PARISIAN STRIKERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 186, 7 August 1936, Page 9

PARISIAN STRIKERS.

HOW THEY DRESSED WINDOWS

BUSINESS BOOM IN LONDON.

An amusing aspect of the big French strike, which recently paralysed industry in that country, was given by Mr. 33. B. Myer, chairman of directors of the Myer Emporium, Ltd u Melbourne, when he passed through Auckland to-day by (lie Mariposa, with his wife, on their return from a business trip round the world. He told liow employees of the big stores in Paris had slept on the premises, and had kept'out both "bosses" and customers. However, each morning they had dressed the windows anew!

The strikers, who had gained substantially by their direct action, had some justification, he said. Their pay had been very small ■ and hours had been long. Now they had shorter hours, an increase in pay of about 50 per cent (though that was not as much as they had asked), and three weeks' holfday on full pay each year. Mr. , and Mrs. Myer spent most of their stay abroad in London, and Mr. Myei' was most impressed with the atmosphere of prosperity in that city. It was difficult to get hotel accommodation even jiow, he said, and already the hotels were booked out for the. Coronation. London was benefiting from the state of unrest in Europe, he said. There was almost a boom there. Paris was depressed, and the lack of gaiety in other European capitals was sending all prosperous holi-day-makers to England's capital. Mr. Myer was impressed also with the tremendous progress that had been made in the recreating of Palestine under the Zionist movement. It was now a modern city, he said, a wonderful achievement considering the short time in which it had been accomplished.