Aquitania’s Eager New Stewards.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 July 1921, Page 4

Aquitania’s Eager New Stewards.

ONLY FAULT THEY WORK TOO HARD. SOUTHAMPTON, May 11 . The Cunard liner Aquitania’s 400 stewards, drawn from the office'staffs of the company in London, Liverpool, and elsewhere to teplace the regular stewards who ate on strike, have rapidly settled down to their strange tasks. This morning while the sun seemed to he frying to wi|)e a white mist from its eyes I watched them toiling on the quayside, and going up and down the gangway into the ship’s bowels with carcases of meat on their leeks—backs that a day before bad bent over ledgers —and hauling heavy cases of food and vegetables ami beer with hands that had just dropped tt pen.

"The only fault 1 find with them,” , said Mr Jones, the Aquitania’s jolly chief steward, "is that they work I>o . liitrd! They arc chick-full of enthusiasm, and are falling to with all the will in the world. Frankly, lam amazed.” They stowed away into the ship 13,0001 b of Iteef, 70,000 eggs, 40 sides of bacon, 9,000 gallons of fresh milk, 800 quarts of ice-cream, 500 cases of beer and minerals, 1,000 cases of wines and spirits, 5 tons of coke, 100 boxes of charcoal, fi hogsheads of crockery, and odd toils of other goods. 7 A..M. BREAKFAST PARADE. 1 All the 100— Sir Percy Bates, one of the directors of the company ; Mr Lis- 1 ter, the manager; and Mr Cottrell, iissistant manager, included —were ordered to "show a leg” tit 0.30 a.m., and at 7 they lined up for breakfast. I

Sir Percy Rates has boon appointed lounge steward, Mr bister is deck steward, and Mr Cottrell library steward. Rut they will have to work well at t licit jobs. ‘'lf they don’t do their jobs properly j they will be relegated to the thirdclass,” Mr .Tones assured me with a stern light in his eye. “I told them all that I am having nobody in this ship who wants other people to do tilings for him. Every man jack has , got to work and work bard. They enjoyed the novelty of their shaving water not arriving in time this morning,” be added with a laugh. “If it j did not- come to them they bad to get ' it for themselves.” j The 400 volunteers discharged the j vessel’s empties from the last voyage—j 3,000 eases—in two hours, “and we'

think it a remarkable feat,” the officers' - told me.

Sir Percy Bates, who donned bis blue steward’s uniform this afternoon, said: “I am carrying on and am enjoying the work. It is rather hard, but I do not mind it.”

In case the seamen refuse at the last moment to sail with the substitute stewards, the Cunard Company have made full arrangements to man the vessel.

Fully manned, despite the stewards’ strike, the Royal Mail Steam • Packet Company’s steamship Almanzora left Southampton to-day.

STEWARDS DEFY UNION. Ships’ stewards, it is reported at Liverpool, are breaking away from their union and are secretly signing on. Several ships which have been stopped during the last few days have now completed their crews and are ready to sail.

At Plymouth cooks and stewards are resigning from vessels sailing under the reduced wages terms.

HAIR TO MATCH FROCKS. PARIS, June 1 Different coloured hair according to the time of the day is the latest beauty device w hich Parisiennes have adopted. This is produced not by’wigs but by what are described as "transforma-

tions.” These consist of a vapoury tinted net of hair. The blonde girl may find that for her morning walk chestnut locks go better with her frock. For a dance a black and silver frock goes better perhaps with black hair. The favourite scheme for dresses next autumn will be black-and-white. When colours are used there will lie a lavish display of stripes. For instance, stockings are no longer to be black ; for some time past the favourite shade has been grey, but stripes in different colours are to be the really fashionable design.

Dressmakers are again making an attempt. to lengthen skirts, but both British and American buyers have instructions to refuse to take any models which go too far in this direction.

The greatest sale we ever held, the greatest bargains w e ever presented to the purchasing public; our great ii’c salvage sale is a great value giving event. The low prices are possible onlv because we had the ready cash to buy at a discount, of 335% the salvage stocks from Heyward’s big ChristMttirrii fire. Do not pay double the prices elsewhere. Opportunity knocks, get busy now. McGruer and Co. Hokit; a. —Advt.