Barbaric Barbers.

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 89, 9 January 1935, Page 11

Barbaric Barbers.

Sir, —In Friday’s “Dominion” I perused with interest and appreciation a remarkably concise and well-warranted criticism of the tonsorial artists of Wellington. May I, with your permission and without thought of creating a controversy, add my criticism in the hope that in the near future something definite will be done toward extending to visitors to and residenst of Wellington a clean, hygeuic and expeditious tonsorial service. It assuredly would be a revelation to me to walk into any of the Wellington establishments and be attended to by an operator with clean shoes, clean white jacket, and decently manicured finger-nails,. I mean, too, that the jacket should have all the buttons pn and no gaping, flapping, torn pockets. A good spring-clean would also do a world of good in some of the establishments. When lam reclining in an operator’s chair, and an out-of-date one at that, and my gaze wanders to the light globe, and ceiling above, provided of course, my gaze can dodge a hand like a ham, flopping c. brush full of soap in eye and mouth, I see every evidence of fly attention to both globe and ceiling. To a person of fastidious taste this evidence of fly attention is revolting. Might I suggest also that more than about four towels a week be used in a saloon where ■prices are usually exhorbitant and service below par? The usual prices of 1/3 and 9d. for hair-cut and shave .respectively, judging by the service and tradesmanship one has to put up with, are overcharges by about (id at a conservative estimation. i With regard to hair-cutting. It is apparent that the average operator in Wellington (very average at that, too) goes from the sublime to the ridiculous with a few snips of his scissors. Never have I had my hair cut suitably or to my directions. I usually leave ff saloon with as much hair protruding from underneath my hat, as would a stalwart Fiji islander, a veritable mop, or I am cut so' close to the scalp that friends marvel at my premature baldness, and my face has the appearance of having slipped back over the top of my head to the nape of my neck. “Strewelpeter” was right. I can hand it to .the barbers of Auckland, but the only thing to be handed to the Wellington barbers is the “raspberry.”—l am, etc., AMERICANO. Napier, January 7.