BEACH FASHIONS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2261, 22 September 1914, Page 3

BEACH FASHIONS

CANADIAN COSTUME, AND OTHERS A PROBLEM DISCUSSED Mr. J. F. Atkins, president of the Lyall Bay Surf Club, waited-on the Baths, ■ Beaches, and Libraries Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon to protest, on behalf of his club, against by-law No. 9142 of the amended city by-laws, which reads as follows:— "No person in swimming costume who is over the age of 10 yearß shall be or remain on any beach foreshore open to the public except for the purpose of entering the water or when leaving the water to reach any bathing shed or other place for the purpose of dressing unless such person shall be clad in the swimming costume known as the Canadian costume." Mr. Atkins's protest was against the laying down of a hard and fast rule that all costdmes worn on the beach must be tho Canadian (two garment) costume. He said that two years ago his club had adopted the costume approved of in Australia, the all-wool onepiece garment, which was a splendidlymade costume. The Canadian costume, which was usually made of a thin cotton mixture, had proved to be of no use in life-saving struggles, as it could be easily ripped from the neck, as was proved in one drowning case, when a would-be rescuer had his Canadian costume ripped to ribbons by the drowning person'. Besides that the singlet part was apt to come up round the waist in the water. They had certain obligations to _ perform with the council in-connection with life-saving, and he asked that the by-law'be amended so as to provide for the Canadian costume or the all-wool one-piece costume. Mr. Atkins further pointed out that the woollen costume was unshrinkable, which was hot tho case with the Canadian' costume. Councillor Hindmarsh (chairman): But would you want to walk about and lie round in the costume? Councillor M. F. Luckie: They would always do that. Councillor Fuller expressed doubts about' the one-garment costume on the score of decency. He said that tho woollon garmoit was all 'right so long as tbey went straight into the water and out again to the dressing shed, but said that it was not so satisfactory as the Canadian garment for parading tho beach. ' Councillor Hindmarsh: But, Mr. Atkins, do your members want to parade the beach? Mr. Atkins: Well, we've always got to keep a squad on the beach on the look-out. Councillor E. Tregear: I'm against all this talk about costumes in a little out-of-the-way one-horse town like this. What do, they wear at Saratoga, Bournemouth, and the other big places? .We see that in tho illustrated magazines and papers—in all sorts of costumes, men and women, and boys and girls, lying about the beach in their costumes. If people, don't want to see them, they shouldn't go to the beaches. Councillor Fuller: It's tlio children! ■ Councillor Tregear: Oh, fudge I Councillor Luckie: It's all this talking about them that 'makes them harmful. Ordinarily healthy-minded; peoplo pass on without taking any notice. Councillor Fuller: Well, I've just come from one of the centres of bathing, Los Angelos, and there tho Canadian costume is insisted upon. . Councillor Wright: There are certainly a;, hugo number of complaints from persons pointing 'dut'tha't' some of the costumes worn are indecent. Mr. Atkins pointed out that his club had adopted what they thought was the bost costume, and last year had ordered over a hundred of them. They had to keep sixteen men on the beach on Sunday mornings and afternoons, and on public holidays. I . ' • . Councillor Wright: Cannot some difference be mado between, the.life-savers an'l ordinary bathers? Could we rot leavo it to the custodian of the beach to say whether a costume was decent or not? • , Councillor Luckie: I don't see why we should not leave' it to the custodian. He is .there to represent the council, and would have to do his duty thoroughly. Mr. Atkins: All we want is that the by-law shall not restrict us to tlio Canadian costume only. ' . Councillor Hindmarsh asked that the . sample costumes brought by Mr. .Atkins should be _ left .with the committo?, and promised that tho matter would he looked into