WOMEN IN UNIFORM.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 249, 9 February 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

WOMEN IN UNIFORM.

A NATIONAL NEED. It i, an extraordinary fact that the n;c:e mntion of unitorni for women worker.-, immediately conjures up in the minds of a very large majority tlie fearful spectacle oi a sex:ess creiture masquerading in pseudo-military "get-up," aping the mannerisms of a man, and easting ruthlessly aside every instinct and charm of femininity. Even at such a crisis as the present, ivhni the '-.vinning of the war should be ■the primary—tlie only consideration, the adoption <.f a seu.-ible uniform which \w l servo in iny way to achieve and hasten that object is scorned and derided as •'unwomanly" itnd " unseemvy iiy the irrational fanatic who fails to discriminate between uniform and the military uniform.

Why iliis should be so w ill be ever a niyrtery, for there cm be no question whatever ef the womanly grace and '.eauty surrounding the hoconrng and scrvii-eable uniform of our noble nurses, lor instuuc, whi'e the quiet, simple, and ire ful drev- 1 adopted by the "'\ .A. |).s' is a conclusive proof that a standard costume inn be- worn without the least detraction—rather, one might add, ft serves to enhance and emphasize, not destroy, tho deli-ate subtlety of sex. I hold 110 brief for the unsightly trousers for women's wear, but I have moved and toiled in the sphere of women workers suffic entlv long to recognise the inostimab'e value the general ; doption of a uniform would prove.

liy unifoi in 1 do not mean a masculine attire, but a standardised dress that will serve net only to foster economy oi' expenditure and time, but aKo e<(iialise the members serving in the ranks of the great army of women workers, which is and must be composed of every social grade. In prcvail : ng condition" the daughters and wives of our noblest and worthiest families, with unlimited dress allowances, are working wde by side with the I'ttlc erstwhile scullery-maid whose earnings represent her livelihood. There can be no doubt whatever, that if no uniform dress is adopted, in the fool-i-li feminine heart of the 'latter there will arise grievous b'tter yearnings, foliowchl by vain and wholly irrational endeavours to dress as well as her more fortunate sisters.

Evidences of this are all too apparent, ■n Government offices and in the shell.illing and munition factories I have seen tho disastrous results o? those very ratural longings expressed aH too plainly in the obviously extravagant display of ciieap "silk" stockings, and dyinty •ut unserviceable blouses.

These are triival luxuries dear to a woman, which, in far too many instances, represent necessary fcod to their proud jjowessors, and incidentally, therefore, mean loss of energy and working value to the country—for good ceding is essentia' to maintain the necessary high standard of health that me ins unimpaired production. 1 have spoken to man members of the Parous organisatioiiti that have adopted a uniform, and one and aV. have Iteen unanimous in their praise of the effects it has produced. They all agree that it • t rvc" its purpose well and that the feeling tf equality which is the natural outcome lias proved an inestimable boon. As one of them so ably put it, M\e not (.n'.y forget each others stations, but rr,ir own ns veil. ' The introdiu t on of a smart uni.orm would serve to crush a great deal of unin to'sary and unpatriotic expenditure whiih would be most welcome to all. Every woman worker would feel, in her Krouil w i aring c.f the symbol of her amor patriae, that sue was "well dre'-.-Axl, lor her clothes would be the !>est and finest in the land—the uniform of the. King—the proclamation of a loyal I cart- , And when the nun are lion-.e on eave. Ah. the time and thought, the hardwon earning that have been devoted to deck a fond wife or sweetheart in clothes befittig to the great event! Invariably tho efforts luivo been u.lstipei iliious, for t is not the clothes that :• man sees, but the wearer, the woman his heart has cherished and held through i aineless horrors and suffering. W hat mere su table dress could fit the occasion than bhat which would so e'.ooientlv siv, "1 have not failed you. While you have been fighting, enduring. 'out there' for me, I, too. have been fighting, working at home for you 1 If clothes are to Ik? regarded ns the reflection r.f the national spirit, there (an surely l>e no more suitable than a v.onian's uniform for the woman worker. For the spirit that dominates Great Britain to-day is the grim and earnestdetermination to work —ultimately to v, m the war. And the women have been in the foremost ranks of the fighter". --G. Ivy Sanders in "Daily Mail.