THE SCHEME OF THINGS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 146, 17 December 1927, Page 16

THE SCHEME OF THINGS

(By M.H.C.)

Changing fashions are responsible for 'a good deal more than most people imagine. It would seem quite a small and frivolous matter to say that "veils are worn-" or not worn, as the case may be, but few realise nowadays when |Veils are not worn that iine machinery and many skilled hands in the factories at Nottingham are being put out of action, unless some other variety of ••fineness" can be put on the world's market and ensure the carrying off of loth mechanism.and workers. Then another recent blow has come to Nottingham in the circumstance that most people now use net or casement cloth for curtains instead of lace. A third trouble has arisen—this time in the hat trade—owing to the fact that so few Jnen wear straw hats nowadays, while jthe women havo taken largely to the '•elinoliue straw," which is of quite a 'different variety. A few years ago, too, the world of women knitted jumpers and frocks in fabulous numbers, and provision was made for this work sby machinery and trained hands; but, alas, now the craze is over, and the Suinber of such knitters is comparatively few. The short tight.skirt has meant loss of work to Bradford and other places, though to the ordinary observer it looks as if the lesser quantity is replaced by increased price at all events, J>ut perhaps .the manufacturers are not ithe ones who are. the gainers by this .development. All this caused a speaker at a recent welfare conference at Oxford to bring forward an ■ insurance fieheme to ensure continuity of ernployinent. He had, he said, made investigations, and had found in all directions that the changes of fashion has caused Unemployment, with all its -attendant evils and distresses, as well as other difficulties. The question is a large one. and is one of those which need probing |to the bottom, and in a constructive spirit.' Mere depression and fault-find-ing is of little use, but the consideration of possible remedies, -with skilled adVice, would seem to be the. next best jthing to permanence in fashions.

A criticism made recently on women motorists by a man who motors a great ideal is quite interesting and worth consideration. He found that he is far Xnore often "crowded out" by women jthaii by men. They cut across others, and assume that the road is for them in a way which the man in question puts 'down to the fact that women have al;ways been allowed and encouraged to f'go. first." All men with any upbringing worth mentioning are accustomed to £ay "Ladies first," and act up to the paying through life; women are accusjtomed to taking the first place sociality, though this agreeable position usually stops there. It is a point for woInen to think about, however —this moJboring one—and to reflect that the cusjtom of taking the lead should certainly be carried on to the roads, for it jendangers their own lives and those of (Others. It is only fair to allow other (cars reasonable room, to take the nearest place, and not to cut across the car Which should, by rights of the road, be. jfthead.

Many people will be interested to hear |hat the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford (Dr. P. W. Pember), in a recent learned fepeech, delivered in Latin, stated that (the manners of undergraduates had, of recent years, improved considerably. [There is less disturbance among them, Jie found, and he thought the reason might be that they drank less wine and ibeer. Again, perhaps, some of them forked off steam (the learned doctor feaid "preponderance of high spirits") by rushing about the country on wheels. jEegarding learning, lie blamed the parents that they seemed to drive into the 'ears of their sons that they must dress 'Well, play well, and get useful friends, Jrat the real business of the colleges— teultivation of the intellect and solid Beaming—appeared to be the last thing jthought about. However, the cheerful jside of things came at the end of the. ppeeeh. Dr. Pember said that "if the "JBharacters of the young men were looked at there, were very few who were jiot upright, kindly, modest, straightforward, and free from persistence in any evil course." This is a great tribute from a man who ought to know >rhat he is talking about. The qualities mentioned are among the best and fln'est, and for them to be widespread is a jvery splendid thing. But among the inirfor things to bo rooted out of a generation is a deadly "not bad" attitude of life. It is pure negation, a blight to any character. Not to have any real interest or enthusiasm is a very jterrible_ thing. To find that every good thing is simply "not bad" is, to a jVivid mind, unspeakably deadly. The (question arises, if these nil-admirari people can find so little to admire in life do they keep the same lukewarm .attitude to the evils and find them "not bad" too? It is an _ interesting question. So far as manners are concerned they are the credit or fault of parents. When the young ones, boys or girls, are Selfish,,careless, and ill-mannered, it is natural to look at the parents to see yrhere thp ,'irrit fault is, ana the answer is usually, to put it in Parliamentary form, "in the affirmative." Exceptions come, of course, and well-mannered parents have rough-mannered, rude offspring, but the -lack of training overcomes the good example in that case. However, Dr. Pember's declaration is cheering, for education should make for better manners if it is of the right sort, and from the universities much good may.spread in the course of time, the yalue of good manners being undoubted.