WOMEN TO THE RESCUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 232, 1 October 1925, Page 7

WOMEN TO THE RESCUE.

THE BOBBED HAIR VOGUE. } BRINGS « BOBS " TO THE BARBER. COURT PLEASANTRIES. It was stated at the Arbitration Court yesterday afternoon that barbers' shops rely on the sale of tobacco and goods for their profit, and not on the takings from the toilet department.

Jonathan W. Coleman handed in returns from two of his Queen Street shops showing the assistants' wages and takings, the wages' incidentally being in every case above the minimum set out in the award.

Mr. Justice Frazer. after perusing tho returns, mentioned that the balance would not pay the rent. Witness: How many saloons will pay the rent ?

Mr. Frazer: In other words, you rely •on. the sales of tobacco to carry tht burden and make a profit ? Witness: Yes. . The hairdressing just about pays its way. but the saloon attracts customers for tobacco.

Giving evidence on the charges for haireutting and shaving, witness said that the latter was becoming a lesser part of the business, and he thought in a few years shaving would be cut out.

His Honor suggested that the advent of the safety razor had a lot to do with this, but witness thought it was mors the fact that young men had learned to shave themselves on Saturday (when the shops were shut) and found they could do it just as well on the other days.

Mr. Scott: What do you make out of bobbed and shingled hair?

Witness: Oh, the ladies pay well. His Honor: I thought they would come to the rescue. (Laughter.)

Witness: No doubt they bave, but I have no provision for ladies. I would like to have them as customers, but ifc might happen that I would have a "gent" customer in the saloon who was "half on," and he might want to relate some of the latest leopard stories.

His Honor: I am quite sure some of the leopard stories would not be accept* able.

Mr. Fraser added that in Wellington some of the shops were putting- in apartments for women.

There were other bright interludes during the hearing, though a neat shaft by his Honor at the outset of the hearing passed practically unnoticed. Mention was made that there was a number of ladies' saloons cited, and it wa» desired to have them struck out. Tha Court and counsel therefore proceeded to discover the ladies in the list of nearly 150 persons. The first handful mentioned all bore the title 6f"Madame" and when a plain "Mrs." was come upon his Honor interposed, "Isn't she a madame?"' Counsel were apparently too' intent on their lists to see the point of the remark, and it was left to a veteran hairdresser in giving evidence later to parry another remark by his Honor. Witness had stated that before the war the usual charges for shaving were Gd and for haircutting 9d. The present charge was 9d for a shave and 1/3 for a haircut. These were the average prices, though some sakons charged more.

"Is there any reduction for a baldheaded man?'' asked Mr. Justice Frazer.

"I think he should he charged more. It takes longer to find the hairs," was the quick retort.