ARE WE TOO SOON?

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1993, 21 June 1919, Page 4

ARE WE TOO SOON?

The following letter has been received from a Dominion correspondent, “ Look Ahead, ” relative to the gaiety and expenditure of money upon dress, which she fears is about to carry people off their feet, in a reaction from the gloom and sadness of the past few years. She writes: —“One views with apprehenson the Jove of pleasure and gaiety that our people, notwithstanding the horrors of the last four years, are displaying in all directions. No one wishes that the nation should remain morbid, and soaked in sadness, as pleasure taken in moderate doses is the best tonic that can be indulged in; but should we not be moderate in our pleasures until we can feel some solid ground beneath our feet ? No one requires to 1)e a deep thinker to see how necessary it is for people to waken up to the fact that a very serious time is ahead.of us; and only common sense and hard thrift will prove our salvation. It is disheartening at times to hear of expensive balls, and other gaieties, the cost of which will run into hundreds of pounds, while on all sides can be seen absolute poverty; Little children hungry and in rags, without even the comfort of a lire to warm their little bodies during this cold weather, and in many cases without the prospect of any comfort, with the cost of living so high. Yet we blindly go on wasting money on pleasures that often in the end creates bitter disappointment, to many. Why not let our young people have simple little dances with sandwich suppers, etc., and let our girls dress simply and inexpensively? Youth requires no costly adornment to make it attractive. If we must spend our money, let it be spent on more lasting benefits for the good of our people, until we recover from the effects of the war. Money is required to re-build our nation. It should not lie used up mostly in the pursuit of pleasure while so many of the community are in want of the necessities of life, and helpless children are without hope of being well fed and cared for,”