SOCIAL NOTES.

Feilding Star, Volume 3, Issue 575, 29 May 1925, Page 2

SOCIAL NOTES.

The male housekeeper may or may not be desirable, but the male domestic certainly has his drawbacks. Anyway the ladies in Johannesburg are finding it so. In that African city the native “hoy”—sometimes well on to 25 in years—is the ehiel and only servant. works well, is not overpaid, and i;s subject to a law which forbids his leaving Ids position except under a month's notice. Nevertheless, his docility .sometimes ends, and unfortunately all stop work together. Thus lately, we hear, they have had a, call from their tribes requiring them to leave at once for some important religious ritual. FTtiecdiag the month’s warning rule, they have departed, and there is no getting them lack. It is the call of the wild, “that not sOj,wild as we are,” wchimud one boi'cfl housewife.

Freak fashions are becoming as prevalent among some men as they are with sumo women, and “original ideas” in masculine dress arc by no means confined to the bell-bottomed trousers which are causing so much discussion, .states a London paper. Arnold ijonnett’s evening shirt wii-I, a Idaek-edged frill was oirtrivalled in freakislmcss a few evenings ago at a London theatre by the purple velvet jacket and frilled cream silk sbirt

worn by a very young man. I am (.old lliat this velvet and silk evening fashion is having a certain popularity at present at Oxford University, which, seems to he creatine; a. ‘“homo ol strange fashions” for men. Another instance of freakish masculine a.ftire has been sent me by a friend in the .South of France, who tells me that some young men are carrying umbrellas with ornate handles of painted dogs’ heads and feathered birds’ heads. O « » - What is it makes women rely on I.Jieir own sex in some occupations and not in others!-' It is not altogether sex prejudice. anyway it does not work logically. Thus many women still will not have women doctors, hut women lawyers and bankers are often pic'crred As chemists onu would flunk we should like our own sex, hut cue Australian tradesman has staled that when ,a woman chemist is behind the counter the lady customer will often pass her by to go to a man. J>i isbane lias: two lady chemists, lunve>. cr, arid both are doino well. A woman dentist is often chosen by one ol her own sex again who would not go to a lady doctor. Is it because we like a quick dentist, but not a -quick doctor? Subconsciously we are reiving on the belief in some as superior in lightness and smartness, but not m real knowledge. 'Woman’s quickness was certainly shown in -Melbourne the other day when 59 women, business, professional and publicist, met in ecrlain rooms, had luncheon, formed a new club, listened to six of their number discoursing on momentous concerns, and went through a. few other matters all in the space of an hum o' rat Iter less. The whole business was then in 10 minutes before" two. One can imagine some rapid action when the Parliament of women gets to work