BATHING COSTUMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21879, 15 August 1934, Page 11

BATHING COSTUMES

ENGLISH REGULATIONS CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT LONDON, August ft At a time when bathing costumes arei more daring than" ever s a quarter o£ Britain's population has gone to the seaside to find that some resorts hav« appointed officials to curb abbreviated dress. ' Others are restricting undressing ori the beach, and the tendency in many, places is to tighten up the regulations, in view of complaints about the scantiness of costumes. Authorities at tho resorts gener-t ally disclaim prudery and deny that! the beaches resemble nudist colonies. At Margate they even held a com* petition for the most daring costume* but emphasised that decency must be observed. As "decency" has not beeri legally defined difficulties are arising in interpreting it, although it is generally regarded as consisting of "not offending fellow-citizens." The Rev. W. Woodhams, vicar of Chorleywood, in castigating women for wearing shorts, recalls the Biblical condemnation of women dressed in male clothes. Scotland is making a fight for neck-to-knee costumes. The authorities in North Berwick and St. Andrews have passed regulations on those lines, but young people will not comply, in spite of notices pro* minently displayed.