transporting personnel inside and outside the depot area, or for carrying messages. In one depot women also drove the water trucks in the administration area, and in another they occa sionally drove the combat vehicles brought to the depot for storage or repair. Manual Loading, Unloading, Stacking, and Salvaging. A large number of women employed on depot laborer crews were performing various manual jobs. At the time of visit, many were loading, unloading, and stacking ammunition and other military sup plies, and were unloading, stacking and salvaging lumber, boxes, and other materials used in depot operations. Much of this work was per formed in open or semiopen areas. Loading, Unloading, Stacking.—Women were seen unloading chests filled with engineering equipment. Some were working as “hookers”, putting on or taking off crane hooks from huge crates and steadying the crates as they were loaded or unloaded from or into box cars. ' In three depots women were loading, unloading, and hand stacking ammunition in the igloo areas, a number of them using hooks for lifting and stacking shells. Some slowed or accelerated the move ment of bombs passing along skids during loading and unloading operations. Others loaded and unloaded boxcars of ammunition when the work was not too heavy. In several depots crews of women were seen loading, unloading, stacking, and salvaging lumber and boxes. JOB DESCRIPTIONS 11 Some of these crews were composed largely or entirely of women, with the men assigned principally to the handling of supplies too heavy for women. On some crews, however, men and women were doing the same work. Women who were loading, unloading, and stacking lumber generally worked in pairs, one at each end of the piece. In one depot a crew of women doing this work in the open were praised very highly by their foreman. He said they worked efficiently in hitter cold and in the hot sun. In the winter they climbed over high stacks of sleet-covered lumber without accident or complaint. He stated also that their absenteeism was not excessive, and that in a period of 7 or 8 months there were only two terminations from this crew. Two men working near by on a different job also praised these women. They said that though the women did not lift so much at one time as men, they worked steadily and well and by the end of the day had done as much work as men formerly employed. A number of the loading jobs that women were performing required considerable exertion and endurance. In some of the depots Bureau agents were informed that these factors were given proper considera tion when women were assigned to such work, but the Bureau’s repre sentatives considered some of these jobs too strenuous for women. On one of these women who loaded ammunition into boxcars by means of skids, had to control the movement, by pushing or holding back, of bombs weighing250 pounds each. On some jobs they lifted at low and high levels packed ammunition and other supplies which seemed too heavy for women. Some women admitted that at times the work was strenuous, but in most cases they stated that they liked their job and were proud of their accomplishment. Salvaging Jobs.—Boxes, crates, lumber, and other materials unfit for their original purpose or that have to be restored to usable condi tion are salvaged in depot operations. A considerable number of women were seen doing this work. Older women were working on these salvaging, loading, and stacking jobs, and some were praised as exceptionally good workers. Their work involved pulling nails out of lumber and boxes ; scraping rust from steel dunnage and paint ing it with rust-prevention paint; cutting up and taking apart boxes and stacking the salvaged lumber. Selectors, Identifiers, Inspectors. In depots where loose-issue items are handled and where supplies are stored or issued in small quantities, hundreds and sometimes thousands of different articles have to be inspected, identified, and their storage location indicated when shipments are received, and must be located and selected when orders are filled. Employees who perform this work must be able to recognize and must know the names, the lots, and stock numbers, and the storage locations of great numbers of items. Women were doing some or all of this work in five depots that stored and issued automotive parts and tools, and Quartermaster, Engineering, Medical, Signal Corps, and Chemical Warfare supplies. In some of these depots this work was subdivided among special crews who inspected, identified, selected, or replenished supplies. In others, all these functions were performed by the same person. 620706' -45------------ 3 12 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS In one depot, for example, the women in the receiving section identified articles after crates were opened by boys. They also broke the shipments down to bin quantities and marked the lots for assign ment to proper storage bins. In the same receiving room there was a special identification section, with a woman in charge, where articles were identified and storage space was assigned when the regular workers performing these tasks were in doubt about the supplies handled. A number of other women in this section were being trained for this work. In another warehouse where small orders were filled, there was a special order-filling crew with a woman supervisor. This woman assigned the filling of orders to different girls who knew the location of the various items, picked and stacked them on hand trucks, and tagged them with the necessary information. In the “small-order” warehouse of this depot there was a special section for “outside” lo cation of supplies stored in the “wholesale” warehouses. The woman in charge of this work was stationed in the small-order warehouse and had one woman assistant in each wholesale warehouse. These assistants knew the locations of and were able to identify materials needed to replenish stock in the small-order warehouse. In another depot a number of these functions were combined. Women classified as “selectors” did spot-checking of materials when received, stacked them in broken-down-storage rooms, and also se lected and checked items for filling individual orders. In some depots women who selected the stock apparently also performed packing operations. In a number of depots women who had supervisory storekeeping responsibilities were classified as “storekeepers.” Storekeepers. Storekeepers in Government-operated depots are graded civil serv ice employees with various responsibilities and degrees of authority. The duties of the storekeepers may include: Allocating space for incoming supplies; spotting, locating, and segregating outgoing stock; keeping records of stock on hand and available storage space; requi sitioning supplies that fall below specified levels; and keeping storage sections and stock in order. Storekeepers may supervise the work of others or may themselves perform some of the work that falls within their jurisdiction. Storekeepers in the highest grades may be re sponsible primarily for over-all planning and contact with adminis trative officers and other depot branches and may delegate supervision of the actual work to assistant storekeepers. Women storekeepers were employed in three depots, and in another a woman was being tried out as a storekeeper. In the depot that employed the largest number of women, several were working as storekeepers and were responsible for entire sections or divisions in warehouses. They allocated space, broke down lot shipments, filled bins or shelves, replenished stock by requisition, filled orders, main tained records of stock issued, and kept stock in an orderly state. Two women storekeepers in this depot were in charge of the handling and shipping of narcotics. In a section where medical supplies were handled and in the broken-down-package rooms, women did a com bined job of storekeeping and packing. They picked stock for filling orders, prepared packing boxes or cartons, packed, checked, and re JOB DESCRIPTIONS 13 checked orders, and filled out forms listing the supplies in each package. In 2 depots that issued many Quartermaster and Medical supplies in small quantities women who were classified as “selectors” were performing substantially the same type of work as women classified as “storekeepers.” All the depots that employed women as storekeepers handled some loose-issue items. Two also stored ammunition and explosives. No depot indicated that any woman doing this work was classified in the “senior storekeeper” grade. Packing, Crating, Marking, and Stenciling. The Army Service Forces stresses in one of its depot manuals that “Safe delivery begins in the packing room.” Crating, packing, un packing, and marking supplies make up one of the major subdivisions in depot work, especially in those depots where supplies are issued in broken lots. Supplies that arrive in damaged containers, not strong enough for storing and reshipment; those that arrive in semipacked condition; those intended for overseas shipment, but not properly packed for that strain; loose-issue items and other supplies issued in small quantities; supplies that must be cleaned, repaired, or renovated—all these are packed, repacked, boxed, and crated at the depot. They are also sten ciled or otherwise marked for identification in storage, at the point of use, and for shipment. Most of the packing work is simple, but it must be