FINE FEATHERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 9 April 1925, Page 4

FINE FEATHERS.

Mr. John Jacoby, the managing director of a large London softgoods firm, in giving evidence at a Board of Trade inquirj this week, said that the whole trade in women's fashions waa entirely useless, and that it was solely a luxury. He confessed to being ashamed of being in the trade, since it was opposed to the whole of social ideas, and women themselves could be quite as happy in a 'bath sheet.. These statements are open to doubt. It is difficult to surmise what happiness women would derive from a bath sheet, unless it were the feeling that they were imitating the old Roman toga. But even this toga was made a medium for fashion and display, since the social position of the wearer was denoted by .the width and colour of the toga's hem. Indeed, Professor Je>bb translated Browning's phrase, "just for a ribbon to stick in his coat," by the Latin equivalent, "that the hem of his toga might lie the wider." "Women, however, do not dress solely to please themselves. The vagaries of fashion are very largely due to the desire of the male to see his women-folk arrayed in fine feathers. Very often a man's financial position is judged by the dress of his wife and daughters, and to. turn them out fashionably dreescd is an outward and visible sign of business prosperity and a substantial bank account. Doubtless for ordinary purposes a -plain Costume Would serve the purpose, just as a Ford car serves the purpose of travel just as well as a more expensive make; indeed, for rough roads and muddy tracks it probably does better than a heavier car. But every business man knows the value of an expensive-booking car, 'brightly painted and of gay appearance. It is the same with women. The Ford costume may bo quite good enough for the kitchen and the house, but for dress parades and social functions something smarter, even if less useful, is required! It is absurd to say that clothes are opposed to social ideas. The mere fact of being well dressed is a great help to social intercourse and enjoyment. Dresses that are drab and dowdy create an atmosphere of depression, and perha/ps that is why at so many gatherings of good and worthy -women their outlook on the world is inclined to be pessimistic. Also visitors are very apt to judge the manners and customs of a locality by the dress of its inhabitants. Self-respect is engendered by good and tasteful dressing, and the changing fashions of women undoubtedly add to the charm of social life. New fashions often indicate new outlooks on life, and modern fashions would seem to indicate a greater desire to study health, grace, and freedom of movement, and a growing disinclination to be governed entirely by the dictates of Mother Grundy. LThdcubtedly women's dress is far more artistic than it was in the days of our grandmothers, though men's dress has sadly declined from the gay attire of the days of the Regency. What men save on their own costumes they now spend on the decoration Of their women-folk, preferring to decorate that which pays for the adornment rather than to spoil by gaudiness t'hnt masculine 'beauty which they feel to bo sufficiently handsome unadorned, i

The "Auckland Star" will not be published to-morrow, Good Friday.

A hint that winter would soon be here and that the usual quantity of rain may be expected was given in the report of the Works Committee at Mount Eden Borough Council meeting last evening, when the last item in the report was a recommendation that the water cart and road sweeper be offered for sale. The proceeds of the sale should •be entered up as the first saving brought about by the laying of concrete roads.

Last evening the new Information bureau of the Auckland Automobile Association in the Premier Buildings, Durham Street, was officially declared open. The president, Mr. J. A. Warnock, expressed the gratification of those present at the suitability of the office, and members toasted the success of the scheme. The Auckland Association is the first in New Zealand to appoint a permanent service officer.

The agreement arrived at between the New Lynn Town Board and the Auckland Power Board for the reticulation of the New Lynn district with electricity provided "for all reasonable reticulation to be completed by the end of March last.-' However, the Power Board were unable to' commence operations in the time given, and reticulation was not undertaken until this week, when a start was made on Totara Avenue. It is now expected that the work will be pushed on until practically the whole district is supplied with power, it being understood that the reticulation area approved of provides for this.

The question of what would be done to the centre of the road from the Dominion Road terminus to Boundary Road, seeing that each side of the road had been concreted, and the City Council had intimated that the tramways extensions would not be made at present, cropped up again at the meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council hist evening. Messrs. J. J. Craig, Ltd., who had just completed the concreting pf Dominion Road, offered to do the necessary work to put the unconcreted part in good order for £350. The council decided to accept the offer, and instructed the engineer to prepare specifications.

