WOMNN’S NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 285, 5 November 1925, Page 15

WOMNN’S NOTES

When a great crowd of people were eagerly awaiting at the Grey street side of the Town Hall, Auckland, on Monday night, near the door where ticket-holders entered, to attend the meeting addressed by the Prime Minister, a lady in a fur cloak and with a business-like air about her pushed through the crowd to get into the hall. Three burly policemen, however, had to be satisfied that the lady had a ticket. She seemed a little taken back that she was not allowed to proceed, for she evidently thought she would be known. “I am Miss Melville,” she said at last. ‘‘Oh, ore you?” observed the sergeant with arched eyebrows. “So am I,” called out a number of women in the crowd. The tall limb of the law bent down, and Miss Melville soon satisfied him that she was the right person, and not long afterwards her voice was heard through the loud speakers discussing the land policy of the Labour Party. WOMEN AT THE RACES. BIG OUTLAY IN DRESS. A CALCULATION AT RANDWICK. SYDNEY, Oct. 23. It is estimated that Ladies’ Day at Randwick —one of the features of the spring racing carnival —attracted no fewer than 20,000 of the feminine element. It is estimated that, for the display by these women of the very latest spring fashions, the outlay on frocks, hats, shoes and stockings, bags, gloves and lingcrio ran into the tidy little sum, of £220,000. This is apart from “etceteras,” such as shingles, shampoos, marcel waves, manicures, face massages and motor car hire. It is safe to say, according to a woman writer who lias delved into the question in detail, and in a column article in one of the newspapers, that the cost incurred by these 20,000 women for the visit to Randwick on Ladies’ Day ran into the neighbourhood of a quarter of a million sterling. The spring gowns are put down at the very low average of five guineas apiece, which makes a total of 100,000 guineas. So much for the frocks. Then there is the little matter of hats. The majority of the newest and smartest hats worn wore Bangkok in all colours. Real Bangkoks are not to be had under three or four guineas, so it is said, but the writer, t-o be on the conservative side, has put the hats worn for the occasion at an average of a guinea and a-lialf each, which accounts for another 30,000 guineas. There were also shoes and stockings. Here, again, the writer does not make an extravagant estimate, for she takes into consideration those who had to compromise with cheap artificial silk stockings. Under those heads, shoes and stockings, 40,000 guineas are accounted for. The gloves worn for the occasion, calculating again on the conservative side, are put down at half a guinea a pair. Bang goes another 10,000 guineas! Then there are handbags which, even at a guinea each, account for another 20,000 guineas. But all this is top-dressing. It does not account for such things as jewellery and sunshades, or for silken lingerie which, it is reckoned, accounted for another 20,000 guineas. This, of course, is apart from all the money that went into the totalisator and the bookmakers’ bags. “Many a piece of black moire cuddled under the arm,” the writer adds, “cost more than hundreds of women spend on all their clothes in a month.”