done properly or supplies will not reach their destination in perfect condition. Women were employed on numerous packing and other closely re lated jobs in most of the depots visited. They crated and packed ammunition as well as other military supplies. In some depots, all or almost all the workers in a number of packing sections were women. Men and boys working in these sections generally performed the heavy tasks involving lifting and carrying supplies. The packing work usually was organized on a continuous assembly line basis, with each person performing a simple and relatively un skilled task. Conveyors were used in crating and packing ammunition and other heavy supplies; light loose-issue materials frequently were packed at tables, where in many cases the work was subdivided into several operations. The jobs of women in these receiving, shipping, and packing sections involved the following: Bringing supplies or empty boxes to the pack ing lines; wrapping individual items and packages according to Army specifications; fining boxes with water-repellent paper; assembling into packing containers the required types and quantity of items; checking the contents; wrapping, closing, sealing, or nailing boxes, crates, and other containers; stenciling packed boxes or painting comers for ex port identification; staining boxes and crates; making handles for crates, nailing them on, and banding together as many as 12 large cartridge boxes, or wiring packed boxes and crates. Other work in packing sections on which women were engaged included packing cots, inspecting and sewing up bales of clothing and blankets, and weighing packed supplies. 14 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS The subdivision of work in sections where ammunition was crated on conveyors is fairly typical of that seen on other packing lines: Women, men, or boys brought crates to the packing lines and placed them on the conveyors; men put into the crates clover-leaf containers of ammunition; women standing along both sides of the conveyor inserted the crate tops, and in some depots other missing crate parts; other women nailed them down, using hand hammers. Women farther down the line stenciled the crates and men or women at the end of the line strapped the crates with strips of metal or wire. The packed crates were taken off the conveyors by men. The work done by women varied, naturally, according to the supplies handled and the manner in which they were packed. In sections other than those described, women packers performed a number of addi tional tasks. In tool packing, for example, some women wiped the tools, some cut wrapping paper and tape, and some wrapped and sealed them. In other sections, where women were assembling tools into kits on conveyors, each woman was responsible for placing a specified number of certain tools in every kit as it moved down the line. Women on another conveyor sealed the bags in which the kits were placed and performed most of the crating operations. In the sections where lighter-issue items were packed at tables, the work generally was subdivided in the same way. All the mate rials needed for packing were placed on racks near the packing tables within easy reach of the workers who used them. The supplies needed to fill each order were selected, placed on hand or motor trailer trucks, and brought to the packing lines by women or boys. Women and men at these tables performed all the packing operations. There were further variations within and between depots in the subdivision of tasks and the extent to which women were used on suitable packing jobs. In some cases men and boys still were employed on packing jobs that women could do easily; in others they were assigned principally to those packing operations that were considered too heavy for women. Cases were observed also where women in packing sections were doing work that appeared to involve too much strain, while men and boys were on relatively light packing jobs that women could do and already were doing elsewhere. In some depots, for example, boys and men were seen carrying empty boxes or crates to the packing lines, banding crates, and packing supplies that women could handle with ease, while in other places women were seen on such jobs as pulling or pushing packed crates that weighed close to 100 pounds (two women pulling each crate around the corner of the conveyor line); turning bales of clothing, which also weighed more than 100 pounds; and lifting heavy supplies to the packing conveyor. In most depots no seats of any sort were provided for workers on packing lines, though seating seemed feasible on many of the jobs. Women’s Bureau agents recommended the provision of seats on jobs where continuous or periodic sitting was possible, as a means of reducing the strain and increasing the efficiency of women workers. Box, Crate, and Bag Making. Most depots made the boxes, crates, bags, and some of the pallets used for packing and stacking supplies. Women worked on many JOB DESCRIPTIONS 15 jobs in the sections where these supplies were produced. They un loaded and stacked lumber used for the boxes and crates; they assisted in operating and in some cases operated the electric rip and cross-cut saws used for cutting the lumber, some feeding the long pieces of lumber to the operators and guiding them into the saws, others taking off the cut pieces and stacking or assembling them. Some women put together the boxes and crates, on machines or by hand, using a wooden jig as a pattern; some examined the finished boxes and put them on a conveyor line; others performed various operations in which they used hand saws, planers, files, and other simple carpenters’ tools. In most box-making sections, only men operated the electric saws. In one depot, however, women operated Boice cranes and DeWalt and Delta circular ripsaws used in cutting lumber for boxes. Some women seen doing this work were handling continuously strip boards that weighed 15 pounds each. In another depot a woman was working on a DeWalt cut-off saw, and other women occasionally relieved the men who operated these saws. Here the ripsaws were considered too dan gerous for women, and they were not allowed to operate them. A great many women were making boxes by hand. Some were seen assembling very large boxes on which they had to use 16-penny nails and large hammers. Both men and women on this job were working continuously and rapidly. Some women nailed boxes on nailing machines, two women to each machine—one holding the connecting pieces in place while the other used an electric foot press, driving the nails in. They stood on the approved type of floor boards, the shorter women having their boards raised a few inches from the floor. Women were also making paper bags and waterproof linings for boxes. They worked at large tables where sheets of fibreen paper were measured, marked, and cut, and they folded, unfolded, pressed, and glued the bags. In one depot, women were spray-painting crates, and in another they were staining boxes on a conveyor especially equipped for this work. Carpet soaked in stain was wrapped around rollers on the conveyor so that the bottoms of boxes could be stained without women turning them over. Specific information about box- and crate-making jobs was secured in nine depots. Two employed only men on this work; in three, on the other hand, from one-half to three-fourths of the workers in these sections were women. In some depots women, older men, and boys were performing substantially the same work, and, as before stated, in only two depots were women permitted to operate the power saws. Women were praised as good boxmakers, and as experts at hand nailing of boxes. Ammunition Inspectors. One of the most highly skilled jobs in ordnance depots is that of the ammunition inspector. Ammunition inspectors must have a thor ough knowledge of! the safety regulations that apply to the handling and storing of high explosives and ammunition. Their duties may include inspecting and checking of the ammunition itself, the con tainers in which it is kept, and the magazines in which it is stored, renovated, or packed, as well as supervising less experienced inspectors. 