Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-09
The Perfumery
Nuisance
By DOROTHY DIX.

Manufa cturers' Association be-
fore the Ways and Means Committee
in Washington the other day, made a
pathetic protest against increasing
the duty on the raw materials from
which extracts are made. And he
said he wasn't speaking for himself
but for the sake of the poor girls whc
would have to cut down on their use
Of scent If prices were raised.
QuOth he:
THE best market for perfumery is
in the factory towns Of New England
Why, l know of a typewriter who
spends at least two days salary each
week on her toilet articles. l ask
that perfumery-th slice of happi =
ness-be preserved to the shOpgtrl
and the factory girl, for they are the
ones who enjoy il most"
Most Of us who ride in street cars
and attend theaters and other crowd
ed places wish that the price Of per-
fumery could be put up so high that II
would be prohibitive, and that the
women and men whose Slice Of hap
piness" consists in going about smell
ing to Heaven could be denied that
maIodorous ioy. To use altar Of roses
is a breach Of the peace. To dissent
nate patchouli is a crime that should
be punishable by law.
However, that is another story. 50
is the instance of the girl typewriter
who spends the proceeds Of two days
work a week on her toilet articles.
If a young woman prefers to put colo
cream and rouge on the outside OF ner
face instead OF roast beef and pota 70
toes on the inside, it Is her own az
fair.
gin will have her BIT Of ribbon
II she has to 20 without bread to get
IT, She viii SILVER for lack Of suti1-
cient clothing to put the money in a
string Of imitation pearls. She VIII
60 without lunches through a whole
winter TO save up TO buy willow
plume in the spring. She Will sit up
half the night, doing without the sleep
and rest she needs, to make her silly
lace trimmed garments which nave no
wear in them. She puts her hard
earned money in fiimsy silk stockings
and paper soled pumps that come to
pieces at the first wearing, Instead OF
GOOD. substantial stockings and shoes.
Nor IL the working girl the only
sinner in this respect. Practically al
women put ornaments and show be-
fore use Give a woman a certain
sum OF money to furnish a house, and
she WIN spend three-fourths of it on
bric-a -brao and gilt chairs for which
she has no earthly use, while she does
without the things in the kitchen thai
would lessen her labor by half. She
will have a broCaded sofa in the par
lor that is too good to sit upon. al
though her family has not single
comfortable bed on which to sleep.
Then there IS the woman who 1T
orally starves her family in order that
ii may make a show when II goes ou'
on the street She denies her chill
dren the milk and butter and mea'
that they need to make them healthy
and strong. to put lace on their petit
coats and fur on their caps,and she
works herself into the grave and hel
husband into nervous prOstratiOn FOL
the sake of living in little bettei
neighborhood and dressing httl'
finer than they can afford.
What They Would Get.
Men are far wiser in this respect
than women are. A man is generally
willing TO seem what he is, and q
live according TO his means, II ne Il
working man he dresses like q
working man, and he does not try L
ape the appearance and clothes OF
millionaires; but every woman wants
Won 10 IIlALlh LLldl sic mas IAsA 81 oAAN'
over from Fifth Avenue and left hel
Limousine on the corner.
So she must have a dress OF the cut
Of Mrs Astorbilt, though she has "a
buy shoddy to do IT, and she must
change the style of her hat as often
as Miss Croesus does. though she
starves In the doing of II. It's all
very sad and very foolish, and makes
one realize that the thing that women
most need to learn is the law OF
values.
If they would only take the neces-
stiles and leave the Injuries alone
they would find that they had really
gotten the luXuries too. for there is
no luxury equal to being really com
| Portable. The girl who spends her
two days a week salary on toilet ar
ticles would ascertain If she put that
much money in good food that there
is no cosmetic equal to health, nc
rouge that gives the color that does
good red blood. Also that no per
fumery yet devised by the chemist is
so refined and dainty as the Odorless
, odor, so TO speak. that is the result
Of a plentiful use Of soap and water
And all women would find that II
they spent their money for the plain
substantial things they need, and left
out the eleRanCies they crave. they
would have a comfort of body and a
peace and ease of mind Of which
they have never dreamed. The ache
I in our hearts and the gone feeling in
our stomachs are the result Of OuI
| having lunched upon a macsroon and
| sailed almond, instead of corneC
| beef and cabbage.
The real reason why we all com.
| plain so much about the high cost OF
| living is because we are spending
our money on the frills of life instead
of the substantials. We think we arc
| bound to have automobiles and go t.
the opera, and when we've done thai
we haven't anything left with which
TO buy butchers meat and groceries
We should all be happy and con-
tented II we had the courage to dc
without perfumery, as il were.