BATHING COSTUMES
"IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE"
N.S.W. ORDINANCES
Some pungent comment from ' tht sharp pen of Mr. Wilfred Blacket,:K.C, on the controversial subject of bathing costumes appears ;in the May number of the "New Zealand Law Journal." He refers to the drafting of the new ordinances to ' govern' costumes worn on New South. Wales beaches, and says that the only fault is that the reform is. not to come into force until October,l. '. '," ' ;;. .
~,'X.ong", ago, in _ New? I South .Wales." writes Mr. Blacfcet, "bathers on public beaches were required by ordinance to wear neck-toJcnee costumes, but only the modest ever obeyed this law. Others openly defied it py wearing costumes which; like .the Queen of Spain, had 'no, legs,' .the limbs of the wearer supplying the - deficiency; others, again, wore suits of i thin, material with, leg? that .would roll up like a stage curtain and for the same general purposes. :And some:W©re v : and still are wearing, costumes,which are very low above, and very high below on the front elevation, and are as backless, as. a campstjxjl. Others appear covered here.and .there with-,detached shields, bandages, and. drapings. .
"One of the morning, papers defends this fig-leaf design in'bathing suits because it gives opportunity'to the nearnudists to reveal themselves to prospective husbands, and, of course, there is force in this, for in transactions relating to real estate the right of an intending purchaser, to make full inspection is, undoubted, and' there seems no logical reason why the same right should not be extended to intending purchasers of personal property. Now, however, new Ordinances have been drafted and approved, and these provide for bathing suits only half-backless, and quite decently high in front, and having three-inch legs. This is an admirable reform,, and will free our beaches from the unpleasing presence of those who now act upon a crude reading of the maxim that it 'pays to advertise,' the only defect in the reform being that the ordinance is not to come into force until October 1, 1935! Would you ask, 'Why not'? Know. then, that a General. Election will be held within five months, and it would really not be right for the Ministry to lose "all the votes of all' the girls who do not want to wear the 'three-inch legs' aforesaid nor to wear decent covering on the front elevations of them.'" . .
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 129, 3 June 1935, Page 10
Word Count
393BATHING COSTUMES Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 129, 3 June 1935, Page 10
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