AT THE TEA party held on Thursday evening, May 14, 1959, at the Myrtle Bank Hotel in honour of Miss Mable Campbell retired librarian of the Institute of Jamaica, Miss Beryl Fletcher (standing at left) presents Miss Campbell with a token of appreciation on behalf of her colleagues. Looking on from left to right are: Miss McGilchrist, Mr. Ernest Burbridge, Mrs. Bernard Lewis, Mr. J.E. Clare McFarlane, Mr. Bernard Lewis (standing) and Miss Mary Brebner, chief librarian at the Institute.
INDUSTRY
February 24, 1967: Tropical Battery Company which was founded by Ted Williams, an American businessman, was purchased by a group of Jamaican businessmen, with Brian Melville as chairman.
BANKING
February 25, 1994: Blossom O'Meally Nelson was appointed managing director of the Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation. She was previously the executive director of the National Development Foundation of Jamaica.
TOURISM
February 26, 1977: The Rose Hall Great House in Montego Bay which was destroyed by fire some years ago and which was restored by US millionaire John Rollins, is formally opened as a tourist attraction.
TOURISM
February 27, 1966: The Myrtle Bank Hotel on Harbour Street, Kingston, was destroyed by fire. Ninety-two years in operation as a hotel, its hey-day was in the 1930s and 1940s when it was the social centre of Kingston.
GOVERNMENT
February 28, 1973: Head of the Jamaican Civil Service, financial secretary Percival Beckwith ended his career with the Government and went on pre-retirement leave. Beckwith was educated at Jamaica College and Wolmer's Boys' School. He joined the civil service in 1936 and reached the senior post of financial secretary in 1967 when he succeeded G. Arthur Brown.
GOVERNMENT
March 1, 1954: J.E. Clare McFarlane was appointed financial secretary with effect from October 21, 1953 when he began acting in the post. He was the first Jamaican to be so appointed. His appointment was to be for a short time, however, as he was scheduled to reach the retirement age of 60 in a few months. An Englishman, F.D.C. Williamson, was already named by the secretary of state for the colonies to succeed him.
EMPLOYMENT
March 2, 1942: A 10-hour working day for women working in hotels, guest houses, bars, restaurants, clubs and drug stores came into effect. The law prohibited the employment of women at night in businesses, but in the case of the categories engaged in the list identified, it permitted women to be employed at night but that no woman could work more than 10 hours per day, that is day and night together. Up to then, there was no control or limit to the hours per day which women were called upon to work in those establishments.
compiled by Hartley Neita
