TALL MEN OF U.S.A.

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 December 1934, Page 8

TALL MEN OF U.S.A.

LEG ROOM AND HEAD ROOM. The National Society of Long Fellows in the United States reports notable successes in its campaign against what it terms 6000 years of discrimination against tall people. Its fee is a shilling a year, and its membership is open to white persons of a height of 6ft. lin. or more (says the Herald’s New York correspondent). The society’s policy is to promote the comfort of members by working for 71ft. beds, longer bath tubs, shirts socks, and other clothing, higher awnings, signs, and ceilings, greater legroom between rows of theatre seats, and Pullman car berths in which a six-footer can sleep without being folded up. “Little did we dream that so much could be accomplished,” says the founder and secretary of the society, Phil, Zimmermhn, who got his first Idea of a Long Fellows’ Society from his experience in the Spanish-Ameri-can War. As the country was not ready for war, equipment and uniforms were scarce and were issued alphabetically. Consequently, by the time the letter “Z” was reached only spare parts were left, and each was much too small for the 6ft. Sin. Kansas recruit. “Hundreds of hotels, from Maine to California, and from Canada to the Mexican Gulf, are now equipped in the Long Fellow mode. The Chicago Civic Opera led the way for new theatres to consider comfort for elongated patrons. Motor car factories have universally adopted seat adjusters. “In many cities tall men are protected by civic ordinances against awnings. The Pullman Company provided extra-length berths in some of its cars. The manufacturer has made 71ft. beds available at mass production prices. Furniture companies are producing over-sized pieces. Clothiers are considering tall customers.”