OLD SCHOOL TIE

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 November 1935, Page 9

OLD SCHOOL TIE

“KNAVERY” IN ENGLAND. LONDON, October 19. Sacrilege, it seems, is one of the more definite symptoms of this age o flippancy and cynicism. ‘s to sav things have come to a pietty pass when not even the old school tie can be protected from insult, lor the old school tie, ever since people can remember, has been regarded with leverence. It stood for respectability, dignity, chivalry, and breeding—especially in middle-class circles. Not to have such a tie was to find yourself relegatecj. to the ranks of the commonality. Now, however, we find the om school tie no longer a symbol of superiority, but a racket. Unofficial hosiers are turning out ties indistinguishable from the “real thing, and these are being worn by every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the country! „ , A writer in “Men’s Wear, who exposed this screaming scandal, describes the whole business as “knavery.” “What is it if •it is not stealing?” he asks. “The only difference is that one can be imprisoned for stealing.” He tells how in one town an old-established hosier had for years enjoyed the sole agency for certain colours. Everything went well until another business changed hands. “The new proprietor saw a source of profit hitherto untapped by his predf’c--sor. ‘Fine,’ he said. Im muscling-in here,’, and procured a supply of colours very similar to those of his competitor.’’ And so the sorry business goes on all over England, with the result that thousands of “Old Boys’ ’are constantly encountering thousands of other “Old, Boys” who are not old boys at all.

Many of these spurious ex-collegians are innocent offenders. Having bought a particular tie because they liked the look of it, without the least notion that the colours were those, of a famous school, they considered tr-ey were merely giving expression to their own 'good taste. In the prevailing confusion iherc is but one thing to do; it you have an authentic school tie put it in a drawer and forget all about it!-