Page:Women Wanted.djvu/167

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THE NEW WAGE ENVELOPE
151

pence for the second and 2 shillings for each subsequent child. Well, with the five children, that makes 27 shillings a week coming in and there's none of it going to the Great Boar's Head on the corner, which always used to get a look-in on Mr. Black's weekly wage envelope before Mrs. Black did. Now, in addition to this 27 shillings a week, which in itself is 5 shillings more than the family ever had before, Mrs. Black is at the factory where she is making 30 shillings a week. That's 57 shillings a week, which is her household income more than doubled. It's why 60,000 fewer persons in London were in receipt of poor relief in September, 1915, than in 1903, the previous most prosperous year known to the Board of Trade. In the West End of this town titled families are counting their "meatless" days. In the East End, families are celebrating meat days that were never known before the war. The Care Committee used to have to provide boots for over 300 school children in this district. This year there was only one family, the mother of which was ill, that needed boots!

RIGHT THIS WAY, LADIES, INTO INDUSTRY

Mrs. Lewis, this is the answer to your anxious inquiry: it's prosperity that's coming to you. In every warring country there are women of the working classes who have found it. You are going to be mobilised for the army of industry as your husband for the other army. Only there is no draft or conscription necessary. The recruiting station is just