The sun., 1901-11-15
HE'D MAKE ALL SKIRTS SHORT
JERSEY HEALTH COMMISSIONER
IrTER LONG-SKIRTED WOMEN.
IT,. No Joke. says McIss Of Bayonne ne-They
Have Dirty streets There and Thats
the Remedy lie OTers-Doesnt Care
n He Makes Enemies OF All the Women

III
The citv o. Bayonne has dirty streets
,,d the residents long ago came 10 ire
aarolusion that something ought TO be
Ia about It. They have never done any
,h;rg beyond returning the same Demo-
a,,,ic administrat year after year, but
-, a member Of the Health Board has
.,,-ad in where Bayonne angels feared to
,rnad and he proposes n remedy. His name
4. uerry Meigs and he IL a stationer, In
~, leisure hours he devotes his intellect
g. erappling with the hygienic problems OF
municipal administration.
Mr. Meigss remedy for the dirty street
,,isarce in Bayonne is to compel all the
r,rren residents OF the city to wear short
skirts He proposes to have an ordtha anoe
sassod nv the Health Board, fixing the
ienpth Of the Bayonne women's skirts'
Any woman, who in public witmn the
ci,v limits, wears a skirt OF greater iength
tban the Health Board and Commissioner
Meips approve, is TO be taken before the
haard and fined. MIR. Meigs says that the
,ronosed ordinance of his is no joke he
bas found another Health Commissioner
name not yet divulged-who is IN accoro
with his views and he asserts that when
the ordinance is introduced he will be able
70 get II passed
Notice of the proposed skirt ordinance
xas given by Commissioner Meigs at a
,,os,ing Of the Bayonne Health Board sew
or,I weeks ago, and on Wednesday night,
uhan IL was to have been introduced, there
UNA n large attendance to hear what the
commissioner had to say for himself. But
at the last moment the ordinance was not
forthcoming.
Il intended TO introduce II tonight,
Commissioner Meigs told the board, but
I find cannot do so. This thing has been
advertised so widely that / must go very
carefully about ii. Bayonne VIII SET the
example which other towns Will follow
IN the long skirts question. l have an
ordinance in my pocket now. but l don't
think il will do. The ordinance We pass
must hold water. Some of the newspapers
F., ok on this as huge joke. but am serious,
and as soon as frame another ordinance
will present IL to this board. My regret
Is that | cannot do II tonight Men are
fined $500 for splitting In trolley cars. Scien-
fists tell us that disease may spring from
tlis source. Now, IL your wiies skirts
house, is it not likely that disease VIII pe
spread1"
Commissioner Vedder Van Dyck re-
marked that women had always worn lone
skirts and he'd like TO know why Bayonne
in 1901 should order short skirts.
IF you attempt to pass this ordinance
YOU will make enemies Of all the women
In the country" said Patrick Flanagan
who Is President OF the Bayonne Council
Il don't care II | do replied Commis
soner Meigs.
One Commissioner wanted to know wha
proportion OF women wore long skirt'
and another asked il scarlet fever germs
and other contagious germs weren't carried
In long skirts The city health office
was appealed to and this was his diplomatic
answer: o.,
Il do not know OF any case, but disease
could be carried that way. The continua
holding up OF long skirts will. know. pro
duce paralysis. ,-.
After that nobody but Commissioner
Van Dyck had courage TO ask any more
questions and he only inquired OF Com
missioner Meigs what he would do with
long-skirted women.
s0h.' replied Mr.. Meigs ominously. wi
will fix them all right
The Commissioner says he has had let
,ers from women approving his proposes
ordnance and he will surely introduce
a. the next meeting OF the board.