STRAW HAT DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 115, 12 November 1934, Page 9

STRAW HAT DAY

SYDNEY'S LATEST

ART:sOFt PROPAGANDA

(From "The Post's" / Representative.) ;.;' '■'■■■■; 'SYDNEY, . November 2^

r For : aylosson in-the art of commercial propaganda'look to the1 Hatmen's Association: of' New South Wales! Worried by a;"'faiiing-off in trade, the hat-. ;inakers -some: time-'ago1 decided that they mustbe; up' aiii? doing. First of ail they criticised; the men .'who. wore, shabby:bats, and,endeavoured to show what an' important, .part '-the bat played.in;a.man's attire. ~ iThen they, attacked, the maniwho did. not wear;a hat. '•" Now .they are; pointing. to the unsuitability of, tlie felt hat for; all the year found, ana this week they.-or-ganjsed a.i'straw.hat.day." : The men of Sydney have always been partial .to/ felt hats, Vand, the task . of 5' ducing them to change over to straws and panaraas is indeed difficult. Last ;year .there, was a fair sale for panamasi'arid'it: is hoped that this year many thousands more will be converted. , Urged on by the hatmen tho i shops ,'made a.special display of. the latest'; inflight headgear, but in; the ] streets the felts,were still favourites. 1 I The .association; is, "anxious that - the imah'of today should .become, "hat coniscious.'-'". The , hatmen have even !turned to science for'arguments. They say...that a.panama will deflect.o3 per ccntVof the sun's rays, and so protect [the eyes',from s the glare. ■/. *~': i

Despite all the propaganda ..the "Nohat Bngade" is; increasing Jn number in-Sydney,v'and this fact is causing the hatnien grave concern. . It was stated this week that so many men were now going without a hat that many hatmakers, had lost their, jobs. At a. sit-, ting of the Conciliation Council it was seriously suggested that a. man .who did not Vwear a hat should be taxed. This! has given rise to a lively controversyi and, of course, the Hatincn's Association has. had its say. ~l't.has bien busy conducting researches, and it has discovered that the hatless' man is more liable to eye strain than :the man who covers Ii is head. And the face, of , the' hatless man becomes wrinkled and careworn., ./..... : '.'."'-

■The hatless retort that surely they are entitled to go without a hat , if they so desire. They point out,: in lfetterv to the! Press, that no one would think of. compelling a man to. wear a singlet if he did not like singlets. One c6rresponden£ asked: "If a hatmaker does not possess- a watch, will . be prepi*ed to cbntribijte ■to the upkeep of a watchmaker's, family!" The hatmakers are on dangerous ground when they start, iiiterfering with the liberty of the' subject.