Sydney Housewives Wage War Against Unexpected Invasion of Officialdom

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26816, 6 July 1948, Page 5

Sydney Housewives Wage War Against Unexpected Invasion of Officialdom

From C. R. Mentiplay, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent

Rec. 8 p.m. . SYDNEY, July 5. Total war against what the press calls “ the new enemy in the kitchen ” has .been launched in Sydney, and grimm-eyed housewives in thousands of homes are standing by prepared to repel the invasion of officialdom. Themselves harassed by the overtime ban imposed by the gasworks and by the coal shortages, due mainly to the attitude of miners, the gas companies have found that they cannot provide a full pressure of gas. Their unofficial system of rationing by reducing pressure, except for two meal periods daily, received official sanction last Friday, since when it has been illegal according to a State Government decree, for any housewife to use gas outside the meal periods, a total of five hours a day. Penalties for breaches of these regulations range up to a fine of £SOO.

After a week-end of careful checking, the gas companies made the disquieting discovery that of the 43,300,000'cubic feet of gas produced by the two main companies in Sydney during one 24-hour period. 21,700,000 cubic feet were used illegally. Indignant housewives learned this morning that inspectors appointed by the companies would have the right of search in any home, and that the penalty for obstructing them, or denying them the right of entry, would be £IOO. The wrath of citizens was not allayed by the announcement by the Joint Coal Board that £125,000 would be spent in building clubs equipped with liquor bars and billiard rooms, libraries, swimming pools, and sports fields, for the use of miners. This project has been in hand fiffr some time but its announcement 'in the midst of an extreme coal shortage was not tactful. “ If any inspector puts his foot over my doorstep I’ll kick him in the face,” declared one boarding-house keeper. Her words are echoing in every suburb. Housewives say they will allow a policeman into their home if he carries a search warrant, blit that otherwise there is too much risk of thieves masquerading as inspectors. To their defence this . afternoon comes a leading constitutional lawyer who casts a doubt on whether the Government has the power to give gas and electricity inspectors the right to enter and search premises. He reminds citizens that although inspectors have been used for such purposes before, the legality of their position has never been tested in court. An inspector who tried to force his way into a home would undoubtedly lay himself open to a charge of assault or illegal entry. Meanwhile, citizens are demanding what penalties, if any, are to be inflicted on the defaulting gasworkers and miners.