WOMEN'S INTERESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1933, Page 8

WOMEN'S INTERESTS

Mints from • ‘ t}. I ‘ Jiome and Ml road.

THE PEARL TRADE. EFFECT OF THE SLUMP. The continued trade depression Ims affected the Persian Gulf ports, which depend very largely upon/ the sale of .pearls, says a “ exchange. ;i The pearl trade has slumped within the past, thr-te years, with the result .that tne Gulf towns have done badly and scores of slaves are being turned adrift.

Most of these are slaves only "in name. They are the descendants of slaves brought from Africa. generations ago, but their life has been that of unpaid domestic servants ; in most cases they enjoy the confidence of their masters, and in all cases the last thing they want is enforced freedom. Most of the men who work in the pearling dhows are slaves in the sense that the dliow-owners have made it a, principle to advance them mone?, and they are never able to pay off their debt.

A new? form of money-making has arisen during thc\ past few months. It is widely known throughout the Gulf that a slave who makes his way to one of the British war vessels receives his freedom at the hands of the British Government through the British Political Resident at Bushire.

The slave thus freed receives a certificate, which, on his return to the Arabian side is saleable in the bazaars to those, who for any reason wish to have it, and quite a tiade >s done in these documents.

SKIRTS 36 FEET ROUND. I found a little ' group of smart women with a reputation for dressing well discussing the latest fashion sensation at a Grcsvenor street women’s club (wrote “Marianne. Mayfayi’,e” in the “Daily Telegraph” on December 3).

This is the 12-yard-round skirt, the creation of a famous dress creatoi who has many ltoyal clients.

It is only for the evening, of course, and is not likely to establish itself until 1933. The interesting claim made for the new skirt is that despite its magnitude it will make the modern girl look slimmer than ever. The exquisitely moulded hip-line I s the explanation of this' satisfactory state of affairs. Taffeta-faille is the correct fabric ior the 12-yard skirt. The. corsage, it appears, is slightly waisted just at the normal line, and from a narrow belt the silk fits close-ly.-to a'-point' just- above the knees, where it commences to widen hut so gradually that one cannot possibly realise' that by the. time the godets rest on the ground the skirt has become “12 yards round” the hem. A wide shaped piece of chine (or contrasting material) is inserted just where the fulness starts. The style is really a question of clever crosscut and adjustment.

ISLE OF LOVELY WOMEN.

IN DUTCH EAST INDIES.

This is the enviable reputation of Bali, in the Dutch East Indies, whose people are of Hindu-Javanese extraction, with an admixture of Papuan and Polynesian blood.

Mr E. 0. Hoppe, the photographer, who has had before his camera beautiful women of many lands and has recently returned from a three years’ tour of the East, said that he was astonished by the loveliness of the belles of Bali.

“I did not see among the women 10 per cent who could be called plain,” lie said- “Almost every one is distinguished by beauty of feature and grace of form and carriage. Indeed, they carry themselves like queens■[They have unblemished skins, of the colour of cafc-au-lait —a most attractive tint. They Jo not use cosniences of any kind, and they preserve their beauty by bathing three times a day. They love to stand under the cascades that tumble down the rocks. “Probably they are beautiful because they laugh .so much ; they are almost always laughing and singing and dancing. Also, they are regular tomboys—they are very fond of wrestling with one another and romping.” Mr Hoppe was impressed by the big social morality of the Balinese, and by tlie fact that Bali was the only place ho visited where ho did net hear jaw.

riUG-MAKENG AT HOME. Of late years rug-making as a popular craft has developed enormously, until to-day there is a wide choice, both of materials and methods. Many inexpensive rugs are made from homely and often otherwise . useless materials, so that with a little patience and imagination a n . v woman can provide adequate coverings for her floors. There are slieemskin rugs, made from the tanned) a«d dyed sheepskin. Cool mats for the summer are easily put together with plaited strips of binder twine. . Dyeing offers many possibilities here, too. Several thicknesses- ot hessian, hound together and stitchod across for a. firm grip, provide rough rugs that will stand a lot of hard weir. A few packets of dye, nnd| a little ornamentation in wool- work or raffia, gives them a more ■•presentable appearance. ~ • ':v

Then there is quite a variety <ff rugs to be made from strips of old material. Hooked nigs, worked on rug canvas or hessian, are easily the most beautiful' and best wearing; but others, using less material and taking less time provide ideal pieces of work for ’ ir p /, tne busy woman.

