GOOD-BYE TO THE OMNIBUS – GIRL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3383, 12 January 1920, Page 2

GOOD-BYE TO THE OMNIBUS - GIRL.

it THE LAST OF 5000. l. l. ' ' _"" VVC have seen the last of the London General Omnibus Company ’s t. women omnibus conductors. London will miss the glrl’s familiar, trim lg figure, her smiling face, and merry banter. 0 3, For nearly four years the “conduc- ‘ tress” has braved the weather. the 4; discomforts, the strenuous life of the London streets. During that time _more than 31,000 women -and girls Lipplied for. work, and nearly 5000 were accepted. Britain will never frmget -if that the services of those plucky women alone enabled the London (’:eller.".l Omnibus Gcmpzmy fto 111aim.*.‘ii11 tits :5 -~~-'s'ervic.es. '_ From every par.‘ oi‘ the British A l"_s‘.eS, the gay, the. gitld)". the god.and I the grave, from strge to scullery, ‘an{l {did army of women workers, and, by T way of the company’s training school, fappeared “on the road." E And what at road it has proved Ito ‘them! The Road of Adventure for i all, the Rough Rom} for some, and for i others the Road of Reinzuiee. for many In «mar:-ia.ge has been arranged be’£Wee_ll ‘ the girls anrdrtheir “fares,” and many Ia driver will be “icontluctell”through l life by his litle “nrate” j ; Despite the lrzrrdsliips of the life, a I very genuine regrett at leaving was ex— 1 lprcssed by the girls. The ' last batch! (the first to be employed) were enter-’i it‘aine.d by the company at their Mil-I {roan Street. CTl~..'l:»'=.’e_. garage, and were 1 pr:-3en‘ie(l by l.‘.‘-. Sta.nley. with cer-l i ‘.itl.:;:es of .~_‘,=.‘l"-.’lt:(‘. ’ I ;\n‘:o‘n.g them \'-.'=.'.s the fir;~tt “eonduc~ at:-e.~xs" rngng'ed—still serving in that lr;:'.;leity——who, during her long serlvise of 976 tlays with the_ cornpany, ;has, ‘it is estiniiltetl, run up "and down steps to :1 distance nearly equivalent l to three times round the world. ‘V “It ’s been a hard life, but a. gay one/.’r’ all the girls agreed; and while "."llCy were loath to go, and sad at] leavinga, the reinstated a.nd_retul-ned {men have been loyally, gladly wel-Q corned; for one and all of the women ihave been quick to readise_ that their - {unwelcome dismissal is but the nah? ’ ural result of the glorious victoryfer “which they have worked unceasinglyl plain] for which their loved ones suf-l '[fered and laid down their lives. ’ l { Wha‘t. are these women going to do‘? i.\lost. of them ‘are going a-holiday- . making. Very few have fixed plans; ‘ I most of them told me that ‘they are! l i going to “take a rest. and look "round. l l——By G. Ivy Saunders in the “Daily l I Mail.” l l .....__.-..___...~ ..-. i