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Perth had its worst epidemic of queueitis today when a
record crowd lined up for advertised treatment for one of
Australia's worst wartime deficiency diseases.
This complaint is not only general but contagious and in
fectious and was communicated direct in homes all over
the metropolitan area when men, women and children read
last night that Foys were selling today '1000 lengths, each
three yards' of elastic.
Contagion set In when the
word 'elastic' was hurled back
and forth in trams, buses, trains
and crowds.
When Foys staff reported for duty
at the staff-entry door this morning
they could not get in through the
crowd and a special door had to be
opened for them.
Women with babies in their arms
or hauling small children, grand
mothers and, even for. its size, a
greater proportion of men than in
any other clothing-article queue so
far in the war, were . among those
determined to keep up their morale.
One woman lost her gold watch in
the relentless press forward and had
no hope of going back to look for it.
Every shopwalker in the store was
pressed into service as the crowd
all round surrounding counters. Mov
able display counters were wheeled
out of the fairway to form barriers,
and the harassed 'police' chanted
monotonously 'go to the end of the
queue '
After an hour one shopwalker
was still letting in more of the
elasticless in limited droves
through the door nearest the
elastic counter from a queue
which extended out on to the
pavement and 50 yards down Hay
Street.
Another queue snaked almost to
the St George's Terrace end of the
shop. . -
That there were no accidents was
entirely due ' to the fact of skilful
staff organisation and determined
crowd control. Shoppers on the east
side of the counter were so crowded
that they could scarcely breathe.
Many dropped out and some of
them had consolation prizes because
on another counter was a rare re
lease -.,. of umbrellas, which were
quickly snapped up. ?
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