The Washington herald., 1914-02-06
CUTTERS LEARN
MUCH AT Dinner
DR.. Mary Walker. John Bar
rett. and Senator Penrose
Dispense Information.
ORATORY WAKES WARM
Eloquenee Is So Spirited that Table
cloth in Front of Speaker
Catches Fire.
ORATORY WAKES WARM

PDr Mary Walker, the only woman to
whom Congress ever gave special per-
mission Ito wear en-" was there be-
cause she had several things she wanted
10 tell the tailors of the United States
hbeut the proper cut Of trousers; John
Barrett, director general Of the Pan
american Union, was there because ne
wanted to tell the custom cutters about
hress suits he had had made while on
bis various diplomatic posts senator
Boise Penrose was there|because the DIG
gest delegation to the custom talors
bonvention comes from Pennsylvania,
as he said, gazing fondly at the admir-
ling group Of his constituents, and Rep
tesentative James NJ. Graham, OF Illinois
WAS there because he wanted to deliver
\ few hot shots at the tariff tendencies
BIZ the Pennsylvania Senator-which he
bid.
That's why these. the principal
epeakers at the annual banquet OF the
International Custom Cutters Associa-
kion. attended the dinner at the Will
lard last night
DR.. Mary was there in as snappy n
lress suit as any of the Beau Brum-
lnels of the makers of Beau Brummels.
b1er collar was Just as high, il not
higher, than the highest, and there
was not a whittier pair OF gloves in the
banquet hall than those that showed
beneath the severe black sleeves OF
her "swallowtsil." Also her trousers
were faultlessly creased.
Cloth Leap, Into Flame.
Oratory ran hot and heavy-so hot in
fact during the speech of Mr.. Barrett
that the covering of one of the tables inn
lnediately in front of him leaped into
name Several women showed signs OF
hysteria, but under the soothing words of
khe speaker, and the ministrations of
6core of walters and guests the blaze was
extinguished. The only damage was
tuined tablecloth. 1t was covered by in
Surance.
There were many notable specimens of
khe genus dress suit. 1t was natural that
khere should be, for custom cutters do not
have to consider expense when II comes
TO a dress suit, and can go as lar as
they like in the matter of white ives
kits" and fancy braid But there was
not a suit in the house that could ap-
proach that of Senator Penrose IN the
matter of expense, girth, and breadth.
And there was not another waistcoat in
the house that had as broad rolled lapels
as those on the waistcoat of Mr.. John
Barrett.
1t was a custom cutters banquet, and
Everything was IN the terms of the trade
The speakers dealt entirely in custom
cutting. no matter whether they were
members of Congress, of the diplomatic
korps, of the medical profession or of the
tailoring profession.
Mr.. Barrett Makes a Hit.
Mr.. Barrett won the hearts of his |
hosts at once by telling them that il he |
could not have been in the diplomatic |
business for a living there would have |
been only one other thing he would have
Jared to do-custom cut. He agreed |
heartily with the poet who said that II
Is the tailor who makes the man and he
laid that the American tailor is better
Qualified TO make the man than the tailor
bf Siam, France. or England. His hearers
agreed with him.
! Mr.. Barrett was called upon TO auto
Rraph many menus. DR.. Mary Walker
Fan him a close second for this honor.
DR.. Walker told of the manner in which
she came by her unusual garb-by spe-
cial Congressional grant.
"An over the country women are con-
stantly changing their Dress she said.
REPORTERS come to me and say, What
DO you think of the harem skirt and l
BAY It's all right; let them go ahead
and experiment
Never Wore n Corset.
Its only a question of time before |
women will dress as men do. It's the
pQly Sensible ana way
You could not get me to dress any
other way for any amount of money. /
have never worn a corset The Lord ]
knew how to make women without their
going out into the ocean to get a whale
to splinter themselves up in
DR.. Walker called on the cutters TO in
augurate a more sensible style of dress
FOR women, starting with their wives
giving it as her opinion that there are
bachelors in the world because men do
not feel they can afford to dress wives
In theNpresent-day styles.
Senator Penrose touched on woman
suffrage gingerly, giving it his sup
port with a string. He said that wom-
en were becoming more prominent in
public activities-and for the good of
humanity-and added that if women /
Gid get the ballot it was probable many
of them now in the millinery busi-
ness would be driven out. --
Sheep Arc Protected.
Representative Graham said that un-
Der the protective tariff advocated by
Senator Penrose the sheep got more