16 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS Women ammunition inspectors were employed in three of the seven ordnance depots that stored ammunition and high explosives. In the largest of these, several women were already working as inspectors, others were being trained on the job and were to be sent away for additional training. The male inspectors still employed were to be sent to work at ports of embarkation. Three women inspectors were in the two other depots employing women. Ammunition inspectors are graded civil service employees and their duties and the degree of responsibility and authority may vary according to the grade in which they are classified. In the depot with the most women on these jobs, women inspected the ammunition igloos for dampness, ventilation, cleanliness, proper stacking of ammunition, and against overloading; they checked the doors, the door ventilators, and the drainage; they opened and in spected cars in which ammunition arrived. Sometimes they inspected the ammunition itself, and occasionally this work included taking shells and powder out of containers and refilling them. At times they watched the workers who loaded and unloaded ammunition to see whether the work was done safely and to teach safe handling methods. Some of the women also made up and packed boxes for less-than-carload shipments. The women inspectors who had worked at the depot longest arranged the office filing system in the ammuni tion area and trained other girls in the office to do the work. They also trained women to inventory igloos. In another depot a girl who w as employed as assistant ammunition inspector had to know how to handle ammunition and be able to determine when something went wrong with supplies in storage. The chief ammunition inspector in this depot stated that this girl was very satisfactory, that more women could be used for this type of work, but that, it was difficult to find wTornen with enough background to be trained for it. The women doing this work had been given training on the job first and then sent for additional training to arsenals or other depots. Checkers. Checking incoming and outgoing supplies is a big job in most depots, as in all warehouses where stock is continuously coming in and being shipped out. In one of the depots visited, more than one-tenth of the workers were checkers. Depot checkers have to verify the type and amount of supplies received, issued, or packed, and check such information as lot, stock number, contract number, weight, size of box, car and seal numbers, consignor and consignee, and so forth. Frequently they are required to observe whether boxes and crates are correctly stenciled or marked, whether packing containers are damaged, and make written or oral reports on conditions of shipments received. Some checkers in the depots visited also took inventory in the igloos and warehouses. In one depot women checking ammunition in the igloos also occasionally painted bottoms of shells. The work of the checker is largely clerical, but depot checkers employed in the industrial sections are generally not office workers. They work wherever incoming or outgoing supplies are handled.' At times they work in freight cars, checking supplies before they are un loaded ; at times in the warehouses or ammunition igloos, in sheds or JOB DESCRIPTIONS 17 on the open-air loading platforms and docks. Some checkers work in packing sections, checking items before they are packed for ship ment; others work where incoming supplies are unpacked—checking items before they are distributed to designated storage sections or bins. All 12 depots employed women checkers. In 6 of those reporting figures, all or almost all the checkers were women. Two employed close to 300 women checkers each; 2, close to 100 each; and the largest depot, where no figures on the number of checkers were secured, em ployed almost exclusively women for this work. In 9 depots from less than one-tenth to one-half of the women in the industrial sections were checkers. In most of the depots that stored ammunition, women checkers were employed in those areas. They were also seen working in every area and section where supplies were loaded, unloaded, packed, or unpacked for storage or shipment. In the igloo area of one depot, women checkers worked out-of-doors in the winter when the tempera ture sometimes dropped to 20° below zero. A few women checkers were reported in supervisory jobs or in the senior checker grades. In one depot a woman head checker super vised the work of 21 women who checked supplies in the ammunition area. In another a woman supervised 78 women checkers working in a warehouse section. One depot reported 10 women senior checkers and another 1 woman. In one depot, however, where almost 300 women and 100 men checkers were employed, the 31 workers listed as senior checkers were all men. Repair, Renovation, and Assembly. The maintenance of military supplies in a condition ready for use and issue involves a considerable amount of inspection, assembling, repair, and renovation work. Women were doing some of this maintenance work in practically every ordnance depot visited, their occupations including the remov ing of rust, painting, and reassembling of loaded shells; dismantling and cleaning of automotive equipment; repairing of small arms or cannon; assembling of small-arms ammunition; and work in the optical-instrument repair sections. Arms and Instrument Repair Jobs.—Women employed in the arms and cannon repair shops of one depot were machining, wood working, cleaning, polishing, assembling, inspecting, and proof-firing firearms. In another depot a crew of women were employed on jobs that involved the use of electric drills and drill presses. A number of depots that had instrument repair sections had trained or were training women for this work. Some of these young women (who had been given 4 months’ training,at an arsenal) were to take out, inspect, and repair lenses; regrease and repack instruments; and occasionally make parts that were damaged and could not be replaced.7 Ammunition Clipping Jobs.—Women employed in the small-arms clipping plant operated various types of machines on which ammuni tion was clipped or linked into rounds of 5 or 8 cartridges and into bandoleers of 105 rounds. Some operated link-belt, some clipping, 7 Detailed descriptions of the work involved in these production jobs are contained in two Women’s Bureau bulletins : Employment of Women in the Manufacture of Cannon and Small Arms in 1942 -Bulletin No. 192—3, and Employment Of and Demand For Women Workers in the Manufacture of Instruments—Aircraft, Optical and Fire-Control, and Sur gical and Dental—Bulletin No. 189-4. 18 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS and some metallic-link-belt machines. A few were working on hand clipping machines. Others were inspecting the 105-round bandoleers; opening boxes of ammunition and clips and placing them on conveyors for the clipping line; packing assembled ammunition in metal-lined boxes; stenciling identification on crates and salvaging corrugated cardboard from incoming boxes. Hundreds of workers were em ployed in this shop and four-fifths of them were women. Inspecting and Repacking Shells.—Three depots employed women in sections where shells were unpacked, the projectiles and cartridge cases taken apart, gaged or inspected visually, and repacked. In one depot where this work was exceptionally well organized, men were doing most of the heavy labor involved in unloading the clover-leaf containers in which the shells arrived, bringing the shells to the pack ing table, taking them off, and stacking them. The inspecting, assembling, and repacking of the shells was done by women, who worked at large tables on a continuous assembly-line basis; women on one side handled the cartridge cases, those on the other the projectiles. A cardboard disk was placed over the open end of each cartridge case, on top of the powder bags. The fiber packing containers were placed in a horizontal position on the table; women on one side of the table inserted the cartridge case into one end of the packing container, and a woman on the other side inserted the projec tile, fuze first, into the other end. The packed containers were then closed and taped shut by other women working along these tables. _ One of these repacking jobs, which involved lifting momentarily, but continuously, 25-pound projectiles, seemed rather strenuous for women (even when they were rotated to other operations every hour), and Bureau representatives suggested the use of some mechanical lift ing device for this operation. Disassembling and Cleaning Automotive Equipment.—In one depot a small group of women were dismantling automotive equip ment, cleaning bearings, .distributors, and small parts in an oil solvent, painting parts with wax and oil as a rust preventive, and wrapping them in wax paper. This work was not heavy, but it was dirty and hard on the hands. In another depot where tools had to be cleaned of dirt and steel waste, old men and boys performed all the dipping and cleaning operations, and women cut paper and wrapped the tools. Painting Shells.—In one depot a crew of men and women were seen removing rust with sandpaper and painting loaded shells. On this operation also men did the heavy work, such as lifting the shells, which weighed about 100 pounds, onto the tables and to the conveyors on which they were painted. Some of the men were engaged on the lighter work, such as scraping the rust off the shells. Ammunition-Popping Jobs.—Two of the depots visited had am munition-popping plants where components of used or deteriorated ammunition were salvaged. In one of these the plant was in oper ation but no women were employed in it. In the other, the plant was not in operation at time of visit, but the Bureau agent estimated that women could be used in about 80 percent of the grading, pull-down, decoring, and inspection work. Depot Operation and Depot Maintenance. In practically all the depots visited women were employed on the depot guard forces, in the transportation sections, and in custodial JOB DESCRIPTIONS 19 jobs such as janitress or matron. In three, women also worked as mechanic helpers in the depot maintenance shops, and in one women had been employed as firefighters. Guards.