RAID SHELTERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20385, 23 October 1940, Page 5

RAID SHELTERS

LONDON PROBLEM APPROACH OF WINTER IMPROVEMENTS SOUGHT HEALTH OF PEOPLE (Eloc. Tel. Copyright—United Tress Assn.) (Reed. Oct. 23, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Ocl. 22. The approach of winter is sharpening many problems confronting the authorities as a result of experiences under aerial bombardment. Two doctors who have been continuously engaged among the population of East London since the beginning of heavy bombing have jointly appealed for a more comprehensive policy to meet the combined effects of air attack and the rigours of winter. They state there are few people in some London districts who do not spend, every night in some sort ot shelter.

Women and children, after leaving a shelter at dawn, often return to the queue before midday to ensure a place for the next night. An old woman was discovered in a large East End shelter who had not been above ground for five weeks. Something has already been done io make the most popular shelters habitable for extended periods, but much must be clone before the winter if disease is to be prevented from spreading like a plague.

These doctors urge the condemnation of all damp shelters, especially trench shelters; measures for proper disinfection, sanitation and ventilation.

Supplementing the arrangements for medical supervision and care of shelterers already undertaken by the authorities, the Minister of Home Security, Mr. Herbert Morrison, has ordered as an experiment the issuing of admission tickets for some air-raid shelters in London which are used for sleeping. If the scheme is a success, it will probably be extended to provincial centres. Mr. Morrison declared that he is anxious to abolish the “queue abomination” as quickly as possible, and he added that Londoners had had quite enough to endure without the hardship and waste of time involved in queueing up for shelter. ' Miss Ellen Wilkinson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions, invited 20 women using various types of shelters to meet at the Home Office to discuss the problems, after which she said that the delegates voted 100 per cent against separating men from the women, and emphasised the failure of efforts to prevent husbands and wives being together. For one excuse or another, husbands were smuggled into quarters reserved for women and children. The discussion reflected considerable feeling against persons who, having no work, queue up early to get the best places in the tube shelters.

After complaints of exorbitant prices for food charged by private sellers in shelters, the Ministry of Food is arranging a fixed tariff at London ■County Council prices, Id for a cup of tea and lid for a sandwich.

Popular conferences are being held by many large business houses to discuss the problem of getting employees to and from work under war conditions.

The head of an important firm summed up the position by saying: “It is no good asking people to go to it when they can’t get to it.” The main demands include greater elasticity in road and rail services, the encouragement of private enterprise, and facilities for firms to run thenown transport.