BLACK UMBRELLAS IN CEYLON

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28399, 4 October 1957, Page 2

BLACK UMBRELLAS IN CEYLON

Coloured Type Not Seen

“Coloured umbrellas are not seen in the streets on a wet day in Colombo. They are all black and the men hang them on thei” clothes at the back of the neck.” said Mrs J. W. Martin, of Dunedin, who spoke to the Canterbury and Canterbury East Federations of Country Women’s Institutes this week. Mrs Martin was the New Zealand delegate at the recent conference of Associated Country Women of the World in Ceylon Before discussing the business of the conference, Mrs Martin spoke on her journey to Ceylon, through Australia and Malaya. While she was speaking, she handed round post cards, ornaments, pieces of embroidery and samples of weaving.

Mrs Martin said that she was surprised at the large amount ot traffic in Colombo. Everything from bullock waggons and rickshaws to old London doubledecker buses were driven along the main streets. Nearly all the men wore sarongs.

All the merchandise of the shops was displayed almost on to the footpaths, Mrs Martin said. It was quickly put under cover when heavy rains began. On pay days at the various factories, men selling all types of goods were waiting to catch the workers as they left for home. Often many of the men went home with a sari or a length of silk for their wives, Mrs Martin said.