THE KINC’S PET BIRDS. The King is greatly interested in the beautifully coloured little birds known -as budgerigars (Australian love-birds). Tnis was mentioned at the festival of the Royal Hospital and Home for Indurables'at Putney. During the King’s visit to the Home a few months ago, a woman patient showed her collection to him, and was pleased to learn from the King that he had several—red, green and blue—and that lie thought a lot of them. ' When told by the patient that she did; not breed them, the King remarked that she was denied the.pleasure of looking after the lttile ones, which' were specially interesting.

VOCUE OF JADE. An exhibition of old, jade at the Musee Guiniet has collected the best of Parisian society' to look at it and has brought back to fashion-that most becoming of the secondary precious stones. Every woman with any real jade of her own is bringing it out and wearing it with black, with white or with brown dresses. AT black dinner dress in crepe satin is worn with jade earrings, jade beads and a jade bracelet. With' a white crepe eloke dress, the same, ornaments look just as decorative. BEAUTY HINTS. Two famous beauties were once, asked to will at they owed thei r flawless complexions. 'One said it was due to washing hp,p face every day in. water with which the juice of a lemon had been mixed, and the other claimed that her complexion was good because '.she never washed 'her face in hot water. She used cold water twice a flay, and if her face wanted cleaning at any othpr tjrne she used cold cream. It ’s certainly true that wo can use too much hot water on the face. It is wrs°r to lisp tepid water nr cold water for general use, • and only occasionally, to wash the facie in hot water. .If a good castille or skin soap is used tlr 2 face can be got perfectly n'oan especially if a cleansing cream, is used regularly every: night. -

FINGERLESS GIRL’S PRIZE. ■Miss Ca,v vie IRivett of N®okmger street, Bermondsey, who was born without fingers on either hand, has won a .scholarship to the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, whe r e she will pursue her studies in the emit of lettering. Miss Rivett, who is IT, holds her brush betwe e .n her wrists. Holding a pen in this way she can wiffto as t' a -* : as most people. She can knit, paint, sew, crochet, and play the. piano.

A USEFUL HINT Ebony-backed brushes soon show white marks if wat e r is allowed to soak into the wood when the brushes ape washed. To prevent this, spread a thiii film of olive oil over the ebony ancl mb. off afterwards with a ! dry duster. Jn addition to protecting it, this give the wood a beautiful polish. QUESTION OF APPETITES. “I have noticed that women eat considerably more than men, ’ said the proprietress of a tea and luncheon room in Auckland, recently, when asked 'the difference between her male and female customers. “But it is at afternoon t c as that they really shine. Women seem to e, at enormous afternoon teas, and if any of the dieting that is so often talked about is done at all it must b<_. done at the three staple meals of the clay. It is noticeable, too. the difference in the price of 'the tickets ; women order larger meals 'and eat them, too. It may be,- of’course, that men working daily in town have got their luncheons down to a fine art, and bread and: cheese is often sufficient, while lunch in .town for most women is an occasion and they have not only the time, but the desire to pick and choose a good meal.” Perhaps “dieting’ is only another of women’s charming inconsistencies. TO WOMEN HARDENERS.

To prevent the nails from being ruined by the chemicals in tlie e arth when planting bulbs or performing any other J gardening task wldch necCc,sitate s the use the bare hands or a thin glove, coat the finger Ups with vaseline and then soft soap. If the nails are worn long, rub the tips into a piece of *oap before using the vaseline. After work in the garden u done, wipe off all the so.il from the hands with n dry cloth before washing them in warm soapy, wnteiy to which a drop of olive oil has boon added. Should flic hands he already the w-onse for weal', tihev .diouhl be given olive oil treatment. This copsiet s of soaking the hands in -warm olive, oil for 10 minutes at ,a time every day for several days, aqd applying a coating cf oil before retiring at night,