“EARN ALL THEY GET”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 20932, 11 January 1938, Page 8

“EARN ALL THEY GET”

SOCIETY CHAPERONNES A woman in Court circles, whose name for obvious reasons cannot be given, took a London paper severely to task for its exposure of the cost of launching a debutante in Society with a capital S.

“Luxury is always expensive,” she said. “The social graces are luxuries.

“There is no more reason to blame a duke's daughter for capitalising the accident of birth which 'gives her the right to present girls at Court than to blame Augustus John for charging £lOOO for a picture, Bernard Shaw for making £lO.OOO out of a play, or Lord Horder for charging £2l as a fee for a consultation. “The accident of birth is no more—and no less —than the gift of individual talent. The Commission on Dress “It is perfectly true that a chaperon may take her protege to a dressmaker who gives commission in cash or kind to the introducer. Why not? The girl gets the clothes she needs; the best of their kind.”

She lighted a cigarette and sighed. “A chaperon, believe me, earns every penny she charges. She has to be governess, mother, courier, hostess,

companion rolled into one. “The chaperon must stay up until all hours, for the deb. must have a good time. The chaperon can’t enjoy herself at the parties at all. She must ‘Wangle’ invitations, and canvass exclusive people to come to the dinners she gives, or the girl’s father will think he is not getting value for his money.

Greatest Marriage Market "A chaperon undertakes to provide certain amenities; to get the girl accepted by the circle into which she wants to break, or her people want her to break. London Sc iety is f ill the greatest of the marriage markets, and marriage, disguise it as you will, is still the widest and most popular career open to women. “Society makes for an enormous amount of employment. It circulates a gigantic amount of money. It launches thousands of girls on successful and happy lives. “If you want to stop the so-called ‘social racket,’ you must reorganise society; cut out monarchy, diplomacy, plutocracy and aristoc acy; and eliminate the basic human nature which enjoys these things and covets them.”