PRESENT DAY MORALS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1929, Page 7

PRESENT DAY MORALS

INFLUENCE OF DRESS. “BANISH THE MOVIES.” SYDNEY, April 18. An alignsb body known as me Council or Social and Moral Reform lias boon sitting in Sydney and discussing present-day morals. During this discussion some extraordinary views wortexpressed and the statements made by some ol : the speakers causes a doubt to rise in the mind as to whether the world is as good a place as some oi us are inclined to imagine. iEor instance, a well-known social worker, Col. Swain, of the Salvajtion Army, said that many of the girls nowadays were “nearly nude,” but the average man in the streets of Sydney fails to find much evidence to Support (this sweeping statement. Mis F. Swartz praises Adelaide because it has prohibited pillion-riding, and because on the Adeiaido 'beaches a man is not allowed to sit nearer than three feet to a woman. Again, there is no evidence that the -murals of Adeiaido are any better than those of any othei

The president of the Council (Mrs

A. Y. Huberts) -said that on Palm iieacii near Sytinoy she iiad seen sights that were not lit- for the eyes of decent people, but as she did not enter upon any detail's it .is impossible to say whether the statement was 'justified, or to judge of her standards of morality. It is the same with most of these women—.when they are asked to particularise they find it difficult to point to any definite lapses pf morals.

“If I had my way,” said one woman. “I would banish the movies. And i would compel everyone to wear bathing costumes that really covered them from nook to knee.” “I would not have the costume any longer than they are to-day,” replied Mrs Edmond Gates. “I am Broadminded enough to see that the limbs of our young people are beautiful ami i do not think tli.it there is any need for them to cover them up while they are surfing.”

“I know perfectly well that stricter supervision on our beaches is not going to get to the root of the trouble. We have to face the fact of a general lowering of the standard of morality between men and women to-day. One sees extreme instances of it in the growing number of elfeminalte men who are about, and the number of masculine juris. Clirls to-day must bo 1 iimrbt the value or chastity. Women of Japan have lx-on known to maintain their chastity oven in the face of death. Japanese Kiris are often given a dnKKer on their marrago and told to use it rather than lose their honour.” “Dross in the streets is responsible for a lot of the lowering of our morals,” said Mrs K. L. Oooclis'm. organising iseeirotarv of /the Racial Hygiene Society. “Why do girls want to show their knees? 1 am sure the knee is the ugliest part of the hedy. Dresses could he ankle length without causing any discomfort. The chief trouble on the beaches is that men and women lie in lewd attitudes. Women could hake just as well in a pretty wrap.” All this adds very little to'the solving of the problems of human nature.