A letter from a resident of Hobsonville, suggesting a number of ingenious innovations in road making, caused much laughter when it was read at the meeting of the Auckland Automobile Association last night. The writer stated that he "had devoted years of study to road making problems, and he had come to the conclusion that Nature always provided materials on the spot that would satisfy all requirements. He had found that the best material for road making was Auckland clay. "Yes, as found on the said a member. The writer's ideal road would consist of two wheel strips, one foot wide, of Auckland clay, with a narrow drain in the centre. Dry clay, he said, made perfect roads, and the strip? could be protected by carpeting them with strips of used tyres. The letter was "received," and filed for future reference.

A collision between an inward tram, and an empty dray, owned and driven by Mr. Clement Edwards, carrier, of 18, Sackville Street, Grey Lynn, occurred this morning at about 9 o'clock, at the intersection of Gore and Customs Streets. The dray was proceeding along Customs Street in an eastward direction, and the driver turned his horse to cross the tramway lines and enter Gore Street. Too late Mr. Edwards realised that there was not time for him to get over, and in his moment of indecision whether to turn back or not, the tram etruck the shaft. Vehicle and horse were swung round to face in the direction of the city, the motorman bringing the car to a sudden stop by means of the air brake. Both shafts of the dray were broken off, glass in the front screens of the tram was smashed and the horse received some minor bruises. Eye witnesses regarded Mr. Edward's escape from serious injury as due to the promptitude of the motorman.

During the Easter holidays, writes our Taumarunui correspondent, three big native gatherings will be held in this district, at Kauriki, near Kgapuke, on April 12. The large new meeting-house, tlte property of the Ngati-tu-wharetoa tribe, will be opened. On April 15, at Ongarue, there will be the unveiling of a monumental tomb-stone in memory of Kahutopuni AYaata and Te Mahuri To Raurolia, two well-known former residents of the district. The following day, April IG, will be the great day at the Taumarunui Pa, when Sir M. sPomare will formally open the new meeting-house and will unveil the large monument erected to the memory of Mahuri Te Rauroha.

The newly erected hoarding on the civic centre site now displays a coloured perspective of the design selected for the buildings and layout of the proposed centre, and presents to the ratepayers an excellent idea of the general transforation of the area which would ultimately follow the adoption of the scheme. The approval of the £340,000 loan for the development of the civic centre scheme will be sought from the city ratepayers on the»same day as the municipal elections take place, April 29. In order to better acquaint ratepayers and ciiizens with the proposal a number of meetings will be held in different parts of the city, starting on April 21, at which the Mayor will deal exhaustively with the details of this important proposal for the improvement and greater dignity ot the city.

A miniature motor car, -with a safe maximum of seyen miles an hour, made several trial trips during the week-end at Sumner, and proved an 'object of great interest to all who saw it. The "little bus" has been Constructed by Mr. A. A. Cheshire, of Suniner, for his eight-year-old son. The chassis, which consists of ordinary galvanised inch piping, is strong enough to carry an average-sized man. The body is of light sheet steel, and stands, in its 'bright red enamel, just over two feet above the ground. It runs on four email pneumatic tyred bicycle wheels fitted with discs, and is driven by a single-cylinder auto-wheel engine started with the usual crank. It has one gear only.

_ Strong protests against the obligation of county councils to pay the expenses of the removal of infantile paralysis patients to hospital were made at the meeting of the Waitomo County Council. Mr. C. K. Wilson mentioned the case of a Maori child at Aria who cost the council £16 (f 12 for motor hire for the health inspector and £4 for a special railway carriage). If the epidemic became general the expense to the council.would be very heavy. They did not know where it was going to end, and he thought it high time a protest was made to the Health Department.

In connection with the appeal for funds for the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, flue samples of what the inmates of that institution make may be seen in the window of Smeetons, Ltd., Queen Street. These include, cane work, netting work, rope mats, and also knitted socks. The use of the window has boon granted free of cast, and profits from any sales made go to the funds of thu Jubilee Institute for the Blind..