WOMEN CIVIL SERVANTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22524, 15 September 1936, Page 5

WOMEN CIVIL SERVANTS

STOCKINGLESS AT WORK DISCUSSION IN LONDON [from our own correspondent] LONDON, August 26 Women civil servants of Kew are making a great stand for bare legs. A largo number of girls in the Ministry of Labour there appeared without stockings. One of the senior, officials saw them, thought it was not quite the thing, and Baid so. Supervisors were asked to suggest to the ; bare-legged that bare legs were scarcely in accord with official decorum, that the discarded stockings should be put oh again. The suggestion was not well received; in fact, by common consent among the bare-legged it was ignored. There are about 1000 girls working in the Labour Ministry at Kew, and a large percentage of them were.stbckingless the other day. Some had white short socks and white sandals. ,

"We sit with our legs under-tables and desks?! said ono of the bare-legged "so what does it matter? Besides, going without stockings in. hot weather is cool and comfortable, and therefore helps efficiency. It is also economical." Said ontf girl with stockings: "I think it is only right that we should dress to look like civil servants. Some of the girls here will, be ooming to the office with bare-back dresses next.!' There aro no regulations in the civil service'regarding dress. Good sense and good taste are the only standards, but the head of a department or section may, and does, check anything that is considered to be extravagant.