The evening world., 1913-06-21
Rochester, Pa, Has Fashion Code of Its Olcn, and
Transgressi0n Means Arrest, Speedy and Inex-
orable, for Feminine Offenders.

spoke to David w. Denton. who's a
baptist deacon and President Of our
Town Council and manager OF glass
factory. and who ran for Legislature
last year. Mr.. Dentons a good man.
did not happen to be at the Council that
night. but heard he got right up and
told 'em all that slit skirts without any
petticoats underneath weren't ut to be
worn by women In the street. and
neither were gowns you could see
through. He said he felt that some
thing ought to be done about It.
so they NAMED me. and q Morals
Efficiency Commission TO take the mat.
ter up real seriously. Councilman
Charles Fogel 10 about all that's iaft OF
the commission. which was appointed
some time ago, to do away with gam.
bling In Rochester. But I've sot my
ideas about this dress thing. Fashions
have been getting worse and worse and
they are bound to have an influence ON
the young men,"
Have you arrested anybody yetr'
I asked.
NO." allowed Burgess Cargo. nut
I think II right arrests should De made
II necessary. However. all this nyta-
ton IL waking the women up. and be-
lieve they will dress more properly in
the future. II necessary. force will DO
invoked to save decency."
Here. incidentally. is the ice-formed
sartorial code OF Rochester:
]. nc slit SHIRTS unlinsd.
Q. No skirts worn without petit
coats.
.. no suggestive posk-s-boo or
shadow waists.
Z. NO street wear waists cut
lower than the oollarbonp-
8. no open work silk stockings.
O, no costume immoAsstly out
lining the dgure.
President Denton receives almost
hourly telephone calls from dresshak-
ers to find out II certain costumes III
profess OF construction are pure.
POLICE SHOULD WORRY; IT's
UP TO THEM.
The police force OF Rochester consists
Of chief Jonas &. Kaszer. William r.
Boggs and william Doutt. When inter-
viewed they seemed Just a bit dubious
about arresting scantily clad ladies'
but admitted they would have to obey
the town authorities. There are about
three thousand women In Rochester.
So the hesitation Of the force at It's
present size to proceed to drastic
measures casts no reflection on the
generally high moral tone Of the COM
munity
A more serious problem Is that pre-
n
regret to say Mr.. Brown Is reported to
have shown levity during the discus
sion by his fellow councilmen OF the
| topic OF censored clothes. and he told
me lie sold peek-a-boo waists In his
shou Also he brazenly asserted that
| he had Just marked down a particu-
larly transparent piece OF dress goods
to one dollar a yard from two dollars,
In the hope OF selling more OF It. And
he had the final rashness to suggest
| that II was a woman's own business
how she dressed and did not concern
anybody else not even councilmen.
AS for the women OF Rochester, they
are outwardly obedient TO the new
regime, but / discovered some acrid
| protestants.
| What does that bunch Of councilmen
know about clothes?' exclaimed one
ind!znan damsel. IL they did not
do so much casing at US they would
never have Imagined. We dressed i'm
properly. myself have seen several
members o. the council gathered In the
evening at the corner OF New York and
Brighton avenues, and the manner In
w..!ch they watched the women coins
down the street was enough 10 emnar-
rass any one. They are simply butting
In on something that's none OF their
| business"