The Clock and The Sun - Double Summer Time on the Farms

At the end of this week the clock is to be put on another hour, and double summer-time will continue until August 8th. In a world bound by the clock, agriculture is still ruled by the sun (writes “The Times” agricultural correspondent), but the farming community cannot divorce itself entirely from the timetable of the rest of the country. School hours and the timing of trains and other services raise difficulties which cannot be ignored.

Last year when double summer-time came into force many farmers tried to carry on regardless of the altered clock. The normal working day was started at 8 a.m. and finished at 6 p.m. instead of being from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. But the men objected when they found that others in the neighbourhood were working to the new time, and the school hours caused difficulties over the family man’s meal hours. After a week or two some farmers agreed with their men to work to double summer-time, sacrificing a useful working hour in the afternoon for an extra early hour which often could not be used to advantage because of heavy dews and mists.

Officially the same arrangements have been made again this year. These are that farmers and farm workers remain on single summer-time unless they agree together to “contract in” to work double summer-time. That is to say, if hours of work have been 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., they will legally become 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. by the clock unless farmers and farm workers agree otherwise. It is also stated that the railway companies have agreed to retime the milk trains, excluding passenger trains, and road haulers have been asked to call for the milk an hour later by the clock.

Fire Alarms - Four in Two Days At Rushden

The Rushden N.F.S. men had a busy evening on Tuesday when within a few hours they were called to fire outbreaks at two Rushden boot factories.

At 6.35 the men at the station received a call to Messrs. Sanders and Sanders’ factory in Spencer-road where fire had broken out in the engine room and had caught hold of the roof. They turned out in under a minute with an engine and quickly got to work at the flames, which had already been attacked with stirrup pumps handled by the caretaker, firewatcher and other members of the staff on the premises, assisted by neighbours.

The men returned to the station at 8.05 and at 9.55 received another call, this time to Messrs. John White’s Park-place factory. Here a smaller outbreak was attacked with extinguishers and the men were able to leave in half-an-hour. Company Officer A. P. Timpson was in charge of both incidents.

The station received two more calls on Wednesday to small fires in the district, thus establishing what is probably a local record by attending four fires in just over 24 hours. The first call was to “The Bungalow,” High-street, Wymington, where an oil lamp had caused an outbreak in the kitchen, damaging the walls and doors. The men received a call at 1.40, turned out in half-a-minute, and were back in the station within three-quarters of an hour. The “Bungalow” is the residence of Mr. J. W. Smith.

The second outbreak was a chimney fire at 90, High-street South, Rushden, the home of Mr. W. Glenn, and occurred about 11.06 p.m. “Specials” who spotted the blaze which was lighting up quite a wide area, procured a stirrup pump and attacked the flames from the roof. The soot had apparently been smouldering for some time, as there was no fire in the grate below.

Public Restaurant - Rushden Trades Council Urges Local Action

Rushden Trades Council will apparently be unable to secure a seat on the local Billeting Tribunal, for at the April meeting it was reported that the Clerk to the U.D.C. had written informing the Council that the Billeting Tribunal was formed according to rules laid down by the Government, and that no changes could be made until someone’s resignation.

The Clerk also stated that the appropriate committee of the U.D.C. did not consider that a British Restaurant was needed in Rushden, but the matter would be raised again. This subject caused a considerable amount of discussion, and it was decided to pursue the matter further.

It was resolved to write to the T.U.C., urging them to do all in their power to get an additional cheese ration for iron ore workers.

Women’s Work

Another decision was to get in touch with the local Ministry of Labour officials with regard to the forming of a sub-committee to deal with the part-time employment of women on munitions and in other essential industries, and also to press for representation on this committee.

The Council spent some time on the question of trainees, and several interesting points were raised, but no resolutions were put forward.

A report was read from Mr. Wheeler, the Council delegate to the Youth Service Committee, and Mr. C. Smith gave a report on the meeting at Leicester of the South Midlands Federation of Trades Councils.

Mr. Smith was elected to attend a lecture at Northampton on “Production,” with a view to forming a Production Committee for the area.

The chair was taken by Mr. R. Welsford, supported by the secretary, Mr. R. Hawes, and a good number of delegates.

Railings Disappear - Rushden Contractor Starts on Own Property
“Twiddly bits” from the railings and gates of Rushden will in all probability become manhole covers for use on aerodromes and other military sites.

This is in fact what has already happened to some of Wellingborough’s salvaged metal, and the covers are actually in use, releasing higher quality metal to make tanks.

Whatever may be said by the man in the street regarding the loss of his fence, the point stands out that by giving his metal he is saving his fuel.

Messrs. T. Swindall and Sons, of Rushden, who have the Ministry of Works contract for the removal of the metal, started work on Wednesday in Moor-road, and will strip the West Ward first.

Mr. T. J. Swindall chose his own property for the initial attack – “just to get a little more practice,” as he said. The work will probably continue for about 10 weeks. In general, cast iron will be taken before the wrought iron.