HATPINS AND PETTICOATS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 13975, 7 May 1913, Page 5

HATPINS AND PETTICOATS.

WHAT MELBOURNE QIRLB ARE COMING TO.

COUNCILLORS PERTURBED.

MELBOURNE, April 28

The submission for final adoption to to-day's meeting of .the City Council of a draft‘by-law to prevent the wearing of Unprotected hatpins in the city streets led to a lengthy discussion. Cr. Crestpm said that the Council had no right or-power :to pass the by-law. Under clause 91 of the Melbourne and Geelong Municipal Act there was no power given, Cr. Davies; There were no hatpins worn in , the days when the Act was passed. V / • Cr. Crespin stated that be would .be extremely sorry to see such • a- by-law passed. From what £r’oaf brain'had, the -proposal emanated?, v; In .. .the ■ narrow thoroughfares'of'Sydney, no doubt extended unprotected hatpins might ;be objectionable and dangerous,'but on the wide footways of Melbourne they, would npt.be: Tf.only a,few notices were published in "the newspapers,requesting .the ladies to, shorten their hatpins' the difficulty, yyould bo got over, . Greater importance should be attached by the council to tho question of dealing; with tho presence of ybuhg .girls in the streets; Nowadays the good (fid petticoats had flown, but if was an .important matter;’ and in one of the States of America 1 a bill had been passed to suppress pneumonia., The 'mover of the bill had .-said that tho immodesty in the attire worn by, women ,in jhe streets was the -cause of pneumonia, and the wave of, immorality wlucir ,\vasy f .sweeping through the country. JliSv Jn rMelbotirne were-com-ing to that. , jfi two or three years he would say that tliev would have girls walking down ' tho ' streets in .tights, (Laughter.},, He protested against’ i l, the hatpin business,’! and moved, that: consideration :lbf,, the by-law be . postponed for three months. " Civ- ladies are : wearing protectors without any by-laW being passed. Hatpins pure and simi- ' ' ' ’ ’ ” 1 ■

■ Cr.. Davies: There are no simple hatpins. (Laughter.). . - • - ' Cr.' John Gardiner said he was astounded .at an elderly ’councillor liko Cr. Crespin decrying the womenfolk - of the Commonwealth by saying that in two years . ladies, .would bo walking down Cojlins Street in tights. ' Or. I Sir Henry Woedon: Terrible I (Laughter.) Cr. ; Gardiner'; I think it is a reflection— _ ; Cr. Sir Henry Weedbn thought that warning notices should be posted in places frequented bv women when the by-law was introduced,;so that hundredsof them would not have to suffer tho indignity of ■ attending a court. The by-law was adopted. - • ‘ :