A “News” Idea

Flak, Volume 1, Issue 8, 25 June 1943, Page 5

A “News” Idea

An early Current Affairs bulletin contained the suggestion that U.E.O.’s (no Audrey, those letters do' NOT stand for Useless Excess Officers) should prepare a News Bulletin each day containing the main items taken from the daily newspapers and have “a few boldly-stencilled copies posted up where the men can conveniently read them.” Now there is the germ of an idea here. After all, the average gunner has not time to read the paper carefully each day, and probably never gets further than the racing news, the latest scandal or crime and a glance at the war news. In this way he( or she, this unit gets more like the Girl Guides every day) misses numerous gems, for, as every careful newspaper reader will testify, the really good bits are often hidden away in odd corners. Consider the following bright spot of reading taken from the Star the other night, which you probably all overlooked: i PRISONERS’ ORGY At Birthday Party Hobart Gaol Inquiry Sydney, May 26. Giving evidence at an inquiry in Hobart into the administration last year of Hobart Gaol, Frances Castles, a young woman and former prisoner, said that she used to go to the cell of a convict, George William Payne, and get into bed or behind the door. At 7.30 p.m. the warder would lock them in without knowing of her presence. She would get out in the morning to have morning tea with the Governor.

Very intriguing this, although one or two things are not very clear.

How did this “lady” get into the cell in the first place so that the warder could lock her in at 7.30 p.m., and how did she get out in the morning to have morning tea with the Governor?

Apparently the prisoners used to get in and out of the cells with the same ease, for the article goes on to describe how they met and held “bashes” reminiscent of the 67th, in the Governor’s house !!

The bloke that wrote the “Prisoner’s Song” didn’t serve his sentence in the Hobart Gaol obviously. We only hope the foregoing will show the importance of reading the newspaper thoroughly, and encourJ age U.E.O.’s to start bulletins featuring all the latest and best from the local dailies. —67th S/L BTY.