TAME HOLIDAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 239, 9 October 1942, Page 2

TAME HOLIDAY

RACELESS SATURDAY

AUSTRALIAN AUSTERITY (0.C.) SYDNEY, October 7. The six-hour day October weekend holiday this year certainly fitted in with the Prime Minister's appeal for austerity living. Te begin with, of course, all essential workers continued in their jobs. Saturday, the first day of the holiday, was the first raceless Saturday in Australian history, and to add to that many hotels closed down for the day, partly in keeping with the spirit of austerity, but also to eke out their dwindling supplies of liquor. The Hotel Australia was closed for the first time in its 50 years of business, and the two other leading city hotels—the Carlton and Ushers—were also closed.

Sunday, with an all-time record October maximum shade temperature of 99.4, and with a hot searing wind blowing at gale force all day, was a real trial for the masses who live in Sydney's congested areas, for with transport cut down to save coal and manpower, they just cannot get to the beaches to cool off as is the Sydney custom. The holiday finished up tamely on Monday without the traditional Labour Day procession for the first time since 1854.

A particularly smart rush job was done by the film industry on Monday. As late as 11 a.m. the Supply Department wanted a short film made appealing for women workers for certain food factories turning out concentrated food, which is dropped by air to the advancing Australians "il ew Guinea. The same evening the completed film, including shots of Australian women factory workers and of the New Guinea fighting, was being shown all round bydney.