CITY TRANSPORT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25021, 15 September 1942, Page 4

CITY TRANSPORT

SAVING IN BUS MILEAGE WOMEN CONDUCTORS’ WAGES Aspects of city transport were discussed at the meeting of the City Council last night when the report of the Transport Committee was presented. The meeting was attended by the Mayor (Mr A, H, Alien), and Crs D. C. Cameron, J. McCrae, W. 8,. Taverner, J. W. Munro, M.P., M. C*HendersOn, L. M. Wright, D. C. Jolly,Und R? Walls. Moving the adoption of the report, Cr Henderson pointed out that the decision of the committee to discontinue the running of buses to the St. Clair golf course and also to eliminate the use of buses on certain routes in the late Saturday night service would save an' average of only six miles a day. It would be realised that this was only a small fraction of the total reduction required of the council in the saving of fuel and tyres. The arranging ot such a reduction in such a way as to cause as little inconvenience as possible to passengers required a great deal of time, but the transport manager hoped to be able to give effect to the whole of the reduction in a fortnight or three weeks.

Referring to a section of the report which paid a tribute to the work of women conductors and which also added that their gross earnings in the first two weeks had been £5 16s a week and in the subsequent week £6 Os Bd, Cr Henderson said that the U average hours worked had been 44).. He added that he desired to express appreciation of the manner in which motormen and conductors had assisted the women. The men had done everything they could to make the work of the women as easy as possible. The public, too, had shown them great consideration. Cr Henderson stated that for the period of 2U weeks from April 1 1° August 29 the traffic receipts had increased by £B6IO, or 9.26 per cent. This was the highest percentage of increase reached during the present financial year. Cr McCrae suggested that on the subject of women conductors’ wages it might have been as well to “ let sleeping dogs lie.” The report as it stood, he added, created a wrong impression, and, although Cr Henderson had now indicated that some overtime had been included in the wages paid, it should be made known that the wage for a week of 40 hours was £4 19s 2d. • “ It should be indicated to the public, and the critics,” said Cr Taverner, “ that this council does not fix the wages. They are fixed by an award which does not discriminate between men and women.”