—Women were employed as guards in most depots. The majority were performing gate duty—checking passes, admitting and escorting visitors. In two cases, women guards were classified as auxiliary military police; some also did patrol duty in the warehouse sections. In one of these they carried si dearms, and were reported to have done at least as well as men on the rifle range and in target practice. In this depot women received about 1 month’s training and practice, which included: Background orientation, theory, supervised patrol ling, practice with firearms, first aid, safety, and military formality and courtesy. Future training here was to include jujitsu. These women had 20 minutes daily of drill and practice with firearms. About one-fifth of the guards were women and it was planned to increase the proportion to one-lialf. In another depot, where almost one-fourth of the guards were women, they drilled with the men and they also were to be provided with firearms. Some of the women guards of other depots were radio operators, one was a teletype operator, and in one depot women guards were in charge of the property room, and cleaned and repaired guns and flashlights. Dispatchers, Auto Mechanics, and Garage Attendants.—Prac tically all depots employed women as chauffeurs for driving passenger cars, carry-alls, station wagons, inter-area buses, and other passenger vehicles inside and outside depot grounds; in some cases only women were employed for this work. In a number of depots they wTere working also on other transportation and garage jobs. In three they were dispatchers of cars and trucks, and in one of these a woman was a senior dispatcher, a job involving a considerable degree of re sponsibility. It included the dispatching of transportation vehicles as well as the planning and scheduling of their use, and involved some supervision of men and women truck drivers. In a number of depots women were working as mechanic-helpers in the car-repair sections. Most of them performed minor repairs. In one the women mechanics ground valves, tore down and cleaned out carburetors and distributors, put in rings, oiled and greased cars, and “got into everything,” according to the foreman. Women were employed as garage attendants in three depots and this work included the usual duties of dispensing oil, testing tires, making minor repairs, and so forth. Mechanic Helpers in Depot Maintenance.—In three depots sev eral girls were working as mechanic helpers in the machine and electric shops. In one of these the gii'ls sometimes operated lathes, tool grinders, drills, and drill presses; they worked under the close super vision of older experienced men who were all-round mechanics and this combination was considered a good one. Women in the electric shop recharged batteries, repaired and tested portable lights used in the depot at night, and repaired socket switches. In another depot the women did tractor repair work. Some of these girls had NYA train ing before they were employed and some were sent away to vocational schools after being hired; others were trained on the job. They were 20 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS praised as willing and intelligent workers and at least one girl had advanced to third-class mechanic. Firefighters.—In 1 depot some 100 to 150 women had been trained as firefighters. Twenty-five women and 5 to 7 men usually were assigned to each shift. Administrative officers stated that women’s work was satisfactory (though a coworker said that when they had a real fire they “got excited”). At the time of the visit no women firefighters were employed. Matrons and Janitresses.—In several depots women were em ployed in these jobs and performed the usual custodial duties. Supervisory Jobs. In several depots a number of women were in supervisory jobs. They were employed as “foreladies,” “supervisors,” “gang bosses,” or “crew leaders.” One woman was listed as “assistant foreman of laborers,” some were senior checkers, and one was a senior dispatcher. Women gang bosses or crew leaders were in charge of small groups of workers, had only minor supervisory duties, and worked right along with their crews. Their main function apparently was to set the work pace. A few women in supervisory jobs had wider functions and greater authority and supervised larger groups of workers. In one depot, for example, a woman was supervisor of 78 checkers. In another, several foreladies supervised the work of 400 women in a small-arms clipping plant. In general,, however, even those who had wider func tions worked under the direction of men supervisors, foremen, or subforemen. Specific information about women in supervisory jobs was secured in eight depots. In at least two, the advisability of having women supervisors in all sections where women were working was fully recog nized and there were some women in supervisory positions in every warehouse or section where women were employed. In most instances women supervised only women, but in 2 cases women gang bosses were supervising both men and women. There were about 40 men and women in one crew crating ammunition, and 10 to 20 in another employed as laborers. In one depot, where only Negro and no white women were employed as laborers, some of the Negro women were squad leaders and gang leaders. Personnel Relations Jobs. Six of the depots visited employed women as counselors or in other personnel relations jobs. These included four of the five depots with the largest proportions of women in industrial operations. One depot that had a considerable number of Negro women workers employed a Negro woman counselor. Reports on the duties and functions of these women were obtained in four depots, but in some the jobs still were “in the making” and not all functions were clearly defined. In all four, some of the women in personnel work checked or advised on the need of wash room and other depot facilities for women and handled problems relating to housing, child care, recreation, and other community facilities. In three, the counselors stated that they advised women crew leaders and other workers on job problems. In two, women in personnel relations gave exit interviews and some visited absentees. CONDITIONS OF WORK 21 Some of these women reported that they were studying the work of women on the jobs and advised or expected to make recommendations regarding working conditions and suitability of work. Most of the women employed on these jobs had had no previous training in personnel relations work, but a number had had exten sive experience in community work and other educational and prac tical experience which was useful background for their jobs. One woman who was chief of civilian personnel had had several years’ office experience in that depot. Clerical Work. Depot storage operations involve a great deal of clerical work. At the beginning of 1943, three times as many persons were engaged on the paper and other overhead work of supply depots as were employed in the actual handling of materiel in and out of warehouses. No effort was made by the Women’s Bureau representatives to analyze office and other clerical occupations of women, principally because they were already employed in large numbers in most depot offices and their suitability for clerical work was recognized. How ever, some general information indicating how extensively they were used for office work was secured. A large proportion of the women employed in the depots were working in offices or were doing clerical work in the industrial areas. In five depots where separate figures on office jobs were obtained, from 45 to 89 percent of the workers in offices were women. In six depots, from 24 to 68 percent of the total number of women employed were working in depot offices. In three of these, more than 50 percent of the women were in office jobs. However, one had just started opera tion and was only beginning to employ industrial workers; another was a wholesale establishment where most of the supplies handled were too heavy for women; and the third was in an area where men were still available for depot industrial work. HIRING REQUIREMENTS, PLACEMENT, AND TRAINING Proper consideration of age and physical condition in selection, job assignment, and induction and training were important factors in the efficient use of women on depot jobs. Preplacement Physical Examinations. Not all depots placed the right women in the right or the most suit able job, but many did use medical examinations as a basis for selecting younger and stronger women for jobs that required agility and con siderable physical endurance and for placing older and less vigorous women on lighter jobs that did not involve too much physical exertion. All depots visited required preemployment physical examinations. In a number it was indicated specifically that examinations were used as a basis for job placement. In two of these, workers were classified as to fitness for light, moderate, or arduous work. In one, the depot doctor advised as to the type of work on which an applicant should be placed. In another, workers were classified in three groups as (1) suit able for any work in the depot; (2) having a minor physical disability 22 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS but suitable for most types of work; and (3) suitable only for re stricted work and placement, subject to approval of medical depart ment. In this depot, workers in the third group and some in the second were given special cards indicating their physical disability, and when transferred from one job to another they had to show their cards to the foreman to secure exemption from work that was too heavy. In two other depots it was reported that physical examina tions were required to determine fitness