New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-04
ENGLISH CLEANLINESS
IS LARGELY 4 MYTH
Manchester Doctor Destroys
the Familiar British Legend
OF the Daily Tub.
NEGROES HABITS BETTER
Ninety FIVE Per Cent OF All
Hotel Patrons Confine Their
Additions to the
Hand Basin.
10y Cable 20 The Tribune. J

-.-'--'.-
10y Cable 20 The Tribune
London, Aug. 9.--Another beloved
English tradition was severely denied
this week when Or. r. ii. Quine. OF
Manchester, read O paper on English
Cleanliness" before the Royal Sanitary
Congress, at York. The daily tub he
remarked. has become Il part OF the
Embellishments patriotic creed. CONVEX
sationally, he bathes many times DAY;
In fact, the too oft repeated protesta-
tons Of love for the tub led strangers
long ago to certain horrid suspicious
These suspicious will now be confirmed
for DR.. Quine asserted positively to
the congress that forty millions out OF
the fcrty-four millions which comprise
the population CT these isles know only
the hand6asin on the washstands.
Dr. Forbes Ross, the London special
ist. added the further charge that not
only Is the daily tub hollow mochery'
but that the despiscd negro IS cleaner
than the average Cnglishman.
English cleanliness Is a Legend
which the English people have carefully
fostored." said DR.. Ross. ut IS little
more than a part OF the national hypoc-
risy. No Englishman will admit that
the foreigner H. comparable with him
even in personal cleanliness. As g
matter Of fact, the black races are cas-
ilv first in this. The fact Is that the
African negro will battle all day II
anywhere near river, ard will actu-
ally sleep peacefully for hours in run
ming water. ! have never known
negro rot yet in contact with civiliza-
ton TO go to bed without washing.
- Civilization Responsible.
'It'is civilization which Is ST the root
of TIE present state of affairs. Civil
zation taxes cleanliness In every way,
charges ridiculous sums for bath,
raises rates and taxes 70 a level which
denies the bath altogether 10 the work
ing classes and celebrates dress TO
an extent which makes frequent bath
ing as difficult as possible
DR.. Quine not only made the general
l statement that the handoasin is the
\ only refuge Of cleanliness for 30 per
cent Of the population, but gave further
details. lie asserted that careful eX-
animation of the question would show
that the bath is not nearly 50 useful
or so popular as IS supposed. In some
hotels not more than ] per cent of the
guests used the bath In any one day.
In Q few the average was as high as
10 per cent, but III general 50 per cent
Of the guests did ali their washing In
their bedrooms with their basins.
Those who battle most frequently, he
added, are Young or early middle-aged
public school men. AS the years in
creased on mans shoulders tire bath
habit declined In order OF frequency
OF bathing military men were first and
racing men second, and there was no
evidence. he said. that the congress OF
doctors ard sanitarians a. York un-
6uly taxed the bathing facilities OF the
city, nor was there evidence OF any
unusHal cleanliness on the part OF the
clergy. Commercial men, too did not
appear to have acquired the habit OF
the daily bath TO any marked degree.
Our Women Less Bashiul.
Classified by nationality and sex, the
following, according TO DR.. Quiue, is
the order OF cleanliness: Scotsmen
first, then Englishmen, Irishmen, Amer
lean women. English women. American
men, Frenchnen, Germans. II seemed
20 be agreed that American women
were less bashful than English women
in not being afraid 10 pass along corri-
doris TO q bathroom This. he thought,
was why the American women made
! greater use Of the bathroom and was
! also better provided in the matter Of
dressing gowns than the English.
The STANDARD" rushing 20 the de-
fence OF the nation, as usual, says edf-
! torially that in Great Britain and ON
: the Continent perfect comfort and
! cleanliness involve quite considerable
! addition TO the weekly bill. Certain
! parts OF London furnish tndi5putable
/, evidence or personal cleanliness such az
Is purely modern, yet IN some OF the
most coveted locations the bathing IA
| cilities are either nom existent or OBJ
viously improvised. In some delightful
residential districts the bath Is near the
roof or In the basement but seldom in
q reasona BILE situation. Houses renting
for $500 year frequently exhibit most
startling eccentric!ties OF this kind. It
! is impossible 20 expect the majority OF
men TO be ,scrupulous in this matter If
the effort involves much cost either Of
money or trouble.
: In a news article The Standard"
. quotes a hotelkeeper as saying that
, the people who indulge in daily bath
are chiefly women. and most Of these
are Americans.
Az to Mixed Bathing.
/. While the legend Of the tub is thus
being exposed at York, another aspect
of bathing is under discussion at Will
lesden and. Tunbridge Wells. This is
mixed bathing and family bathing in
the public swimming baths. Ardent
public iovemaking is one Of the com