50 



industrial slump may come, and we don't know how soon. If, however, 

 we, can carry out our hope of raising the part-time school age to 18, 

 we have a very good way of preventing the market from being 

 overstocked with adult labour. 



Question : Would it not be a better suggestion, and more beneficial 

 to the future of the race, than that just put forward, that all married 

 women with dependents should not be employed in industry ? 



Answer : The greatest industrial reform we could have in this country 

 would be to keep boys and girls at school for 20 hours until they are 18. 

 The social and industrial effect would be enormous. It is inimical 

 to forbid married women to work unless ample provision is made for 

 them, and the number who would then want to go out to work is few ; 

 the desire of most women is to look after their homes. 



Question: The lecturer said that wages before the war were 11s. 

 and the present wages 20s., and that the employer would probably 

 work on that margin to lower the standard. Does she think that 

 women will go on being window cleaners, lamp lighters, and tram and 

 'bus conductors, or that the organised workers will submit to women 

 being employed if a* slump comes, so throwing a large number of men 

 out of work ? 



Answer : The 11s. is based on the Board of Trade returns of 1911, 

 and is rather a favourable figure. The predominant wage at present I 

 calculate at about 1 without being dogmatic. A great many women 

 will remain as conductors, but about window cleaning I do not know. 

 Women have taken with great pleasure to the outdoor employments 

 thrown open to them. If there is a slump, men will have a smaller 

 chance of turning the women out. 



Question : If motherhood were endowed, does Dr. Phillips not think 

 that employers would calculate that in the family income, like every- 

 thing else ; and would not this tend to deteriorate the economic value 

 of women ? 



Answer : I have not much fear of that, if the workers are well 

 organised employers are not all-powerful. If the workers care to 

 use brains as well as hands, they can get what they like. 



Question : Is it not our duty to keep women out of the factory 

 more than in the past ? Would not this be better for the well-being 

 of the race and the nation ? 



Answer : Certain trades are not fit for women, and they ought to 

 be kept out of these trades ; but the question of suitable trades should 

 be enquired into by a properly constituted body. Give women a 