for a job. One depot also reported that in addition to the initial examination, periodic physical examinations were given during employment. Pregnancy was not considered a physical disability in most of the five depots where information on this point was secured, but pregnant women generally were required either to bring statements from their own doctors or to report regularly to the depot doctors. In one depot it was stated that pregnant women were transferred to lighter work, and in another that they were kept on if in clerical jobs but not if on heavier work. In 10 depots all physical examinations were made by depot doctors. In two, such examinations were required but workers had to employ their own doctors. Policies Regarding Age and Marital Status. Most depots had no hiring restrictions based on marital status. In a number of depots it was specifically stated that no distinction wTas made in hiring between married and single women and two reported that half and three-fourths, respectively, of the women workers were married. No formal maximum hiring age wTas set in any of the depots where information on age policies was secured. A number, however, ex pressed preference for women between 25 and 40, and in one the actual age limit apparently was 50 years. The majority of women in industrial operations apparently were under 35. However, in several depots a considerable number of older women—over 40. and some 50, 60, and even as much as 70 years of age—were employed. The minimum hiring age was 18 years in all but three depots, two of which had a minimum of 16 years and one a minimum of 21. Most of the depots were employing women 40 years of age or older. In one, the majority of the women were in the 40’s and the average age of women in the warehouse area was 35. In another, 25 percent of the women were above 40 years of age and 50 percent were from 26 to 39. In a depot where no figures were available on age distribution, preference was expressed for women workers be tween 35 and 40 on the ground that they were more settled than younger women. One depot employed a considerable number of women who appeared to be in their 60’s, and several others reported some women 50 and over in industrial sections. In depots where the older women were placed on jobs that did not require too much physical exertion, they were apparently considered satisfactory workers. In a depot with many women 35 to 50 years of age they were on jobs that required but little lifting—doing such light work as bag-making, preserving and wrapping, stenciling and checking. In another depot a number of older women were em ployed in the small-arms plant on jobs requiring only moderate speed. CONDITIONS OF WORK 23 One of these women was 70 and claimed she could keep up with any worker in the plant. In two depots where a large proportion of women were reported to be over 40, many were employed as packers, checkers, and selectors. In a number of depots older women were seen on jobs that required considerable physical exertion and appeared too strenuous for them. However, some of the older women seemed quite capable of handling any job to which they were assigned. In one depot, for example, many men and women in the late 60’s were doing strictly laboring work and were considered very good workers. However, the white women in this area came from exceptionally healthy hard-working stock, were steady workers and used to heavy work. In one depot a grandmother was pointed out who, after working 10 hours a day on her depot job, put in 4 or 5 hours of work at home each day helping out in a small washing and ironing business run by her family. She looked to be about 60 years old, and stated that she traveled 97 miles to and from work. Women of 40 or older were praised in a number of depots as hard and steady workers. Training. Depots have had to hire mostly inexperienced workers, and because of this some training and general orientation in depot operations and safety rules were essential even on the most unskilled jobs. Since most warehousing operations do not involve very much skill, the majority of the workers were trained on the job. A small number, who were on more skilled jobs, received supplementary training at the depots, and a few were sent for additional training to schools, arse nals, ordnance plants, or other depots. All the women ammunition inspectors received some preliminary training on the job and were later sent for additional training to ordnance plants or other depots. Women who were to be employed to do optical-instrument repair work were sent to school, in some cases for 4 months’ training before they were to begin work. In three depots women mechanic-learners had taken or were sent away for special training in Government vocational schools. Special train ing courses at the depots were also reported for women checkers, guards, or fork-lift-truck and tractor operators. One depot had a dummy set-up for a full day’s training of fork lift operators, where empty cartons were used and workers were taught how to operate the trucks, pick up boxes, go in and out of door ways and so forth. Later these workers were given additional train ing on the job. Most of the depots had the regular Job Instruction Training, Job Method Training, and Job Delations Training courses for supervisory personnel; and some reported that workers who trained others on the job were also required to take these courses. One depot reported that a JRT course was to be given to 200 women in 2 months’ time to prepare them as group leaders and for supervisory jobs. One depot reported a course in safety training. In several depots occasional instruction courses on safety were given, and practically all depots had refresher and other courses for clerical workers. All training was given on depot time. 24 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS One of the chief problems that depots faced was the lack of workers or supervisors to start with who knew how to train inexperienced workers. One of the depots solved this problem by establishing a tem porary training school during the summer and staffing it with school teachers. These teachers started by working on the jobs themselves. After they learned the operations involved in each job, they worked out methods of teaching them to others and trained the more ex perienced workers how to teach inexperienced employees on the job. The courses included operation of fork-lift trucks and other vehicles, checking, nomenclature, stock-picking, stock-location, and safety and first-aid courses which some workers from each section had to take. There were also courses for guards and office workers. In another depot the man in charge of the training department had several years’ experience in vocational training and knew most of the crafts. He studied each job himself, made job break-downs, and then brought in the more experienced workers and showed them how to teach “green” employees. This depot tried to overcome the shortage of adequately trained personnel by requiring all workers, from department heads to crew leaders, to take the JIT course for 1 week. Through this training the depot discovered a number of workers with supervisory capacities. In most depots there was pressing need for more extensive Job Methods Training for supervisors, in order to acquaint them with methods that can be used to rearrange, simplify, and make less ar duous and safer work on which women were or could be employed. Only one depot had a training school that all new workers had to attend, after they were hired but before they went on the job. First a general orientation course was given to new workers, then special job training. The school had two or more classrooms, a library, a large room for movies, lectures, and so forth. A decrease in turn over among women workers was reported after this school began to function. In a number of depots there was obvious need for additional train ing, even for unskilled workers, in the approved methods of lifting or carrying supplies, and for instruction in the proper use of such simple tools as hand hammers. In one it was reported that high rates of turn over among newer workers were due in part to lack of specific in structions relating to the job, as well as lack of general orientation on depot operations and functions. ABSENTEEISM AND TURN-OVER; ACCIDENTS Accident, absenteeism, and turn-over records are partial indicators of how adequately women function on their jobs. Statistics obtained in a few depots, and estimates of safety and supervisory personnel in others, indicate that in most depots women had at least as good a record as men. Absenteeism. Statements as to absenteeism were secured in 11 depots, but only 2 supplied statistics separately for men and for women. In the others tire reports were based on depot records or on estimates of supervisory, administrative, or personnel officers, CONDITIONS OF WORK 25 Total absenteeism rates reported in a number of depots were surpris ingly low and were said to differ only slightly as between the sexes. The lowest rates of unauthorized absenteeism reported by three depots ranged from 2 to 4y2 percent. In one of these absenteeism was cut by more than one-half after a system of visiting absent workers was introduced. Illness was given as the principal cause of absenteeism in four depots. Home and personal problems, shopping and transportation difficulties, were among the other