WAR TIME IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 44, 15 November 1917, Page 3

WAR TIME IN ENGLAND

WOMEN AND WOKK. Dr. A. S. Bowman, of Singleton, who has returned from a thirteen- months' tour of the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, relates interesting news concerning England and tho war, states the "Sydney Daily Telegraph." _ When questioned about the air raids, he eoid: "To me tho principal damage Beemed to be the breaking of windows. I saw one street from which oight tone of broken glass had been removed. She London Press is allowed to give only the official reports of the raids, but 1 can say that when an attack is going on it is just like being in battle. You cannot hear yourself speak owing to the noise ot the bombs and the guns. During the daytime shopping ie as busy as ever in London, but no building at all ie allowed to 'be constructed there, and every unfinished house stands to-day as it did tnreo rears ago. The only building work allowed is that of munition factories. In one park alono an area of ten acres was resumed for an aeroplane factory. While wo were in N Scotland wo iiad the pleasure of seeing the Grand Fleet off the coast, and it was certainly a fine spectacle. The battleships, cruisers, destroyers, trawlers, mine-sweepers, etc., made a picture that cannot be described in words, and gave one a wonderful impression of England's sea power. As to food conditions in London, Dr. Bowman said that, going through tho streets, one would not think that there was any scarcity at all, all the shops being full, but that would represent only one day's supply, and they would have to fill up again next day. At Smithfield Meat Market," he said, "you would see thousands upon thousands of carcasses hanging up, and by night time they would bo all gone. We had a flat of our own, and had some difficulty in_ gettin" such an article as sugar, sometimes getting only a pound for the week. We had no potatoes for a. month, and then got a few at 3s. per lb.; they had been, grown in hot-housee. We could have got some at Iβ. per lb., but that would have meant waiting from morning till night in a queue OTer half a mile in length. In fact, I hare seen a queue of women over a mile long waiting for potatoes. Then, in the winter, there was tlie same waiting for coal, through large quantities being frozen up in the barges in tha canals. This winter bet> ter provision has been made, njid, when I loft, vegetables, fruit, and potatoes were very plentiful, owing to a Rood season. Meat was never scarce, but always dear, going up to 2s. per lb." London was fairly alive witfc Australian!", their familiar slouch hats beifig seen everywhere. In London the hotels were only open from 12.3(1 to 2.30 p.m., and in the evening from 6.30 to 8.30. Outside those hours they were closed to all traffic, and not even boarders were allowed to be supplied with liquor. "I wish particularly to speak of the work of the women of England," Dr. Bowman proceeded. "It is simply wonderful. You see them everywhere, as window-cleaners, post girls, lift girls, telegraph tnessen. gers, tram conductors, ticket collectors, guards on the trains, railway 'porter? van drivers, and bo on. The lift girls at some of the big stores wear smart le?ginjfs. velvet breeches, and shapely coats and becoming caps. In the country there are great numbers working on the farms. At one place a lot of Australian girls are at work fruit picking. They get 18s. a week, and pay the farmer 12s. a week for their keep, giving their lal>onr from daylight to dark. The munition girls are in hundreds of tliousande. "I saw three trainloads pf them going on night shift one time, and each train had over 1000 girls between the ages of 16 and 21. In Glasgow the wages paid to the munitioners are much better than those paid for farm work. The munition work is very dangerous, and I have often seen the women' and girls taking a spell off with their faces turned quite yellow by the fumes from tho chemicals."