Beauty and Brains

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 355, 16 May 1928, Page 12

Beauty and Brains

PRETTY GIRLS WHO WORK Sages and Business Men Speak WHAT AUCKLAND THINKS AFTER worrying the sober-thinkers for centuries th, ancient question “ Can a girl be too attractive for es ployment?” is being freshly debated in London. Auckland was asked to express an opinion yesterdav

A LATIN fabulist, presumably looking at his typiste, exclaimed, “Q rare the headpiece if but the brain were there,” and so began the moan which is carried on by Sir Woodman Burbidge. But on second thoughts Sir William, chairman of Harrods, Ltd., London, decides that “a charnfing girl has a great advantage in salesmanship.” Here he is merely reflecting the opinion of Mr. Wilmott, “Whatever is beautiful is also profitable.” Probably many of the business men are swayed consciously or sub-con-sciously by the accepted truism of Petronius Arbiter, “Beauty and wisdom are rarely conjoined.” But up against this stands the champion. O. W. Holmes, who promptly counters the suggestion with “Beauty is the index of a larger fact than wisdom,” and Emerson (these Americans are certainly not anti-feminist), “Beauty is its own excuse for being.” Here, of course, is the opportunity for the chief of staff to say, “Yes, granted for being, but not for being late!”

And Mr. Gordon Selfridge, who declares that a man who neglects work because an attractive girl is in the same office is merely giving a hackneyed version of Zimmerman's, “Beauty is worse than wine, it intoxicates both the holder and the beholder.” But to get down to topical and Auckland opinion. First of all there is a director of one of the largest drapery establishments in the city who says definitely “There cannot be too many good-looking girls in our business. Nevertheless, I am not sure that the prettiest girls are the best at business. They are often too much carried away by the reflection of their B faces in the mirror | to descend to muni (lane things like work.” There were many 1 business men in ' the class of Mr. A. E. Eady, of Lewis Eady. He says: “The subject is far too vast and too profound for me. I leave the voting to your readers.”

i An official of one of the r,,says:— w "•»» "The uglier they are, tK. c, . they work. The pretty on*?!?*' too much of powdering th.i, Also, they come in aft„ a TS?" at a cabaret, w.th an * like for the means they c*I*' 1 *' of earning a living.” * “Oh, no. they don't upset ft. in the bank." said he. "The is all done by the men. who S**' from outside, regularly and in » a bers. to see the prettv girls." A Government officer in • holds the same view as the a London department of the ,-v, w ment. This is, briefly attractiveness in girl employees inadvisable.” FEMINIST VIEWS To find out the feminine aide of question, the reporter went to wL~', the large business training colli*- ,* girls. Two of the instructresseswZ over the cablegram together ” And the first one said: "What... - The second: “It is a great pit, A., people have not something more uk this to occupy their time— l won minds.” The reporter then left. He -went to Councillor Elio u, villa, lawyer, of tfciis city. she hi, the discussion was “too silly" and'" reflection on the common sense of ,■.« ordinary business man. But on second thoughts she "Surely nice-looking girls In AoeUaan offices are not so rare as to cause'? sensation. They are the rule, and *.< the exception here, and sure'y it a an absurd reflection on a business raa to say that he might neglect his w«rk for them. What do men and girls r. to business for—work or social course?” “Further,” said Miss Melville, "’.me;, ligence itself is attractive, and it shoe, in the bright face. Therefore a '.rig - face is an asset and an advantage." Mother Grundy, who instated « being interviewed, began: “The vs. girls dress nowadays, it’s no wor. der ” And the reporter hurried a war