STOCKINGS MUST BE WORN

Southland Times, Issue 24357, 11 February 1941, Page 4

STOCKINGS MUST BE WORN

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL DOMESTIC STAFF (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 10. Whether women on the kitchen staff of the Auckland Hospital should be permitted to work without stockings was debated at a meeting of the Hospital Board tonight. Many interesting opinions about feminine beauty and neatness were expressed by members of a predominantly male board before it was decided by six votes to five that stockings must be worn. A request from the kitchen staff for permission to discard stockings at work was made through the secretary of the Auckland Hotel, Restaurant and Related Trades Employees’ Union, Mr F. G. Young, but objection to the proposal on the ground of untidiness was made in a report by the acting Lady Superintendent, Miss Cussen. “This request appears to us to be a reasonable one, particularly in view of the present shortage due to the war,” said Mi- Young. He added that members would probably be aware that in many factories, offices and shops, including large tearooms, girls had been given permission to work without stockings. STRICT SUPERVISION “I do not approve of any members of our staff who wear a uniform being permitted to wear any but full uniform,” said Miss Cussen in her report. Very strict supervision of the domestic staff was necessary to ensure neatness. It would be inadvisable to grant permission as she believed that requests would then be received from other sections of the staff. A reasonably-priced stocking at 3/6 a pair was procurable and was being worn by members of the nursing staff. The chairman, Mr Allan J. Moody, moved that Miss Cussen’s report be adopted. Mrs Dreaver moved and Dr Hastings seconded an amendment that the wearing of stockings by the kitchen staff be optional.

Other members expressed varying views, after which the amendment was put and lost and the motion was carried.