Women are to be given permanent employment beyond the end of the war, though Hull’s Labour councillors claim women tram conductors will suffer ‘mentally and morally’

The railway managers have now given women a fair trial in the railway service, and have come to the conclusion that their experience during the last few months justifies the employment of women not only as a war emergency measure but as part of the permanent system of working the railways.

It is proposed to begin at once the employment of some thousands of women on the railways, and at the end of the war these women will be retained in the service except to the limited extent that it may be necessary to discharge some to permit of the reinstatement of former employees who enlisted in the army or navy.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Women worked as porters, guards and inspectors on the London underground. Photograph: Alamy

The following are the branches of work in which women are to be employed:-

Ticket collecting.- At all stations except where the character of the traffic makes it desirable that men only should be employed.

Booking Clerks.- Women will be employed in increasing numbers as booking clerks save for offices dealing with complicated bookings or requiring an unusually long spell of standing.

On the Tubes.- With the exception of driving women can be employed in almost any capacity on the London tube railways, but for dealing with emergencies it will be necessary to retain the services of a high proportion of male employees.

Porters.- The duties of light porters can be performed by women, and a limited number will be engaged in this capacity all over the country.

Clerical Work.- With the disappearance of competition among the companies one of the strongest objections to the employment of women railway clerks goes, and they will be employed to a greater extent in future.

Women as tram conductors: medical arguments against the practice

The Hull City Council yesterday adopted a recommendation of the Tramways Committee to employ women as tram conductors at the same rate of wages as men, if suitable men were not available.



The proposal was strongly opposed by Labour members, who said they were not satisfied that the Tramways Committee had made an effort to obtain male labour.

Dr. Webster said that while they accepted the doctrine that women should have equality with men politically, socially and industrially, there were psychological and physiological reasons which barred women from certain kinds of employment. No more trying occupation for women could be suggested than that of running up and down stairs winter and summer amongst crowds of people.

These women would be debarred from the marriage market, and the increase of population so absolutely necessary now would be curtailed. They desired womenly women, but these women must suffer mentally and morally in this occupation. He read a letter from a Manchester medical man fully agreeing with his statements, and condemning the employment of women as railway clerks and tram conductors.