July 1938

Big City Telephone Development

Over a thousand Dundee people will this afternoon participate in a kind of transfer deal. No, it has nothing to do with football. It concerns telephones and telephone numbers.

At precisely two o’clock this afternoon 1040 telephone subscribers in the east end of the city will be transferred from the central exchange to the new eastern exchange in Dalkeith Road, which comes into operation for the first time at the hour mentioned.

When the clock strikes two all the subscribers in the area will, more or less simultaneously be “plugged in” at the new exchange and from that moment they will use new numbers.

The subscribers concerned have already been notified of the transfer and the change of number has been made on the telephone dialling apparatus.

To prevent absentminded subscribers from using their new number prematurely a strip of paper with the old number printed on it was pasted across the centre of the dial, thus obscuring the new figures.

A new issue of the telephone directory was delivered to subscribers during the week and to the people involved in the change-over the books were wrapped in a special cover, on which was the request that the new directories would not be used before two o’clock today.

The rapid growth in the telephone service in the city during the past few years has necessitated the provision of additional exchange equipment and cables. To cater for the growth the Post Office has already erected an exchange in the west end.

With today’s opening, the east end has now been provided for, and another exchange for the northern part of the city is in the course of erection in Smith Street, off Clepington Road. It is expected to be opened in the late autumn.

All the numbers connected to the Dalkeith Road exchange consist of five numerals and begin with 81 or 82.

It may take some little time for subscribers’ friends to forget the old and remember the new numbers, but the Post Office has provided for that contingency. In the event of calls being dialled to the old numbers, they will be specially intercepted and the callers informed of the new numbers. No calls will, therefore be lost because of the change.

Subscribers whose lines are to be transferred to the new exchange can greatly assist in the carrying out of the transfer by not making use of the service at the actual time of the change over.

There will be no formal opening ceremony. It will be literally an automatic affair!

City Men as Farm Workers

Special to “People’s Journal.”
A scheme that may have the effect of placing more Dundee men at work on the land is being made considered by the Ministry of Labour.

A farm training centre may be set up in the neighbourhood of Dundee to train unemployed men in agricultural pursuits.

Nothing more definite than preliminary enquires have been made by officials of the Ministry, but I understand that a meeting of representatives of the department and the Dundee branch of the National Farmers’ Union will be held shortly to discuss the whole question.

There is a shortage of skilled farm workers in the district, and possibly the Ministry, encouraged by the success of the Barns of Claverhouse and Dryburgh small-holding schemes, have conceived the idea that with a chance of being fully trained available many Dundee unemployed men would be prepared to take up agricultural work.

If such a scheme were started, the co-operation of farmers would be required. The Ministry naturally would want to know if farmers would be prepared to find places for trainees across the city.

A number of leading farmers expressed their willingness to fall in with the proposal. They believe it might be beneficial to both employee and employer.

I am informed that quite a number of Dundee men have taken jobs “on the farm” and have become excellent workers. One case was related where a farmer went to the Employment Exchange for a temporary worker, and so well has he turned out that he has been placed in charge of a particular branch of the farm’s activities.

Shall the scheme materialise, there may well be a drift from the city to the land instead of the opposite, which has so long been in operation.

What’s On at Dundee Cinemas & Theatres Next Week

Alhambra – All week – The International Players present Anew McMaster in “Romance”. Now booking 4985.

Kinnaird – All Week – Greta Garbo and Charles Boyer in “Marie Walewska” (A), with Reginald Owen, Alan Marshal, Henry Stephenson and Leif Erickson.

Playhouse – All Week – Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, Robert Young in Romance for Three (U); Ian Colin in “A Dream of Love” (U).

Massed Bands in City Square

The City Square will resound to-night to the strains of the pipes when about 80 pipers of the Caledonian, Broughty Ferry, Mackenzie and City of Dundee Pipe Bands will up and gi’e the Dundee folk a blaw.

The occasion, the first of its kind, is a massed pipe performance, which will constitute Dundee Pipe Bands Association’s effort in aid of the Infirmary.

For three hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. – the municipal buildings and Caird Hall will resound to marches, strathspeys and reels. The massed bands will form a large circle, and each band in turn will give an individual performance in the centre.

The novelty of the event should attract a large public, who will have the opportunity of contributing to a collection for the infirmary.

A Grand Book for Boys & Girls

Holidays are Jolly Days
With Children’s Holiday Fun
On sale everywhere
Price 6d.

Cosgrove’s Sidlaw Bus Service

Buses will run from Downfield Car Terminus daily from 10 a.m. during Dundee Holiday Week. Spend a day or two at the Sidlaws this year. Enjoy the marvellous view and the bracing air, and come home feeling much better for it.

Interesting day and evening tours leave daily from Albert Square during Dundee Holiday Week. Phone 5519 for full particulars.

Thos. Cosgrove
Kincardine Street Garage
Dundee.

Broughty’s Bright Spot

Templar Hall
Gray Street
Nightly at 8 p.m. Saturday, 6.40 and 8.40
The Metronomes
Featuring Tommy Loman
And All Star Cast
A Treat for young and old.
Reserve your seat by
Phone – Broughty 79190.

Send Us Your Spools

Developing and Printing Service

Highly glazed postcard size prints made each from any size negatives for the same 2d each.
Price as small prints.
Watts, Wellgate, Dundee.

Jute Workers’ Union Threat

If a 10 per cent wage reduction is put into effect a strike will be called. That was the decision of the Dundee and District Union of Jute and Flax Workers, following a lengthy discussion on Thursday night of the proposal of the jute employers for a 10 per cent reduction in all minimum rates of wages fixed by the Jute Trade Board.

After delegates to the Trades and Labour Council has been appointed a member pointed out that two of the delegates were, not employed in the jute trade, and asked if it was in order that they should represent the jute workers’ union. The chairman gave a ruling that it was in order.

Dundee Left Out of Tours

Extending a civic welcome to Dundee yesterday to a party of English tourists, Lord Provost Phin told them that Dundee was usually left out of itineraries because of geographical position.

They were hoping that would be cured in the near future with a road bridge over the Tay, and when that happened, and there was also one over the Forth, there would be a direct east coast route between north and south.

The 48 visitors including the Mayor and Mayoress of Middlesbrough, Alderman W. Turford and Mrs Turford, had attended the joint conference in Edinburgh of the National Association of Cemetery and Crematorium Superintendents and the Federation of Crematorium Authorities of Great Britain. Their journey on a sight seeing tour to Aberdeen was broken at Dundee to have lunch and to inspect the Crematorium.