WOMEN CONDUCTORS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20638, 19 August 1941, Page 2

WOMEN CONDUCTORS

WELLINGTON POSSIBILITY MEN CALLED TO ARMY The Mayor of Wellington, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, as chairman -of the tramways committee, anticipates the probable necessity, though there are various reasons why the department would prefer it otherwise, of the employment of women conductors. There have been several discussions with representatives of the tramwaymen’s union regarding a return to the ‘‘call back system,” under which the men, under a rota, would come on for extra morning duty at special rates of pay, but as more men have been called up for military service or have left the service for other work, and this loss of staff will probably continue, said Mr. Hislop, a reintroduction of the call-back system will probably do no more than meet the immediate and really serious trouble of shortage of men to run the city’? trams. Mr. Hislop instanced cases where people had been left at suburban stops because passing trams were crowded, and the department had not men to take out more trams.

A few weeks ago, when tramway staff shortage and employment of women conductors were being discussed at a meeting of the City Council, Mrs. Knox Gilmer, speaking for women warservice workers and for members of women’s organisations generally, said that there and then she could offer the services of as many women as were needed to fill the places of men called up for military service.