Storm Over Meter Maids

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31235, 6 December 1966, Page 3

Storm Over Meter Maids

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Dec. 5. A decision by the Takapuna Businessmen’s Association to engage “two attractive young ladies” in bikinis as meter maids for the two weeks before Christmas has caused such adverse reaction that the association has called a meeting tomorrow to reconsider its decision. The association’s president, Mr N. G. Galbraith, said today that objections were that the scheme was “degrading,” “indecent,” and “cheap publicity.” These may have made some members of the executive withdraw their previously unanimous support. Mr T. Bliss, who is chairman of the association’s retail committee, said he had no intention at this stage of withdrawing the plan and he thought the executive would be fully behind it. “The crux is that during

the summer months a girl in a bikini is a very common sight in Takapuna. “If it was Queen street or Karangahape road, we would not even consider such a plan, but for Takapuna we feel we are not stepping out of line or doing anything which would lead to a bad moral tone.” Mr Bliss said he felt the people who had been asked for their opinion did not represent a cross-section of the community. “We expected some criticism, of course,” he said, “and these are the people we thought it would come from.” The Mayoress of Takapuna, Mrs A. F. Thomas, said that her telephone had been “hot” with people telephoning to complain. A Takapuna city councillor, Mrs M. 0. Russell, said people had telephoned her with complaints and others had stopped her in the street. The Mayor of Takapuna, Mr Thomas, said last night that bikini-clad meter maids were cheap publicity for Takapuna.

“1 wish the council had power to do something about it,” he said. “I think it will drive customers away. Taka-

puna being a suburban area where most of the shoppers are housewives.

“It is a pity the money and effort could not be used to provide a creche service for mothers with young children.” Mrs Thomas said: “There is a time and place for everything and the shopping centre is not the place for this. “When we are trying to encourage modesty in our children it is discouraging to have business leaders undermine us and I hope the committee will change its plans.” Miss S. M. Mollard, headmistress of Westlake Girls’ High School, said: “It is not anything I would wish the school to have anything to do with.

“It is a proposal to attract business which does not appeal to me. The idea is good but the dress or undress is neither necessary, nor desirable.”

Mrs Russell said the people who had telephoned her considered the proposal indecent. “1 do, too,” she added, “ft is not very cultural for a city and I am sorry to see it happen. It is not a good example for young people.” Another city councillor, Mrs F. Shieff, said she had three daughters, had travelled abroad and was up with the times. She would strongly object to seeing the meter maids in the city streets in bikinis. The Rev. J. A. Penman,

minister of the Takapuna Methodist Church, said: “If the Takapuna Businessmen’s Association cannot think of a better method of encouraging people to shop in Takapuna the business men are pretty barren of ideas.

“It is an unfair exploitation of our freedom today and we are not using it fairly.” The Belmont Presbyterian Church minister, the Rev. D. M. Pryor, said he had written a letter of protest to the council.

The president of the Takapuna League of Mothers, Mrs M. C. Wakefield, said the proposal was degrading. He suggested the meter maids could wear white skirts and blouses with peaked caps like a sailor or ship’s officer. The girls were to be Chosen this week. Mr Bliss said that so far the number of applications for the jobs had been disappointing after advertising in three newspapers. Today the association applied to modelling agencies. Good looks, figure and carriage were only a small part of the type of girl the association was looking for. The fact that no applicants under 21 would be interviewed without the parents’ consent affected the number of applications. That had been expected. The meter maids will put threepence into an expired meter and leave a card on the windscreen.