Women were employed on a large scale in France in all the luxury industries, such as dressmaking, leatherwork, jewellery, and other fancy goods. The prosperity of these irades largely depends on the state of the export market, and with the blockade of German export it is hoped that many foreign markets may give new openings to French trade, particularly North and South America. But with the civilian consumption of luxury goods greatly reduced in France, and in fact discouraged by the Government, and in the absence of tourists in war, none of these trades can work anything like full-time.
After closing down at the very beginning of the war the Paris dressmaking firms reopened soon afterwards, and the traditions of haute couture are being maintained even in war-time and Paris models zo out into the world as before; but the truth is that the great dr making firms in Paris now employing only one-fifth of their peacetime staff. How is the rest of this highly skilled labour to be employed? The Minister of Labour has found a solution which is now being put into practice, and that is to establish military workshops for 10,000 dress: makers who will be employed making military uniforms. Soldiers and officers may soon be able to boast of being "dressed" by Worth, or Paton, or Molyneux.
In almost every walk of life French women are taking over men's work, or are adapting their own w to war conditions, or are doing work for which there is no need in Sale on April 11
Contributions of all and every kind to the Limbless Fund jumble sale which will be held on April 11 in the Union Church Hall will be welcomed with open arms, Now is the time to make a really good tidy up of house, cupboards and drawers before the bright days search out all nooks and corners. Leave your parcels (marked "Limbless") at the Union Church Hall, or the following ladies will be pleased to collect them from you: Mesdames O. G. Beynon (Tel, 90166), J. J, Brooks (Tel. 20328), K. Harrop (Tel. 22596), J. F. Rankin (Tel. 70410), W, H, Train (22090), A. Sharp (76150), Arch Sinclair (19008), J. B. Monkman normal times, chief among it being, of course, hospital and ambulance work. -Welfare work among refugees
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.