Wednesday, January 4, 2006

100 years ago

Once again a great effort was being made to bring home more clearly to the people of this country the serious state of affairs resulting from the progressive and continued decline in the birth rate. The subject, unpleasant though it might be to a great many, was one which nevertheless demanded the careful attention of all who had the welfare of the country at heart, for upon the population assuredly rested the future greatness of the Empire. For the previous thirty years there had been a general and steady falling-off in the number of children born in proportion to the population, and the scourge of infant mortality had added to the gravity of the situation. It was computed that every day 376 babies under 1 year old died in England and Wales - truly an appalling fact - and that of the yearly total number of births of 944,703, one-seventh never reached the age of twelve months, so that we were losing fourteen per cent of what should have been our future citizens.

50 years ago

Mourners from all walks of life gathered in York Minster to pay their last respects to Dr Cyril Forster Garbett, Archbishop of York, who had recently died at his Bishopthorpe home. The funeral service was simple, in accordance with Dr Garbett's wish that it "should sound two notes - of penitence and of simple trustful joy, with no pomp or funeral march." Hundreds more waited outside the Minster in silent tribute and flags in the city flew at half-mast. It was the first time for more than 100 years that an Archbishop of York had been interred in the Minster, mainly because so many previous occupants of the position had been moved to Canterbury.

25 years ago

Thirteen women sewing machinists walked out of the York workshops of British Rail Engineering in a dispute over recruitment. The women members of the Transport and General Workers' Union objected when two men recruited to their section from within the works, presented themselves for training. By tradition, the section was all-women and normally recruited juniors from outside. According to the women, who complained of inequality in working conditions, they could not work Sunday or night shifts; when they retired they had to forfeit their free pass travel facility whereas a man could continue to receive the benefit for himself and his wife; if they died in employment a pension was not payable to their spouse, as it would be to a widow; and, in the event of redundancy, they could not transfer to the shop floor, as could male machinists.

Updated: 08:34 Wednesday, January 04, 2006