MOCK WEALTH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 263, 30 June 1932, Page 6

MOCK WEALTH

STARTLING DISCQVERIES OF DETIECTIVE IN DANCE HALL. A new, yet old, form of fraud has been diseovered in London, where society parties are being closely watched. Well-dressed women who wear new dance and dinner frocks nearly every night may not b'e nearly so rich as they seem. This is the conclusion arrived at by a Brighton shopwalker who has been playing the part of detective at fashi^nable dances there in an effort to put a stop to a new kind of fraud which is being practised by women customers. The "detective" was instructed to mix with crowds at big public dances, and make careful notes of the newest and costliest dresses worn by the .women guests. The notes were then I submitted to saleswome at a leading store and compared with the description of dresses sent out on approval the previous day. It was found that on one night three dresses sent out on approval to women who said they would prefer to make a ehoice in their E own homes had been worn at dances S| and returaed next day "not wanted." I The managereW of a fashionable ' froek shop told a Sunday Chronicle - reporter: "The dresses often show no signs of being worn, but obviously if the practice is allowed to go on we shall lose a great deal of business. Women are not going to buy a new dress for a dance if they can wear one without any cost to themselves. We are determined to find out the women who resort to this sort of practice and force them to purehase any dress which "they wear while they have it on approval."