“Can I send my children to school?” she continued.
“You are required to do so. Education is compulsory. Your children will be turned over to the Department of Education.”
“Am I to be separated from them?”
“You and they will live together in the same house.”
“But I am a member of the Episcopal church. I desire my children brought up in that church.”
“The religious education of your children is your own care. Send them to what church you will. Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Congregationalist and other denominations are represented here.”
“Would it be wrong for me to ask how much my wages are to be?”
“You will receive checks or orders the first year entitling you to one-third as much as a skilled first-year member. The second year you will receive as much as any other member of the Industrial Army, skilled or unskilled, officer or private. Last year each member received $1,200.00 in orders or checks entitling him to the use of public conveyances, railroads, house, water, gas, light, heat and other public utility, to goods, wares and merchandise, meals at restaurant or hotel, to admission to entertainments, use of public ovens, and, in short, whatever you need. If your children are infants the Department of Education has trained nurses to care for them. If a mother is nursing her babe we give her a furlough until the period of nursing ceases, but her pay continues. We encourage the mother to be with her children as much as possible, as we believe a mother’s love is one of the influences, under proper conditions, which inspire purity and develop manhood and womanhood in the child.”
“But if I must work I cannot care for my children and get them ready for school in the morning.”
“Women who have children are placed, as far as possible, in companies which do their work during what are called school hours. You will be assigned to the Domestic department and its officers will place you where you belong. You will go to your work at 9 o’clock and continue until 12. You will then take an hour for your own lunch and returning to work continue until 5.”