WOMEN'S WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 188, 9 August 1924, Page 22

WOMEN'S WORLD.

WORDS OF WISDOM.

LADY BARBERS.

(By ROSALINE RIGDEN.)

These are stirring times, and if they show any signs of settling down, we promptly stir them up again. If 'Variety is the salt of life," we certainly have plenty of salt. No sooner does the age-long "war between the sexes" display that weariness which is the forerunner of peace, than some energetic person, either male or female, invents or remembers another bone of contention, and again the fight begins.

This time the bone is whether women shall be permitted to work at industries which, till now, have been regarded as men's only? Men Bay they shall not and hint darkly at unions, dependents and what lot; and yet like a pure white flower of justice blooming in a desert of deceit and injustice, one noble male comes forward with the suggestion that women shall become barbers. A generous impulse, and such a man should be given every encouragement. Has he not held out the olive branch? Has he not filled the pipe of peace with the wherewithal for a comforting smoke ? He is dissatisfied with male barbers; therefore he cries: "Let the females try!" And that is the spirit we all like to see; if one sex cannot or will not perform its duties efficiently, well, let the other try. He is not one of those who tries to push woman into the background, and doom her to washing dishes, floors and children, and cooking, scrubbing and sweeping all her days. If men have suffered at the hands of male barbers; if they have been kept

late for business owing to the male barbers^loquacity; if they have been cut by careless and excited male barbers; end if they have been given towels that are not immaculate, well, give the women a chance. Justice and fair play, that i 3 what he wants, and that is what all women want. Why should the men object? They moan and groan because they have dear ones depending upon them. So have women- And if women obtain employ-

ment, then the men will have fewer "dear ones" dependent upon them and ' their work. | And, by the way, do women complain when men take positions at housework? Not they. They view the situation philosophically. They cheer and encourage them by every means in their | power. Men cooks, men dressmakers, j men milliners, all are sought after and J patronised by women. And so great is j the magnanimity of the women that they even admit that men easily beat ; them at their own game! Here we do j not find women weeping , and wailing, j threatening to go out and steal, shed- , ding tears because man is usurping her job; no, with that sweet reasonableness for which woman has always been fam- i ous, she welcomes the male houseworker,! she removes every obstacle from his ! path, she even pays him a high salary, i in the laudable hope of keeping him at i it. "Let him come," cry the women, "and take our age-long inheritance; let Mm come quickly." They welcome the : male houseworker, they throw open ' their homes to him, and figuratively Bpeaking, of course, receive him with open arms. And why can't the men, instead of squealing, receive us into their selfstyled domain as cheerfully and as willingly as we receive them into ours? : For when you come to think of it, housework is really more suited to men than to women. In the first place they wear a costume that is rational and eminently suited to housework. They don't have ' to sweep and scrub, to cook, wash, iron and heave coal dressed in corsets and petticoats. Then their constitutions arc more able to stand the hard labour of : housework than are those of women- ' so by all means let the ladies "barber"' they are certain to give every satisfaction. Their duties would be to administer' shaves and hair cuts to men. There is much to bo said in favour of this profession for women. There will be large Siming Balons. and smart white-capped and aproned lady barbers will be in attendance, with sharp scissors and wellset razors. There will be an abundance of clean and sterilised towels; and no man will be forced to change his collar after having been shaved by one of these alert and dexterous lady barber* While thinking over this industry new to New Zealand women, I became quite enthusiastic about it; for not only

will it give new and dainty employment to women, but also to men; because men will have to teach women the art of bartering, so both sexes will be provided for. While meditating upon this new employment for women, the wonderful idea dawned upon mc that all our girls should be trained in school to become proficient in this art. Let us cut out Greek and Latin and teach them something useful, something that will tend to foster that spirit of helpfulness between the sexes that is so much to be desired; for when the girl leaves school, trained as a lady barber, she will, when married, be able to shave her own husband and cut his hair. This seems to be the solution of most of the difficulties and riddles of married life. Think of the pounds that could thus be saved and put by for a rainy clay. Think of the delightful conversations, the pleasant interchange of ideas, the loving counsel, that would have time to flourish while the dainty operation was in progress. No more would our husbands be bothering us in the early mornings for hot water, no longer would they be forced to go out into the hard world daily without our morning kiss, because they willl be late at the barber's Everything would be beautiful and full of peace and gentle communings. Then as the tender, helpful wife, after having shaved her grateful husband, squirts fragrant toilet water over his beloved features, and imprints a chaste salute upon his lips, he leaves his home ready to face a hard and unsympathetic world, l shaven and shorn, and, ready to conquer worlds with the memory of that gentle ministrant at home who loves him.

I was delighted with the subject and eagerly awaited Tod that I might point out to him the beauties of my slogan, "Let every man be shaved by his own wife." "Fancy, Tod." I said, "how strange it is that this has never been thought of before? It will revolutionise married life. Isn't it splendid V ,

But an expression of gloom overspread Tod's usually radiant face. "Xo. -, he said sadly. "Fan, it wouldn't work."

"But surely, why ever not ?" I queried. And Tod muttered darkly. "There woul dbe too many throats cut!"