principal reasons listed. Turn-over. Figures on total turn-over rates were secured in four depots. Only two of these had a break-down separate for men and women; in one, the turn-over rate was about the same for women as for men; in the other, the rate for men, excluding military separations, was 10 percent, and that for women was 3.5 percent. In two other depots where no figures were obtained, administrative officers estimated that the turn-over rate was approximately the same for women as for men. In another it was stated that turn-over among women was very low. In one of these it was indicated that fewer women left their jobs after a depot training school was started where newly hired women were given some training and instructions after hiring but before going on the job. The reasons given by women for leaving their jobs included illness, home and other personal problems, inadequate housing, child care, transfer with soldier husband, “dis satisfaction,” and accidents. Accidents. Accident statistics and reports of depot safety and administrative personnel indicate that women established a good safety record. In three of four depots where statistical data were secured the accident rates were considerably higher for men than for women; in one, women lost more time than men. Though higher accident rates among men are frequently due to more hazardous work, in a number of depots women doing the same work as men were considered safer and more careful workers. • The safety engineer of one depot, for example, in speaking about women fork-lift-truck operators and drivers of other motorized vehicles said, “Women are safer workers than men—much safer.” In the same depot foremen expressed the opinion that women followed instructions more closely. In another, an administrative officer said he thought women were inclined to be more careful than men. WAGES, HOURS, AND OTHER WORKING CONDITIONS Wages. The beginning minimum rates for women workers ranged from 46 cents to 72 cents an hour; in nine depots the beginners’ rates were 50 cents an hour or more. Only one depot had a shift differential—5 cents for work after 6 p. m. Some of the civilian workers in the depot industrial areas were in graded Civil Service occupations, but many were in ungraded jobs and rates in these classifications were based 26 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS partly on the wage levels prevailing in the localities where the depots were operating. Wage Advancement and Upgrading Policies—In most depots wage advancement and upgrading standards were still in the forma tive stage. Only two of the nine establishments that reported on ad vancement policies had automatic systems based on length of service alid on merit. One of these provided a 12-cent hourly increase in two steps within 90 days, another a 25-cent increase in 3 steps within six months. In six depots increases were based on merit and depended largely on the recommendation of supervisors. One depot reported that it had not yet established any system of promotion. Reports from several depots indicate that for many women there had been practically no promotion from the lowest wage-rate classifica tions. This was due in part to the fact that some depots had not been functioning very long and most women were new workers, but this was not always the case; in some depots women who had been employed several months, and even women in supervisory jobs, still were getting beginners’ rates. Upgrading.—Most of the depots had no formal system of upgrad ing; three reported that promotional lines had not yet been established, or no regular system, and in two the only evidence of upgrading was the employment of some women as crew bosses, gang leaders, or fore ladies. One depot reported that women were advanced by steps in job series and two reported regular Civil Service upgrading plans. In one depot it was stated that some women had been advanced from the laborers’ group to higher-paying classifications and more skilled jobs. Equal Pag.—Eight depots reported the same beginners’ minimum rates for men and women. Three reported beginners’ hourly rates for women that were 3 cents, 16 cents, and 18 cents less than those paid to men. One did not supply any information on rates for men. All depots apparently conformed in theory to the equal-pay-forequal-work standards affirmed by the National War Labor Board and the leading war production agencies of the Government. The Army Service Forces requires that job content and not the individual doing the work should be the determining factor in classifying ungraded ci vilian employees in Governmental installations. In keeping with this principle no pay differentials on the basis of sex were included in any depot job classifications; men and women in the same grade and job classifications had the same rates of pay. But most occupations had more than one grade or job rate, and a much larger proportion of women than of men were getting the minimum rates. For example, in the laborer groups, women were generally in the “light” labor classi fications (which carried the lowest rates) on the ground that they did not or could not do heavy work. Men were generally in classifica tions that carried higher rates because, it was said, their work was heavier, required more endurance, experience, or skill. Some oases were observed, however, where the wage differentials did not seem justified on the basis of actual work performed by men and women. In at least three depots, women who were getting the lowest rates were seen doing the same, as heavy, or heavier work than men and boys who were in higher wage classifications. Some of the lighter jobs on which women were employed required continuous ap plication and some degree of skill and seemed productively at least CONDITIONS OF WORK 27 as valuable as the higher-paying heavier jobs of certain men and boys. Cases were reported also of women who replaced men being classified at a lower rate, notwithstanding the fact that they were employed to do the same work as the men. Though in conversation it was almost never admitted that a woman exactly replaced a man, since she cannot lift as heavy weights, in some cases women were praised as better workers than men in other respects. Wage differentials between women doing the same work were reported also. In a number of depots, administrative officers were fully aware of the need of further study of some of the job classifications and the necessity of reclassifying some of the women workers. Hours, Shifts, and Lunch and Rest Periods. Scheduled Hours.—The standard work schedule in all but two depots was 8 hours a day, 48 hours a week, for each shift. Two depots operated on a I^-do-hour schedule; in one of these the schedule in one section was 8-48 hours. Shifts.—Seven of the 12 depots operated on a two- or three-shift basis and employed women on all shifts. In four depots the shifts were not rotated; in two they were rotated every 2 weeks; and in one every week. Five depots indicated the proportion of women em ployed on the second and third shifts; in four, from 10 to 50 percent of the women were on these late shifts, but in three of these two-thirds or more of the women were on the two earlier shifts. In one, an equal number of women were employed on each of the three shifts. Overtime.—No figures were secured showing the actual amount of time worked by women over and above their scheduled hours, but other information was obtained indicating depot practices. Ten depots reported on overtime. In 3, women were not required to work above scheduled hours. Four reported very little overtime for women; in 1 of these, it was stated that they occasionally worked on Sunday during emergencies; in another, men sometimes worked 16 hours in a stretch during rush periods, but women were not re quired to work these long shifts. In the other three depots, considerable irregular overtime was indi cated. In one, where it was limited to 3 hours a day, 6 days a week, the personnel officer stated that there had been “too much overtime” for women. In another depot, women sometimes worked up to 60 hours, on 7 days, a week. In a third, it was stated that women often worked on Sundays during emergencies and occasionally worked two or three extra hours daily. Rest Periods.—Most depots allowed women two formal rest periods a day during working hours. Five reported two 10-minute paid rest periods for women on each shift, and three reported two 15-minute such periods. Some depots reported that they had no formal rest periods for most workers. In two depots women who worked in areas some distance from rest-room and toilet facilities had no formal rest period but were allowed more time for lunch, and some of this time was used for getting to the washrooms. Lunch Period.—The lunch period in all but three depots was 30 minutes on all shifts. In two depots one hour was allowed for lunch, and one depot had 45 minutes for the first and second shifts but no formal lunch period for the third shift. 28 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS Working Conditions Surrounding Job. Seats and Standing Platforms.