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Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 8, 18 May 1872, Page 2

WOMEN'S. .DRESS.. A Socikty called- the Womeriii 'Dress 'Association has been formed in London. The following rules, have been adopted, and they wiU alio.w consider, able scope to the sub-associations which may be formed for the framing of rules which may suit th» special necessities of their associates, and members. It is now stated :— "1. That the chief, object of this Association shall be to promote moderation and propriety of dress among all classes by every means in ite power. "2.. That the affaire of the association shall be administered by » council, with power to add to. their number*, and that it shall meet not Jeis than four times in a year. Three to be a quorum. An annual report and statement of aooounta shall be prepared and approved by the-council "3. Every member and association shall sign Declaration I. on entering, and at the end of the year Declaration.ll., and tend to the secretary. JBy neglecting to do this the member: or associate will forfeit her membership." The declarations are in the following form j " Declaration I.» - I certify that I will conscien-t tiously obey the rules of; the ' Women'e Dresa Association' as far as lies in my power. I will not spend more money upon dress than I can honestly afford, or be in debt." " Declaration lI.—I certify that I have obeyed the rules of the ' Women's Dress Association' since I became a member, so far as it has been in my power, and 'l am. not in debt" : It is now determined that the association shall consist of members and associates, Thda/j vrijl both be required" to undertake the observance of the rules laid down by the- association, and their ad-, mission will, be subject to the approval of the council. Members are to pay five shillings a year, and associates are to be admitted on signing the declara-, tioii. ■■ The rules} as they now stand, are the, following ; "1. Every member anid associate : must engage to dress moderately, neatly, and becomingly ; thedress to be consistent with the occupation and position in life, and cleanliness must be scrupulously observe!. ' - . "2. Xevef to bay anything merely because it is cheap 1 ,- nor without paying for purchases »t the time or when the shall be sent in, and neve? to spend more upon dres3 than can be conscientiously spared for- purpose, /Of thig eafil\ mnsti be judge for herself.} *

M y. To avoid all wasto of time in frequent changes or alterations of dress, and not to allow drees or dressing in any respect to infringe upon other and higher dutiee, 4. To avoid all exaggerations (especially of head- <] reuses), however they may be encouraged by the popular fashion, all unsightly articles of dress which interfere with the natural figure, or anything which might attract improper attention. " 5. To wear no unhealthy style of dress, such a» tight-lacing, high hte'le, poisonous materials, &c., or' any tiling which cripples natural action or exercise." It is said that women arc becoming strongminded, If one of the effects of their strongjniiidediieHH w Lho abolition of many of their absurdities in drese, we shall have good cause to rejoice at, the fact. Women have long been the slaves of faHhioii, and it i» to be hoped that the Dress Assodation will relieve them from the abject state of uluvery they lmve been in for so many centuries. » FALHE PACKING, AfiAlN we have tin; subject of dishonest dealing with two of our chief exports brought under notice, Mr, (J. R. Jrlir.*t, in bin report for last mail's nummury in the " Herald" state* t'hat "By several successive mails we . have receive') groviout complaints of the adulteration of tallow by an admixture of water, and it i.s to be feared thut the evil hat* existed in many caeca which have not yet been brought i<) light. It is, however, pleasing to notiei) Unit in Uie London market there is such adct< riuiiiedsift id mude against the practice that unscrupulous parties on this Hide find that it will not pay to contiaue it. I «*m sorry also to have to notice the revival to some extent of a practice which was common enoiJifli in the days of my early colonial experience, and which was siil>»-e«|«fiilly abandoned, because it was found that in the long run it would not pay. I allude to Ihe faIHC packing of wool. But this was a generation M|'i>, and it is lamentable to think that the experience of Cornier years should not have had sufficient influence to prevent the recurrence of the pernicious practice in more modern times. Of cousscl do not include iu the category of false packers our principal squatters, who as a body are as honorable as any class in the community. On the contrary, my experience in the market goes to prove that with our woolgrowers generally anything that bears the semblance of fiil.se packing is an iiuidviitencc, which, on sufficient proof, is promptly accepted, and any loss as piomptly made good to the purchawr. Hut it is in small settler's clips, and more esp< dally in what are designated dealer's lots, that the iniquity (for 1 cannot call it by any milder name) principally occurs. I would not express myself so Hlrongly if repoitod cuwea of false packing were those alone with winch 1 have to deal; but I tan also speak confidently from personal experience. Many cases of false packing have this season came under my notice, and doubtless othera have had the same cause of complaint. The proper course to be followed is for the buyer to cancel