200 BALD HEADS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144852, 2 December 1915, Page 7

200 BALD HEADS.

SHINE AT A FEAST. A message from Winston, Conn., which is dated October 10, miv»; —- Various degrees of baldness ranging from the linn and seraggly to tile cranial billiard ball Hero represented at the fourth annual dinner dl the Haiti Hoad Club of America at the Hotel Winchester litre last night. Two hundred smooth anti glistening domes were present from various pans of New England, New York and Now Jersey. President Wilson was congratulated on Ills betrothal and enrolled as an honorary member of the club. hi a letter to John Rodemeyer, of Canaan, founder of the club, former President 'Taft said in part :■— "I observe tjial some hair tonics nro advertised with the candid statement, .for the, purpose of encouraging belief in the other claims, that they will not cure shiny bald heads. 1 should think that that feature of shininess was essential to a good and regular standing as an active member of your association, and f am sure that I do not possess it.

•‘When .1 last saw you the only ground for supposing that you were a bona tide member of the club was that you were wearing a wig ; otherwise you are a pretender and a fake claiming membership therein.” Tito principal address was mado by Edward 0. Higgs of New York, executive assistant of tile New I ork, New Haven, and Hanford Railroad. -Mr. Riggs said in part: — •J appreciate tho honour of tiiis opportunity and I want to treat my sulijael seriously. it is serious. 1 shall lie frank. In the limited time at my disposal I should like to emphasise tho intellectual ascendency whieli tins organisation -undoubtedly lias over the rest of mankind. ‘•Tho laugh to-day is on the longhaired man. He can’t belong to our organisation. That is a distinct handicap. Intellectually, we bald-headed men are very much in tho open. 1 do not want to claim everything for the bald heads. 1 am willing to admit that some men have done prolty well with a hair handicap, especially poets and musicians. On tile other hand, gentlemen. 1 train, to assort, as 1 look down on yon, that hirsute sterility is not incompatible with mental virility. 1 rather like that phrase. 1 was thinking it over in tho train coming up hero to-dav, and as is my custom, allowed my hand to play with llio fringe of hair on the back of my head. Too much hair distracts mental effort. A fringe that can be gently toyed with on the hack of tho head, and perhaps a sparse forelock that can bo trained, help mental effort. ‘We bald-headed mon have efficiency statistics with us and in these days anything that is labelled ‘efficiency,’ whether it is or not, gels tho popular vote. Moreover, we have got Nature with its. Take a look at Nature and you will bo convinced. Potatoes, for example. Potatoes are no good until their foliage above tho ground is dead. It is the same with brains. Until tho hair is dead the brains aro not ripe. “In making these remarks, however, I do not intend to speak slightingly of those of our guests hero vyho arc not eligible for membership in this august body of intellectuals. It is true that none of these, gentlemen who has any hair on top of His head was born that wav, but if this which was thrust upon him’ later in life continues to remain now, jt; must not condemn him. There nro exceptions to every .rule. In my time, gentlemen, I have known several men who had hair who were fairly intelligent.”