[Illustration: STEAM ROLLER DRIVER]

In the railways they are booking clerks, carriage and engine cleaners
and greasers, and carriage repairers, cooks and waiters in dining
cars, platform, parcel and goods porters, telegraphists and ticket
collectors and inspectors, and labourers and wagon sheet repairers.
They work in quarries, are coal workers, clean ships, are park-keepers
and cinema operators. They are commercial travellers in large numbers.
They are in banks to a great extent and are now taking banking
examinations.

There was a very strong feeling as the replacement by women went on
that there must be no lowering of wage standards which would not only
be grossly unfair to women but imperil the returning soldier's chance
of getting his post back.

Mrs. Fawcett, on behalf of the Women's Interests Committee of the
N.U.W.S.S., called a conference on the question of War Service and
wages in 1915, and Mr. Runciman stated at the conference:

As regards the wages and conditions on which women should be
employed, as a general principle the Exchanges did not, and
could not, take direct responsibility as to the wages and
conditions, beyond giving in each case such information as
was in their possession. In regard, however, to Government
contractors, it had been laid down that the piece rates for
women should be the same as for men, and further special
instructions had been given to the Exchanges to inform
inexperienced applicants of the current wages in each case,