LADIES AND BRIDGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143451, 23 March 1911, Page 7

LADIES AND BRIDGE.

CHARGES BY MR. ELL. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. March 21. In an address to the Preebyterian Church Association to-night, Mr. 11. G. Ell, M.P., referred to the gambling that was, he said, at present indulged in by women in ibis country at bridge parties. He had it on the authority of a lady, not in Christchurch, who occupied a good position in life, and who moved in the best society circles, that it had not been safe for her to make afternoon calls for years. She could walk into many friends’ houses, and with tho exception of half-a-dozon, find ladies playing bridge and smoking. He also had it on the authority of a leading dentist that the greater part of his business was the whitening of women’s teeth blackened through smoking, no doubt when playing bridge. He (Mr. Ell) knew ho laid himself upon to ridicule in making tho allegations ho had, but ho believed it his duty to publicly draw attention to the evil that undoubtedly existed. One evening recently a gentleman friend of his going homo in a tramcar had met a lady friend, and asked her why she looked so worried, and she had retorted, “And so would you if you had lost your month’s allowance playing bridge.” A gentleman in a high position in life in Now Zealand had told him that lady friends of his wore wont to assemble of a forenoon, null down the blinds of the house, switch on tho electric light, and gamble at bridge all tho morning. Were be (Mr* Ell) not absolutely sure of his facts he would not tell them. He had heard statements in regard to Christchurch, but instances in other places served to emphasise the noint just as well, and it was not good stirring up bad blood here.