An excerpt from The Beaverton Presents Glorious and/or Free: The True History of Canada. Available where books are sold.
March 30th, 1915
MONTREAL — While our brave boys are off fighting Fritz on the front line, industrialists have adopted a new cost-saving production method: hiring those of the feminine persuasion.
While many expressed concern about dainty hands contaminating deadly munitions with care and compassion, innovative business leaders note that female employees are willing to be paid less for the same amount of work. These patriotic dames, who earn less than half of what their male counterparts do, are also posing for such inspiring posters as “We Can Do It—for Half Price!” and “My Other Blouse Is a War Bond.”
“We call this innovation the ‘wage gap,’” explained general manager Joseph Flavelle of the William Davies Packing Company. “We’ve seen it work in the teaching and medical professions, so we decided to take a risk and try it out on the factory floor. And what results!”
Thousands of women have already taken the sacrifice to make Canada’s industrialists wealthier, and therefore defeating the Hun.
“It’s my privilege to help my country,” said new employee Lindsay Gwyer. “Not my right, just like voting.”
While the women seemed just as at home making bombs as they were at making biscuits, the program backers did wish to assure an uneasy public that, when the war ended, these women would return to their domestic virtue.
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