THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ON TIGHT LACING AND THIN SHOES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6811, 15 September 1883, Page 6

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ON TIGHT LACING AND THIN SHOES.

At the meeting of the Board of Education .yesterday the Chairman submitted the following circular, calling attention to the -dangera of the present style of dress :— The Question Board of the district of Auckland feel that they ought to awaken the attention of parcms of girls who attend the High School and other --cJiooL. to the hurtful effects of the dresa worn by mac Of th- pupils, which dresa hindera the exercise* practised to bring about due development of the Thus 01 the Bth August last the drill lustrac--t.ir reported that some cf the Hlfrh Schocl girls "were so tightly 1 *ced, and the sleeves of their ires-e- so ti|iht, that it was inpjssible for them to •perform the required exercises with any degree of -This in itself may aeem a small matter, but it betokens deeply injurious effects. Dr. Bichardson in his b ok oo the Diseases of Modem Life, says :— •" The worst irechanical erro'S in clothing are tlio ; e -vrhich affect the chest and body. Tte tight band rtuud the waist and the tightly laced corset s'.iil pi ly too important a part, and interfile with the frae and healthy movements of youn-r girls and women. The effect of the pressure is equally injurious to the organs of digestion, respiration, and cjuUtion" Dr. Richardson goes on to j-oint out that the same objection applies to the belt a tmetimes mora by boys and men as to the tight b*nd and corset: —*' It impedes the free motion of ihe organs. It tends to bring on hernia." He ikon the danger of tight garters causing varicose v;ini, and then goes on to say: "By the boots ana ahoes made for women and children with high, pointed i. -els a more than local injury it inflicted. Each time tha body cdmes down with its full weight upon the raised heel, it receives a slight shock or vibration •which extends through the vertebral column, and, being often repeated, injures the colnmn and it. Bt-rvous mechanism." Thus the spinal is aff-eted. " The >pinal cord, in direct communicaVon with, or rather proceeding from the brains in thj prime agent of movement, sensation, and -ail thai goes to make up physical being: Injury to it is destruction to the whole system." It will be seen that the rick incurred is fearful. To »t the question from another point of rew: Mr. O. F. Watts, Royal Academy, in an article in tha January number of the Nineteenth Century, says "It may be tafe to assert that good taste is violatnl when natural conditions are entirely los'.sigat of;" and again. " Bad taste, even if proved l>f incontestable principles, may be regretted and c mhatted, but, if not degrading and harmful, may be submitted to with a sigh; but, when vital consequences are involved, the question' is remove i to a higher court, and reticence becomes cowardly. Tender mothers would be horrified could thev but realise how much, and in how many ways, they are d gtroyin? the hippines* of their daughters, ia obe-iience to a stupid conventionality and a degraded taste ." An evil, like the one here dealt with, is best met by the force of authority. The Board feci that no words of theirs can add weight to the words they iu»e quoted. I'hey recommend what la now submitted to the earnest attention of parents and guardians.

The Chairman* said action had been taken in the matter of calisthenics and dress at the Girls' High School in consequence of a letter from the head-masteri and the drill instructor. The 85th section of the Education Act bearing on this matter said : —" In public schools provision shall be made for the instruction in military drill of all boys, and in each of the schools as the Board ■hall from time to time direct, provision shall also be made for physical training, and whenever practicable there shall be attached to each Bcbool a play-ground of at lea9t a quarter of an acre." The circular had been drawn up by the Inspector, which he (Mr. Laiahley) subsequently revised. It dealt not only with the school iife of girle, but it also recognised that the Board had a duty in recommending to parents, as far as it was in the piwer of the Board, for the health of the pupils under the care of the Board. He moved: "That copies of the circular be sent to the head-master of the Girls' High School for circulation, and that .copies be likewise sent to the Chairmen of School Committees, with a request that they may bs po3ted in conspicuous positions in their ■ ■chooli."

Mr. BuornKD took exception to the whole circular. At the time the matter was first brought up he. Epoke against it as strnngly as he could. The only good he thought they could do would be to endeavour to get the girls to cut their hair short. He did not care much about the statement as to tight lacing, because probably not one in a hundred laced too tightly. The corap aint as to girls wearing boots with too thin soUa, he thought meant that the master wisheda covering over his head when drilling. Nothing made girls moreclnmsy than wearing heavy boots. It was a great mistake to raite girls np wearing heavy boots; and to raise children up without stays made them simply objects all the rest of their lives. There was no doubt about it. The circular did not go tu the root of the matter. Opinions of Dr. Kichardson and Dr. Watts were quoted, but it did not follow that they were entirely correct in what they said. It did not seem to him that the slightest good would arise from sending the circular.

Mr. Goldie agreed with the circular. Probably it would not do much good, still he believed the suggestions were thoroughly good. It was recognised as a fact that persons wearing very thin boots suffered very much from cold. Mr. Buckland's statement that persons who did not wear stays were objects for life was absurd. He presumed Mr. Buokland was not brought up wearing stays, and he (Mr. Goldie) did not think that gentleman was an object for life.

Mr. Bbckland paid he was speaking of females.

Mr. Goldie thought they could stand np just aa well as the males without Btays. He thought the Board could donoharm in sending the circular, although it might not effect all that they desired to work ont.

Mr. Lose thought there was a consensus of opinion amongst medical men that tiflht lacing was injurious to young girls. As to Mr. Buckland's statement, he would simply draw attention to the statues in the Museum —Venus de Jlilo and Venus de Medici. There was no tight-lacing there, and he thought they would compare favourably with any figures. If the Board could do anything to prevent the ruinous system of tight-lacing, he thought they would be doing a good thing. He concurred with the statements against t'ght-laciDg and thin boots.

Mr. Hobbs felt some delicacy in speaking on this matter. He gave his approval to the circular. They should not shirk their duty in this matter. He had carefully xead the circular, and he thought it should go forth from the Board to be forwarded to the different schools, and then the Board would have done its duty. There waa no doubt at all, the present style of dress was not at all to be recommended.

The Chairman, in reply to Mr. Buckland, said the two medical men quoted were referred to becauss they were recognised as high authorities on such matters. To have mc.de longer quotations would have defeated the object of the circular. It was thought ■better to quote from these authorities than that tha Board should draw up a circular embracing their own opinions only.

Mr. Buckland said that in 99 cases out of 100 stays were not worn inconveniently tight. Mr. Clark said his own feeling on the matter was against the circular—not that he objected to what was said in it, but he thought the Board did its duty in the matter in recommeuding the books on the laws of health; and further, he did not think the circular would work one iota of good. It -would not strike off a corset or effect one pull of a lace, He would vote against the circular being aent. The Board" divided. Ayes (4) : Messrs. Hobbs, Luke, Goldie, and the Chairman. Noes (2): Messrs. Buckland and Clark. The motion was carried.