A NATIONAL VULGARITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3995, 7 October 1930, Page 10

A NATIONAL VULGARITY.

THE OBSESSION OF BRIDGE. October 1. An onslaught upon the woman who is continually playing bridge was made by Miss E. Melville at a meeting of the Home Service Association. “ It istime the thinking women of this country got an . antidote to the bridge mania,” she said. “Any woman who makes bridge her chief occupation must be wanting in intelligence, especially when, in this country, where there is any amount of work simply crying out to be done. There are women who deliberately allow themselves to be obsessed with the game. Then all we can say is that they have ceased to develop their minds, nor will they play without having money on the game. To my mind it is simply evidence of national vulgarity that we cannot play games without doing this.”

As an instance of bridge mania, Miss Melville told the story of a woman who had had too many bridge parties for the good of her purse, so she started to economise. Unfortunately she economised upon food for her household, with the result that her lady help became seriously ill. “To my mind that woman was absolutely primitive, a barbarian,” said Mies Melville.