—Most women in the depots’ in dustrial sections were on active jobs where the use of seats was not feasible, but on many packing lines and on some of the other depot work where women were employed, seats could be used regularly or periodically. However, seats were rarely provided. One depot, employing only a small proportion of women, had stools with backs for women on jobs where sitting was possible, and in some of the others seats were provided on table packing jobs. However, in three depots that had the largest proportions of women in industrial operations, proper seating provisions were practically nonexistent. One of these had ordered a small number of chairs and planned to experiment with them on various jobs. In another, women working in sections where seating was possible either had no seats of any sort or used boxes more often than chairs. In the third, no seats were observed in any section. Bureau agents recommended the use of posture chairs on jobs where occasional or constant sitting was feasible, as a means of reducing strain and increasing the efficiency of women workers. They also suggested, in the interest of efficiency and the well-being of women, that it would be advisable to provide stools or benches with backs in sections where women who had to stand'or move about constantly while working could sit and rest occasionally during periodic lulls in work. Floor Boards.—Many depot jobs on which women were employed required continuous standing on cement floors, obviously very hard on the feet. In several depots floor boards or wooden platforms were provided for workers on these jobs, but in one depot none of the work ers were supplied with such equipment. Heating.—Because of the nature of supplies handled in ammuni tion areas and in ordnance warehouses, it is not considered safe to heat most of these structures. Therefore in the winter a large pro portion of the women in the industrial sections worked in unheated warehouses and igloos or in the open. Reports on heating provisions were obtained in five Ordnance, one Quartermaster, and one Medical depot. Four of the Ordnance depots had no heat in their warehouses, but provided some in rest rooms and other locations where women could go occasionally to get warm. One depot was considering the use of heaters on trucks. An Ordnance depot that handled primarily automotive equipment, and also the Quartermaster and Medical depots, had some provision for heat in most of the warehouses. However, since many of these structures were large and drafty, and their big doors frequently stood open for moving materials in and out, the heating was not always adequate, and Bureau representatives suggested that because of these factors it was especially important to provide well-heated and comfortable rest rooms for women. Toilet and Washroom Facilities.—Inquiries were made or condi tions were observed in most depots as to the provision of service facilities for women. There were sharp contrasts among the depots visited in the type and adequacy of toilets and washrooms. This was due in part to the large areas over which women workers were scat tered in some depots, and in part to the fact that employment of CONDITIONS OF WORK 29 women in the industrial areas was not anticipated when certain depots were built and no special facilities for women were provided. In six depots the toilet facilities apparently were adequate for all women workers. Such provisions were inadequate, however, in a num ber of depots, especially in the ammunition and other open areas. One depot had some wooden privies, and portable privies on skids were being built. One had some portable water closets. Under one primi tive condition women in the ammunition areas were transported to toilets, only about one trip a day per woman being made and the round trip sometimes consuming 45 or 50 minutes. The best toilet, restroom, and lunchroom facilities seen were in a depot where several women were employed in personnel relations jobs. This depot was built originally without facilities for women, but much ingenuity was shown in those constructed later. When visited, it had several large, airy, light, and cheerful restrooms, some of which had couches, lamps, magazines, cheerful decorative curtains, and linoleum on the floor. Toilets and washrooms were spacious, well equipped, and well kept. They had large mirrors, washbowls, paper towels, soap powder, an adequate number of toilets, sanitary supplies, and waste receptacles. There were sufficient and neatly-constructed beaver-board lockers. There were large tables in the lunchrooms. The women in personnel relations jobs at this depot succeeded in getting shaiity washrooms constructed even in the open areas. These shanties had benches and little tables; galvanized water pails for washing up and for drinking water; paper cups, paper towels, and washing powder. Apparently, most of these facilities were constructed largely with materials avail able at the depot. In contrast to this was another depot that employed a large pro portion of women and where originally there were no facilities for them. Here some of those built for men had been turned over to women and were extremely inadequate. In one section, for example, 200 women used facilities that were not adequate for more than 30 persons. In a warehouse of this depot, it was said that a sign on the only toilet available was changed at stated intervals to indicate when women or men could use it and some of the buildings in which women worked were one-fourth of a mile from the nearest toilet facilities. In six depots where reports on rest rooms were secured, some such rooms were provided in every case, but generally they were inadequate and in only rare cases were cots or comfortable chairs provided in rest rooms. In the depots where information on lockers was secured, only two had sufficient for all women workers. In four others locker space was available only for some of the women. Five depots where reports on drinking facilities were obtained had some bubblers or fountains, but in a number they were either inadequate or not pro vided in the ammunition areas and other sections. Workers in some of the warehouse sections and in the ammunition areas were served by water trucks. Safety Clothing. Slacks, coveralls, bandanna, and safety shoes were the principal types of safety clothing worn by women in the industrial sections of the depots. For women in one depot who were on heavy laboring jobs and those who were driving tractors and trucks, the Government 30 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS provided, free of charge, very wide, ventilated leather belts that helped to support the back and kidneys. Goggles also were supplied when needed. Safety shoes were required or recommended on many jobs, but few women were wearing them. None of the depots provided these shoes free of charge and only one had them for sale. Three depots reported difficulty in getting powder shoes or oilier safety footwear. In one of these, women were required to wear shoes without nails when they could not get powder shoes, but in some areas the flimsiest types were worn on jobs where sturdy shoes were needed. In two depots where women either could not get or did not want to buy safety shoes, they wore sensible low-heel walking shoes. Slacks and coveralls were worn by most or all of the women in six depots. In a number of others, women who operated fork-lift and other trucks or tractors, women in machine shops, and those on other active jobs, wore overalls or slacks. Some of the older women seen wore wearing dresses. One depot engineer reported that face shields and goggles were provided for women on nailing jobs in the box-making departments to prevent eye injury from flying nails, but that most of the women did not wear them. MEDICAL SERVICE; FOOD FACILITIES Medical Service. Most of the depots provided exceptionally good medical facilities. This was due in part to the hazards involved in handling ammunition and heavy supplies, but traditional Army medical standards un questionably accounted in some measure for these high standards. Most depots had hospitals, infirmaries, or extremely well-equipped first-aid provisions with nurses on duty constantly and doctors on duty or on call during working hours. In one notable case the first-aid building was equipped like a hospital, with operating table, a fine dis pensary, and four or five rooms with a cot in each. One depot had, in addition to the hospital, seven first-aid stations throughout the area, with nurses in charge of each. One had a complete emergency hos pital with a surgical room and four wards separate for men and women. Two others used post hospitals. Two had very good infirmaries with as many as five and eight nurses, respectively, on duty at all hours and several rooms for patients. Depots that had no hospitals had well-equipped first-aid rooms or stations with full-time nurses and with doctors on duty all or part of the time. First-aid kits must be and were provided, by law and under Ord nance regulations, in all sections where ammunition and explosives are handled. Workers: who had received first-aid training were in charge of this equipment. Food Facilities. In depots that occupied many square miles it was difficult to provide adequate food facilities accessible to all workers. Even where trans portation was available, it was not always possible to have stationary eating facilities that could be reached within a few minutes. This CONDITIONS OF WORK 31 applied especially to workers in ammunition areas who were scattered over hundreds of acres. Eleven of the depots visited had one or more cafeterias, and one depot that was just getting into operation planned to provide