THE GREAT DEPRESSION
EXCERPT:
Before the Depression the transatlantic liners had been plying their trade across the ocean with nearly full capacity in both directions. It was a boom time for the travel industry and women passengers of all classes benefitted from the more comfortable conditions on board and the comparatively cheap fares for long-distance ocean voyages, while their seafaring sisters enjoyed ample employment in physically demanding but remunerative jobs afloat. But as the crisis deepened wealthier passengers canceled their plans for leisure and visits, communicating with their commercial contacts overseas by letter or telegram rather than in person. Cut-throat competition drove ticket prices down by 20 percent as companies struggled to fill their ships. Cunard cut its third-class transatlantic return ticket price from 20 pounds to 16 pounds per person, which meant that a 6,400 mile round trip from Britain to America now cost approximately one and a half pennies per mile. (Page 184)
(Note that some women employees on the ships stayed employed simply because it was less expensive that living off board and most accepted that their tips were paltry.)
This book is just so good and I've excerpted so much. It goes into the World War II era.
