The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-16

Cost OF management sala, les OF directors.
inspectors. Group cs and personnel
LOCO. ......... $40 200
Pompi,r- thrcmcm and police ,.......... 10000
Terra 'cs and gardens. ......,....... $1,000
Repairs. cost Of maintenance of bu II.
ilgs and depreciation ... ..,........, 100000
Ii shting and heating. ......,..,,... ..,. 10000
Grants to private "%agerts,' pensioners
and other parasites. ................ 10000
The Viaticum-scndiny home broken"
players. $4,000
"Publicity"-Prcss subventions ........ l2C.oCo
Cost OF theatre and orchestra. ........... 100000
Total 81 .oTo. 900
The Rational Dress League has just had its
sphere OF publ. agitation reduced to a mini
mum and BY ignoble hands. Twelve British
Philistines'-by which understand a jury of
mere male persons-have compassed its UNI
doing. Like most people who 20 to law to es-
tablish 4 principle and do not succeed. the pio-
neers Of the league pretend that their con-
tenticn has not been decided on at all. but that
the case they took into court was finally set
tied on a side issue. They deceive them
selves. 1t is the British Philistine. who an
swers nothing to reproaches for his Sinking
the questioned principle who has not deceived
himself at all. but has summary settled the
business out OF hand.
the deed was done. as the cable has already
told you. ut the Hautboy Inn at Ockham. on
tho Portsmouth road. about fifteen miles out
OF London. Enter Lady Harberton. chief Of
the Rational Dress League. wearing boomers
and with her courage braced BY a spin on her
wheel. She had heard OF the dense boorish-
ness OF this Hauthoy Inn. where unconcealed
BIO )mers we're forbidden. Sine strobe into
the coffee room and demanded luncheon.
Enter. thereupon, the innkeerer. a certain Mrs..
Sprague. vidow. She shifts disdainfully ut
| hor lnIuShin and TAKING hnr nil in rpGr,pDIS
slowly:
Not in that dress"
Here was the gauntlet thrown down. Lady
Harberton might he served in the bar parlor.
where the pipe-smoking, beery workineman
in his shirt sleeves might be in evidence. but
she might not lunch in the coffee room in that
dress. Lady Harberton summoned herald
versary to combat before the Surrey Quarter
Sessions. there to compel her to OWL that she
must serve Gust ,mcrs anywhere on her licensed
premises or 10 lure her on to slaudering this
particular one by saying she was indecently at
tired. But Mrs. Sprague would not change
her ground. II was that dress she object
ed TO in her coffee room among her best GUS
toners.
In court Lady Harberton did not display the
moral courage one expects from n voluntary
martyr. She appeared In a skirt. with only n
photograph to show how her boomers must
have adorned the inns best room and charmed
the eye OF Mrs. Srrague's coffee room custom
ers. Her Ladyship. who is well over 30 and
whose plastic grace certainly can never have
fred the sculptor's eve. stated in her evil
dence that she rode to Ockhsm and went TO
the Hautboy Hotel and said that she wanted
some luncheon. Mrs. SpraRue said. NO:
not in that dress. | do not admit people in
that dress The witness said that she had
come from London and was hungry and tired
and must have luncheon. Mrs Sprague said
You can have It IN a private room II you ray
for it," The witness said that she did not
care what room she had 1t In. but she expected
to be served as n member OF the Cyclists Tour
ing Club. on the usual terms. and she showed
Mrs. Sprague her badge. Mrs. Sprague said
that in that case she must GO TO n room on the
other side OF the bar. Mrs. SpraGue said that
she had much rather that the witness went
away. The witness then went round with her
bicycle to the stable. and Mrs. Sprague took
her In through a back door by the bar. where
men were drinking. into n room at the back
There were. witness thought. four men there
two smoking and two in working dress moi
smoking. The smell Of the room was abomi'
nable. She followed Mrs. SpraGue out ant
said that she could not stay in that room. Mrs
Sprague said it was all she could offer her
The witness then rode of TO Gotham and col
} luncheon there.
Cross-examincd the witness said that sht
had no particular object in going to that hote
on that day except In the course OF her ride
The Rational Dress Gazette was the organ o
the Rational Dress League. She had walked
up Regent street in rational dress. She woult
not go to a theatre in the dress. There coult
10 no object in doing so. Probably she woul
not he admitted to the stalls In su,h a dress
She always went in evening dress and drove t
+ the theatre.
Mr.. Avory-Are the class who affect this COS
tune on the road on SUNDAYS a high class?
: The Witness-I never storned to inquire
They looked very uice-much nicer than man,
| ladies In skirts.
Mr.. Avory-I see that the Rational Dress Ga
zrpp advises the members Of the league on NJ
t account to go to the court to hear this case II
; rational dress. Why is that?
|, The Witness-I suppose 1t was written t
prevent the jury being preiudiced against Mrs
Sprague. as they might take n fancy to- tn
. dress. lLaught,r.l / have read the para
graph. but I am not responsible for II.
+ The Secretary Of the Cyclists Touring Gu
was u witness for her. He said the prosecu
{ ton had accustomed n considerable divergence
1 Of opinion among the members OF the club
but the large majority approved OF it.. A pas
snge from the club handbook was read to III
witness In which the advice was given to ladic
) to carry q skirt so as to cover the nationals
when off the machine. This was merely I'll
: opinion Of the writer Of Hints on Touring
in the handbook. and was in no sense the ON
r clal opinion ~ the club.
Mr.. Avory.s the barrister who appeared 70
I Mrs. SpraGuc. said that his client was not acI
$ ing In a spirit OF prudery. but in the interest O
I cool order in her hotel, Every one kne'
that there might be men in n coffee room i
n hotel on the Portsmouth road who migf
make Jokes about ladies coming into the rooI
IN rational dress. and so crea.e n disturbance
y Tie Jury had not % snv whether ladies ougl
Q to wear rational dress when cycling. The
o had only TO say whether Lady Harberton wa
@ refused food.
v Mrs. SpraGuc said that shs had never al
It mitted ladies' in rational costume into the co
fee room unless they mt on n skirt irst. som
d ladies brought skirts with them for that pu,
G pose. The coffee room was used for genera
purposes and many cyclists used It. Whc
a I nIy HarharInn arrival Gba HnS NOT liant NJ