cafe terias for the workers. However, in five depots it was reported that many workers could not or did not avail themselves of the cafeterias either because the facilities were too far from their sections or because the time consumed in standing in line was too long for workers who had only one-half an hour for lunch. Several depots reported that they staggered the lunch periods. Some additional eating facilities were provided in a number of depots. One had two cafeteria stations from which food was sent out to workers in the more remote sections. Another had, in addition to cafeterias, a number of canteens, two had sandwich bars, one had a post exchange. In four, tables and chairs were provided in some of the sections for workers who brought their food with them. One depot had plans under way for a canteen service in distant areas. In a number of depots the cafeterias were open for all shifts on which women were working. In two they were closed during one of the late shifts. In cases where the cafeteria closed at the end of the day, the workers occasionally required to stay overtime found it: diffi cult or impossible to get food. Bureau representatives recommended that where cafeterias could not be kept open during late shifts, some, canteen service should be provided, since hot food for workers on these late shifts is particularly important. In practically all depots the cafeterias were Government-operated. In three depots where reports on quality were secured, hot meals were served and considerable variety as well as good quality of food was reported. In a depot in the South, workers were said to obtain a very adequate lunch for 25 cents. In a few depots it was indicated that there were no restrictions regarding the use of cafeterias by office and industrial workers nor by white and Negro workers. Privately op erated cafeterias were visited in two depots, and in both of these the service and the quality and variety of food were very poor. Since in some depots it was almost impossible to provide cafeterias accessible to all workers, Bureau representatives recommended more extensive use. of canteen service as a means of getting warm food to workers in the outlying areas. They also recommended more ade quate provision of lunchrooms with tables and chairs where workers who brought their food from home could eat in comfort. HOUSING; RECREATION FACILITIES; TRANSPORTATION Housing. The provision of adequate housing for depot workers was an im portant factor in securing and maintaining a stable labor force. A number of depots were in isolated areas where special housing had to be provided for some of the workers, and a number were in or near communities where serious housing shortages existed. In some of these it was practically impossible to secure any family units. Single rooms, when available, seemed reasonably priced, but not infrequently it was reported that single women living in rented rooms were allowed no home privileges of any sort. Partly due to lack of nearby housing 32 WOMEN IN ARMY SUPPLY DEPOTS facilities, some workers traveled 100 miles or more each day to and from work, the bus fares in such cases amounting to 80 or 85 cents a day. Information on housing provisions was secured in a lew depots. In 5, special FHA projects for depot workers had been built or were in process of building. One depot was in a community where the FHA was putting up 1.000 temporary housing units. In 2 other depots, which as yet provided no special housing for their workers, the per sonnel departments helped the workers with their housing problems. Some workers lived in auto trailers. Two of the four depots where special housing was provided for the workers had dormitories and apartments, for men, women, and married couples. One had dormitories for single men and women, and in one case several dormitories originally intended for men were assigned to women. , Most of the rooms in these housing projects were furnished with such basic essentials as a bed, bed linen, a chair, a dressing table, a mirror, and an open closet or closed wardrobe. In one housing project it was reported that daily maid service was provided, and two others planned such service. All women’s dormitories had adequate bath room and toilet facilities. Well-equipped laundries were available in three depots; and in one where the dormitories were originally in tended for men, laundry equipment was to be installed. Three projects had centrally located cafeterias. . . One housing project planned to have an infirmary with nursing service, which was to include an isolation room with four beds for contagious diseases and another with four beds for general illness. It was planned to provide tray service for those ill in the infirmary. In all five housing projects, rooms, dormitories, or special halls were set aside or planned for recreation purposes. Rents were reasonable in all dormitories. The usual rent for a single room was $15 a month; for a double room it was $10 a month per person. In one case the rent was even lower: In a double room it was $8 a month per person and in rooms accommodating three or more, it was only $6 per person. However, the rooms in one dormitory with higher rents were extremely bleak and barrack-like, were not adequately equipped, and would not be considered desirable living quarters by most women. No drawers of any kind were provided, the closets were without doors, the construction was rough, the floors were rough, and no floor covering or spreads were provided. Admin istrative officers were aware of the fact that women could not be satis fied with such bleak rooms, and were trying to secure additional furniture and to make them more livable. Recreation Facilities. Provision of recreation facilities for workers who did not normally live in the depot areas and for those who lived in depot housing projects also was an important personnel problem. One of the women in employment personnel relations stated that her depot fre quently lost good workers because they got so bored living in the little nearby community with nothing to do after their working hours. Information about recreation activities was secured in a number of depots. All four that had special housing projects for their workers provided some such facilities. CONDITIONS OF WORK 33 One of the housing projects had a special officer in charge of recrea tion activities and one of the dormitories was fitted up as a recreation building. A large room on the ground floor of this building had equipment for ping-pong and other games, as well as a piano, radio, and well-stocked bookshelves. On another floor there were a large recreation room for special use and four small reading rooms. Each Wednesday there were dancing and bingo games. A depot where women had just begun to move into the dormitories reported plans for an extensive recreation program. This depot had three recreation halls and planned to build a small reception building near the gates, where women could meet their friends. It had a picnic area with trees and grass, where there were to be fireplaces for out door cooking. Its planned recreation program included dances, athletics, various outdoor activities, and classes if desired. A motionpicture theater was being built near the housing project. A depot that was at some distance from any center of population and expected to have a large proportion of its workers live in the depot dormitories and apartments, was planning several small recrea tion halls for women. Community facilities, when the housing proj ect was completed, were to include a playground, motion-picture house, a recreation center, a beauty shop, markets, a cafeteria, a school, and a nursery for young children. Transportation. Because of the isolated location of some depots, and the wide areas from which workers were recruited, special transportation provision had to be made. The majority had regular bus service only at shift hours. Five were served by public buses, street cars, and private cars. One of these had an arrangement with an outside bus company that furnished transportation to workers from surrounding areas. Three depots provided special bus service for workers who lived in nearby towns. One other was arranging with a private company to furnish trans portation at reduced rates (company to receive a subsidy from the Government) for workers who lived about 40 miles from the depot. Many workers made car-pooling arrangements and commuted daily m private cars. This was the only form of transportation available to some workers who lived in towns within the recruiting area of depots. One depot provided special buses and carry-alls in cases of emer gency and for transporting workers on night shifts and those working overtime. It also had a special clerk to handle transportation prob lems of workers. Another had a special rationing board at the depot for rationing gas. In two or more depots, women in personnel jobs advised in the transportation problems of women. Car break-downs and lack of facilities for repair, lack of garage service, and overcrowded and infrequent bus service were serious problems in a number of depots. In one it was reported that resi dents in nearby towns preferred work elsewhere rather than using the poor bus service to the depot. In many instances, transportation difficulties were among the chief causes of absenteeism and turn-over. o
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