WOMEN’S EMPHATIC PROTEST AGAINST 'FRIDAY FREIGHTING’

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1947, Page 8

WOMEN’S EMPHATIC PROTEST AGAINST 'FRIDAY FREIGHTING’

Extremely active and jalive best describes the spirit of the Wellington Housewives’ Association, as evidenced at its last meeting,. An exhaustive report on the fiveday shopping week was prepared by Mrs E. Wilcox, 75 per cent, of the women she interviewed declaring against Saturday closing. The meeting was more emphatic, a vote being unanimous (except for' one dissentient voice) to “stagger” the week and make Saturday morning a shopping period again. Many Advantages

Advantages claimed were: Fresher perishable foods. Assistance of husbands and children to carry parcels home. Benefit for “roomers” and shop assistants. Assistance to boardinghousekeepers in getting their work done before the afternoons. School children would.not have to be taken to town on Friday nights when buying clothes, as at present. Nerve strain on housewives, it was stated, had greatly increased under the present arrangements, and some cases were reported of actual injury to iiealtli from heavy shopping carrying. One woman had gone to hospital as a result of the “Friday freighting.” Home routines wore upset. Mrs Wilcox stressed that housewives were against the five-day week, not against the 40-hour week. One suggestion was that by working 12-hour shopping days (in shifts) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Wednesday would be left clear as a community social day with Saturday and Sunday for sport and leisure.

Pertinent Questions

Why mince should he composed of liver and gristle and other unrationed goods, and coupons demanded all the same, and why sausages shrunk far more in cooking and Swelled in price to Is a lb., wore questions also asked. Where all the N.Z.-made wool had gone; why fish was so scarce and dear; why only 54 Home Aids had to serve the whole of New Zealand, with orily eight in Wellington, and why a great army of war widows, pensioners, elderly spinsters and others were prevented from minding children and rendering invaluable help to homeharassed mothers, because of interfering with their pensions, were other questions asked and reported on.