PETTICOATS OR PRISON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 97, 27 April 1933, Page 2

PETTICOATS OR PRISON

Petticoats or prison is the choice before girls in Minneapolis who caused a stir in the city recently by wearing trousers in public. The mannish modes do not appeal to grandpa, who has brought the law to bear. It seems a law passed 56 years ago is still in effect. On May 7, 1877, grandpa, then a young man, but not in his ideas of what was what in garb, adopted a measure intended to decide for all time who should be entitled to wear the trousers in the family. “No person,” declared this ordinance, “shall appear on any street, or in any public or exposed place in the city in a state of nudity, or in any dress not belonging to his or iher sex” The measure defined any violation as disorderly conduct, and set the maximum penalty of 100 dollars fine or 90 days in gaol. Now the bright ’young things of .Minneapolis, as well as 'those of raaturer years, who fail to see why man should have all the sartorial freedom, have to decide just how important trousers are to them.