“DISGRACE”

Northern Advocate, 26 July 1935, Page 6

“DISGRACE”

SYDNEY HAIRDRESSING SALOONS. AUCKLAND BARBER’S OPINION. [Special to "Northern Advocate?’} AUCKLAND, This Day.. Describing the hairdressing saloons in Sydney as the filthiest in the world, Mr J. Buchanan, an Auckland hairdresser who has just returned from Australia, says that the conditions existing in the trade in New South Wales would not be tolerated for one moment in the Dominion. “The barbers’ shops are an absolute disgrace,” he said, “and you have only to get a shave in any of the cheap saloons to catch the barber’s rash No methods of cleanliness are and some barbers do not even have a harbrush in the shop. This deplorable and filthy state of affairs , has been brought about by unskilled men entering the hairdressing business. Almost everyone who is unemployed turns barber, so you can imagine the result. Chairs are rented in shops for £1 a week and even less, according to the locality. Haircutting is done for 4d and 6d, and shaving for 2d and 3d.” Mr Buchanan states that almost every second shop has a barber’s sign outside. Hawkers who cannot make a living from selling fruit or fish, buy a razor and rent a chair in sort:? saloon. As a result the legitimate hairdresser is being robbed of his trade. “Things have reached such a state,’’ j continued Mr Buchanan, “that the | Labour Department of New South | Wales is taking steps to have a bill j introduced into Parliament to make j it compulsory for all hairdressers to) be licensed. Unless this is done, the | respectable barber will be driven out j of business. Old mugs and filthy j brushes are being used all over Syd- ! ney. Why the Health Department j allows such a thing is beyond me.” It will be a sorry day for hairdressers in New Zealand if everyone is al- j lowed to turn barber as is the case in | Sydney.” | Referring to ladies’ hairdressing | saloons in Sydney, Mr Buchanan said i that most of the New Zealand saloons I were just as up-to-date. j “Permanent waving is being done j across the Tasman,” he said, “for 7/6 j and 12/6.” It only takes about 10 j minutes to make the waves and they j only last about that time. It is an j absolute impossibility to give a per- j manent wave at that price and show ' a profit. It is only hoodwinking the j public to pretend to do so.” I