WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 156, 19 November 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted, by "Eileen.") WOMAN AND DRESS t ''Dress," says Maggie Moore, in the Sydney Sun, "is just wliat a woman likes to make it. She may look decent in a few clothes, if she wishes; she may untidy in a lot. There is a wav of wearing them. There is always the body inside the clothes to be considered, it is no use a buxom female wearing a sheath skirt, for instance; and a tall, lisson woman wandering around in a voluminous, bellying gown is a sight for the,gods. But from the point of view of jdainty charm and 'sensible appearancp I hold that every girl who is not outrageously built ought to wear as few clothes as possible, especially in a climate like ours. Look ."it the charm of carriage of the true Maori girls. They don't envelop themselves in half a mile of petticoat swathing. I think that the girl who goes in for two or three garments like a Scotchman's -kilt are, in these times, courting, ill-health in the first. place, and in the second making herself look so dowdy that not a man will give her a second glance. As Miss Nejla Webb .said .recently, one wouldn't give a fig for, orte's . own personal pride if men didn't cast |i.n eve at one now and thejn. There is nothing bad in it. Men admire a shop window full of pretty flowers tastefully arranged. A man, whatever he may' say, admirdg another man who is. well .set uj) and handsome. Then why should ■ lie not admire a smartly turned-out'girl.?' Jhc; mothers of, Sydney, many of tiiem, are simply abpurd. I have seen young girls, flappers, in walking costumes, and even going out to_ picnics, with more clothes on than their grandmothers wore. A child's limbs, especially, want to be free, and when it .is quite possible in present-day modes to clothe; a growing gifl scantily but sanely, then why is it not universally done? : Mothers pay too little attention to hygiene,, and'they often hardly supervise their daughters' wardrobes at all after r t3ic girls have reached a good age. 'But if they would only study tins question .of healthy drcss- ; iijg a little, ancbses'tliat it was practised 1 n f or .® °n their own families, I believe that j oiir types of womanhood would be b'etf ter even tluwi they are now." 1 CONTINUATION SCHOOLS IN BERLIN

; COMPULSORY. ATTENDANCE FOR GIRLS. . | Compulsory continuation, schools for boys: have for some time been an established fact in Berlin, and, the preparations for makihg them also compulsory for girls are now .so far advanced that iu is l hoped to bring the new regulations iijto force on April. 1, 11)13. ] n twelve of the ; German States, including Ba, varia, Saxony, Wurtumberg and Baden, attendance at continuation schools, for a varying number of years, is compulsory by. State law j'in four: small States it is still voluntary, and in the remaining States—among which is the whole of Pirussia, with the exception of the provinces of Posen and West Prussia—attendance is compulsory only in those towns and districts where it lias been made so by.'any local, by-law. Attendance is compulsory for'girls as well as for boys in Bavaria, Wurtemberg, SaxeMeiningen, Waldeck, and. in some parts ' of Prussia. '

_ The proposed new regulations for girls in Berlin are as follows:—All unmarried girls—with certain specified exceptions—who are engaged in work in connection with any branch/of trade or commerce in the city are: to attend a continuation school .from the time they leave the elementary school until they attain the age of IT;-the instruction will include trade subjects, arithmetic, drawing and domestic economy, and will cover, 240 hours in the year. Any girls who,: at 17, have not reached the required standard may be compelled to attend the'; school until they are' 18, Exemption! from attendance is granted to those whor (J) have attended a nine years' course in a secondary school; (2) -are in attendance at some other trade or continuation •school of equal standard; (3) can give proof of possessing ji._general education equal to that aimed,at in the continuation school ; (4) have some serious mental or bodily defect; (5) are not German subjects; or (6) are under punish-' ment for some offence, or would, by their conduct, be a danger to the school. The days and hpurs of attendance will be fixed by the city authorities, but all classes will be-hold between 8 a.m. and: 7 p.m., and all will be free. . Every employer must send to the city authorities' a list of all girls .in his employ who are of the age Tor compulsory attendance,! and he must notify them, within three days, of any who leave his employ. Further, he must release the girls from work in sufficient time to allow of their reaching the school punctually, and upon him also lies the duty of looking after their' regular attendance. As the law is only to come into force on April 1, 1913 any girls who have left school previous to October 1, 1912, will be, free from the obligation to attend a 'continuation school. The,coming, winter-will'be devoted to the special training of a sufficient number of capable teachers to staff the new schools, as there is not at present an adequate supply in .all subjects. It is anticipated that there will be about 4500 girls in Berlin who will be affected' by this new by-law. ■

SEWING-MACHINE HINTS. , The breaking' of -needles and cbtton are troubles of everyday occurrence which machinists experience, but in moat cases they ean be avoided if care be taken, in the. adjustment of the needle and m use of good cotton. Coarse cotton must .no.t .be used with fine needles or t>- needle is forced.out of the "run" and in the way of the advancing shuttle, which breaks the needle., or, at any rate breaks the cotton. If a coarse needle be used to a fine plate, the result will be the breaking of the needle; or if it does pass through, the needle catches the sides, blunting the needle, or cutting the cotton. If a fine needle be used with a plate having a coarse hole the material is carried down too far and breaks the needle, especially so with woollen materials. Before commencing to machine, be sure that the needle passes through the needle-plate freely, or the needle comes in contact with the side. .1,1,1 causes a jagg,,! surface, which breaks the cotton. Cotton-breaking is also caused liy the point of the shuttle becoming too sharp through constant wear. Tins can bo remedied bv the judicious use of an oilstone, or the shuttle should be taken to any machine repairer I who will round the point off smoothly at trifling cost A mistake is oflen mVde by trying to guess the adjustment of the needle. There is always a markon the needle-bar. or the head of the machine, by which to guage the exact height at which the needle is to b» placed, and the trouble will be amply repaid by better results. '