AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 30 May 1918, Page 2

AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

fFROM Our Own Cob respondent 1

Auckland, May 30.

LADIES TO THE FORE !

The invasion by girls and young women of avenues of employment hitherto regarded as being for " men only " proceeds apace.. Mr R. E. Fenton, Secretary of the Discharged Soldiers' Employment Committee, declares that so many girls are now being employed by city firms and in banking and insurance offices, that clerical work is practically closed, in Auckland, to returned soldiers. "Of course," says Mr Fenton, "it is understood that those girls are only holding these positions temporarily on behalf of men at the front, but we have many applications from soldiers back from the war who [would be very glad to hold the positions on the same terms." Question is: What will all these lady-clerks do when " Johnny comes marching home ?" Will they, having tasted the sweets of office-life, with its independence, be content to return to life behind the counter, or in the nursery, or as "lady-helps"? I fancy not. And neither, I think, will the business firms who now employ them be willing to dispense with their services. They are content with comparatively small wages, are sober, don't bet, are attentive to their duties, and, in a word, fill the bill. By the way, there are, at the present time, eight ladies who are taking the course in architecture at Auckland University.

FISHY!

Four, hundred and eighty-two tons of fish have been captured by the Auckland Municipal trawlers during the past 12 months. And a further 350 tons have been contributed by line fishermen— making a total of 832 tons handled by the City Council for the year. But even that total does not represent anything like the whole of the fish reaching the Auckland markets, because more than one of the big private firms dealing in fish own their own trawlers, and swell the fish supply by hunbreds of tons annually. What becomes of all this fish? Not much of it goes out of Auckland, and as butchers' shops are numerous in city and suburbs, and all appear to be thriving, the only conclusion is that Auckland must be a very hungry place. Fish is exceedingly cheap here at the present time, but the increased cost of running the fish business as a municipal enterprise was recently Referred to by the Mayor, and higher rates are pro bable.

FINDINGS NOT KEEPINGS!

Some joker, not yet identified, nailed what appeared to be a big plug ot black tobacco on to the flooring of Victoria Wharf, Devonport, the other morning. The nail was neatly concealed by the tin tag. It was only a sham plug, too, bnt it looked so like the genuine article that at a moderate computation it completely took in about two hundred and fifty-four adult passengers from the ferry-boats, each of whom, in turn, stooped to pick up the prize, only to discover that it was a fixture. Most of them entered into .the spirit of the joke alright, but the language of one man on finding he had beeu had and that his hat had blown off and was bowling along the pier while he was in the act of stooping, was not adapted for SundaySchool reading.

THEY ARE WONDERFUL!

The spirit displayed by some of the poor fellows who come back from the war wounded and disfigured, mere physical wrecks, is simply marvellous, and proves the stuff of which they are made. Recently a man applied to the Discharged Soldiers' Em ploy man t Committee for light work. He had lost his righ arm at the shoulder, and had also been shot through the left ankle and the right knee. Yet he wanted work! That man deserves help. Another soldier who has lost the sight of both eyes is actually going to work on a farm (with relatives), being firmly perbuaded that, although sightless, he is good for something yet. Loafer, (in a physically fit condition) will please accept this intimation.

NOT A HAPPY FAMILY.

The interned Huns at Motuihi, do not, apparently, find that '• friends in distress make troubles less." They seem to be in a chronic condition of trouble, and quarrel like the Kilkenny cats. A recent difference between two of them resulted in one getting a broken jaw. Injured party also complained that the aggressor had called him a "swine," which he regarded as a deadly insult. This, as it seems to me, was good deal like the pot calling the kettle black.. Accused, who seemed to regard himself as the injured party, complained bitterly that he had been locked up for six weeks because he coldn't find bail. I cannot help thinking of what happened in Germany the other day when an English prisoner of war was brutally flogged to death, his only offence being that he failed to understand an order addressed to him (probably because it was in German), a German officer heaping insults upon him. Our treatment of these hounds when they fall into our hands is invariably humane. Isn't it about time they- got a dose of their

own medicine?