Some explanation of the conflict of evidence recorded under this
section of the inquiry may be found in the outlook of the witnesses
interviewed. Where increased output and commercial profit were the
chief concern, so long as few actual breakdowns occurred the witness
would report no unfavourable results from long hours of labour, while
those whose main interest lay with the well-being of the worker would
notice any falling off in health with long hours and would report
accordingly. It is obvious that no definite conclusions as to the
immediate or ultimate effect of long hours can be made from evidence of
this nature. In the second part of this report suggestions will be made
as to the lines on which more scientific inquiry should be conducted
in order to determine the exact effects of varying hours of industrial
work on the physical organisation of adolescent girls.
_Protracted Standing and Opportunity for Rest._--Evidence as to the
provision of seats in munition factories is, on the whole, very
encouraging. Most workshops have stools or seats for use during the
short pauses which occur whilst waiting for materials or for the
setting of tools, and where possible younger girls are put on work that
can be done sitting down, whilst Welfare supervisors are generally
ready to recommend that delicate girls be transferred from work which
involves protracted standing to processes which allow occasional or
even continued sitting-down, and foremen are nearly always willing to
fall in with the Welfare Workers' suggestions. Only in a few cases have
there been difficulties in securing seats: where men have been formerly
employed the foremen are sometimes prejudiced against allowing girls
to sit down, but they are soon convinced of the wisdom of making this
concession.
With certain processes prolonged standing is inevitable, but evidence
as to resulting injury was not forthcoming in Birmingham or Coventry.
None of the doctors interviewed was able to make any statement
regarding the effects of a continued standing posture, as no cases
of injury that could be attributed to this cause had come to their
notice. Some of the Welfare supervisors stated that girls got very
tired at first but soon got used to the permanent standing, and that
no serious or lasting injuries resulted, though in a few cases girls
not used to industrial work would get flat-footed or would suffer from
swollen feet. While varicose veins are rare in young girls, every
witness brought into contact with older married women was impressed by
the apparent inevitability of this trouble in later years, but it is
impossible to gather how far work during adolescence is responsible.
Evidence as to the effects of standing on the menstrual function will
be discussed later.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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