POSTWOMEN TO START WORK

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23589, 17 March 1942, Page 4

POSTWOMEN TO START WORK

♦ CHANGE FOR CITY NEXT WEEK The Christchurch Post Office area’? first posiwoman started work yegterr day. on Halswell rural deliveries (a motor vehicle service). It js intended that 15 ppstwomen should start work in the city area next week, and the number will probably be increased as more men are called for military service. Announcing this yesterday, the De-puty-Chief Postmaster (Mr D. J. Lattimore) said that two women chauffeurs had also started duties at the public service garage (under the Post and Telegraph Department’s control), the duties being mainly driving and parcels delivery.’ Mr Lattimo're said that it had not been necessary to call for applications publicly. The Post Office was simply accepting applications, and it, of course, had a waiting list from which suitable women were being selected. All women, before starting work, linked up with the Women’s War Sct> vice Auxiliary. It was desired that the women selected should he from 18 to 30 years of age. and (he salaries varied according to age and ability, being in the main between £7O and £125 a year. No details were yet available about the official uniforms, he said, but these uniforms would be provided by the department in due course. In the North Island the Wpmen’s War Service Auxiliary had provided their uniforms until the departmental ones were issued. and presumably that could apply here. , , No decision had yet been made about exactly where the 15 women to start next week would be working. Any extension of the scheme would depend on the number of men called up and the availability of women to do the work. , , Mr Lattimore said that several postwomen had been working for some time in various parts of Canterbury and giving good service,