WORK IN THEATRES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 123, 26 May 1944, Page 6

WORK IN THEATRES

FAVOURED BY' GIRLS From the evidence given in the Arbitration Court yesterday by girl theatre workers,.it appeared.hat the •work has attractions. His Honour Mr. Justice Tyndall remarked on the influx to Wellington of girls from other parts of New Zealand, despite the cost °fMr VIH g Squires, City Missioner, giving evidence regarding living costs, said it cost Is 2d for each meal at the mission throughout the year, and that provided only the bare necessities. Old age pensioned bachelors got 32s 6d allowance a week, but it was necessary for the mission to give them further assistance. .. "Do you think it is a suitable employment for a young girl to be in a theatre?" asked his Honour.. ."I have seen the remarks of many ministers in this country deploring the quality of the pictures shown. These girls have to look at them day in and day out. Do you think it is right to make these jobs more attractive than they are? — "There are good and bad pictures, replied the witness. "They see very few things which are not contaminating. His Honour: The majority of the girls say that they are very happy in their jobs,- and do not want to leave them. In a previous case the girls were asked if they smoked, and one ot them said she spent from 5s to 6s per week. Do you class smoking as a super necessity?— Some people think it more necessary than a meal. ; COST OF ROOMS. ■ Do you agree that in Wellington City .the cost of rooms and living is in excess of that in any other city in New Zealand?— Yes. Any of these girls can go out and eet a job at from £3 to £4 a week flsewhere. Why do they not go away? —It is probably a more congenial occu.pation. ■ ' You would hardly hold up your own profession in determining what was a fair wage for a worker? —I chose my profession because I wanted to, ana not'for what I was getting out of it. Only about 1 in 1000 people work today by vocation. ■ ' Mr. Monteith: These girls are happy .'in their work but not in their wages? —There is such a thing as a bread line and a meat line. Persons can be happy in their job, but for a person who has to scrape it is not possible. To his Honour: They must find it very hard to get along on £2 4s 4d. In reply to a question by his Honour, the witness said that the cost of reasonable essentials had gone up in •the last 18 months by 25s in some matters. .The official figures did not take any notice of the rapacity of landlords. His Honour: You v/ould rather a girl should work 32 hours than 36, provided that she could get enough to live on? —It might be that working 36 hours would be a handicap; she would not be fit'to take on other work. Do you believe in the operation of supply and demand?—No, everybody is entitled to a decent standard. Mr. Fleming made it clear that he would be satisfied with the present rates of wages, as newdemands might toe at variance with the Stabilisation Eegulations", but .increases had been asked for, as otherwise it might later toe held against his case.. .. ■.. r:--.vi-.«J