all purchases, either by auction or by private contract, when false packing occurs, resolutely declining "U allowance or compromise in any shape whatever; and at auction sales where false packing U detected before the sale to avoid making a bid for any Mich bale or lot. If buyers generally would act on tins principle, we should in future hear of very few comphiints of losses in this reepeer, It is of no use to appeal to tlii! patriotism of persons who indulge in such disreputable; practices; for what care they for the good name of their native or adopted country, so long as they can make ti few pounds, however dishonestly obtained. A prosecution at law is often a doubtful and ulwa\s an expensive process to the party seeking redress, mid this is fully taken into account by those who indulge in nefarious transactions. The only remedy, I fear is U> full bnck upon the low standard of personal interest, (ind make roguery in the wool trade an unprofitable business. This, as before intimated, can only be done bv buyers resolutely having nothing whatever to do with wools which exhibit signs of false packin.:, and by marking the owners ae parties with whom they will in future have no transactions. If such a course were generally adopted unscrupulous persons would soon find to their cost that " honesty is the best policy" is an adage as true as it is old, and false packing would before loug be again numbered with the things that were,— 4 - Sydney Mull." THE SEA FOBTS AT SPITIIEAD. Tit k new sea forts provided in accordance with the greai fortification scheme initiated during Lord PulmeiKton's Government are approaching completion. In a "Times" description we read that "in a short time there will arrive nt Portsmouth, consigned from Manchester, and delivered by rail, one of the most astonishing fabrics ever produced by human hands. Let the reader imngino, if he can, a building as big as tho Royal Albert Hall, composed entirely of iron pktcs fifteen inches thick. Some of these plates will be twenty-six feet long, and worth—to anticipate another part of the subject—nearly £2CO a-piece. Twenty years ago one such piece of iron would have been a marvel in itself, mid now we have them turned out in any quantity like house-bricks from a yard. Yet the workmanship is actually us surprising as the material, None but AV hit worth's tools could have sufficed to achieve it. Xlvery plute, every edge, every rivet hole is as true as to lnoitel and measure ns the finest watchwork; and so it had need be. All these plates, piers, and bars will have to be set up and put together on aiming at their destination, so as to form at once a complete fabric without flaw or crack, Then will be seen an object without any parallel in the world, though indeed, it bus been anticipated in the creation of romance. The j adventurous Sultan in one of the first stories of the "Arabian Nights," comes suddenly upon a magnificent palace, or rather strong castle .covered with fine steel as smooth as a looking-glass." That description would do exactly for our new forts at Spithead. Fifteen years ago we decided on protecting the approaches to Portsmouth by fixed forts in" preference to floating and movable batteries, and out of that decision has arisen the present phenomenon. It excels the marvels of the Eastern tale in this way, that it hud to be built without ground to build upon, 'lhe problem was given to erect an impregnable fort on the Kind which should bo as safe as if founded on a rock ; j and so the rock had to be erected first. On this artificial j foundation nn iron oastle will, so to speak, be dropped j >ill ready made, some seven hundred feet in cimini- I fertnee, and about 30 feet high. Then will be seen ; the very latest form of fortification, and it is curious to j observe, that except in material, it will be simply a j return to .the very earliest form. If stone could have resisted artillery a Norman ctvtje would still be the perfection of u stronghold, but when that material was ibivud to be no longer impregnable the whole system of foitifications was changed. Instml of opposing & bare blank wall to the enemy, engineers hit upon the device of exposing no wall at all. The brickwork of a fort was sunk in a ditch, so that, until approaches had been scientifically and painfully accomplished, there was nothing visible to fire at. Now-a-days iron is to cannon ! balls what stone was to hows and arrows ; and so the , strong high wall rises once move, confronting an enemy ! and daring him to do his worst. No known gun would j make any impression on the Spithead Fort, even if it j could be brought near enough for the experiment. Put I tho fact is the ciinuon of th§ fort itself, seconded by that ! of its consort, would sweep any floating thing from the | faie of the waters. An esteemed correspondent asked incautiously what we had got for our money that wo had not got in 1851. Here is aiv answer for'bim. "We have got a fort unmatched in the world for strength and quality. We trust it may prove to be also money's worth, though the accounts already shows some alarming figures. Each of these ready-made castles will cost £150,000 for the shell aloue. To this the as yet unknown expenses of armairent must be added. After all. the expense is not so much above that of an ironclad, Ships used to be reckoned as costiDg £1000 a /un ; so that a 40-gun frigate would be worth about j ;640,000 They now cost as nearly as possible £100,000 j gun ; so that a 4-guu turret ship stand for £400, Q0v , j