The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-30
TOO MUCH DRESS
Supt. Wilson DispIeased With
High School Practices.
Objects to Making Young La
dies Out of Pupils.
NAMES in SOCIETY COLUMN
With Description of Dresses
Worn Is Condemned.
Fault Lies With the Parents
Primarily, He Declares.

The parents of high school pupils
and the newspapers are to blame for
what h b Wilson, city superintendent
OF schools, believes is a bad condition
existing in the high school
The high school should be a DEM
ocratlc institution says Superintend-
ent Wilson. THE children of poor
parents or those of only moderate
means, should feel just as much at
home in the high school as those of
more wealthy parents Anything that
makes 1T needlessly expensive for par
ents to keep their children in school
should be eliminated, and anything
that causes the children to make ex-
pehslve demands upon their parents
In order that they may be as we'll
dressed as others attending the high
scnool should be discouraged. Any
eHIns winch stimulates rivalry in
oresS should be discouraged.
I was very sorry indeed to see this
IN newspaper the other day." he
SAID producing a newspaper clipping.
writing up in detail how finely these
at dancing party of high school
pupils is bad. Every other girl in
the high school will read that and
Mlsn TO have clothes just as fine, a
L tnins Wnich is bad for the girls and
hard on the parents.
IT is also bad for the girls thus
written up. 1t is a wrong Influence
why not let the girls be girls as long
as they viii, instead of trying to make
young ladies out of them. If thew wish
to have a party that is all right, but let
them go home at a reasonable hour
and go to bed without making a
spnrge about it, just as children
But instead. this is what we have"
and he read from the clipping:
The girls were dressed in pretty
dancing frocks. Miss Irene Miller
wore a simple gown of blue silk
maze with a high waist line"
Call Them by First Names.
Miss Irene Miller is seventeen
years old. When children are in high
school, think they should be called
by their first names. Here's another
calculated to make a young lady out
OF a girl. and to stimulate dress riv-
airy in all the other girls in the high
school," and he read:
Miss Helen Lucas wore a fine
white gown made with tiers of ruffles
on the skirt and she wore a butterfly
DOW OF American Beauty tulle.'
Helen Lucas was fifteen years old
last April" commented the superin-
tendent, land here is another fifteen
year-old, appearing in the newspapers
as a society BELLE" and he read:
"A frock of white silk trimmed with
roses was worn by Miss Marian Will
liams.''
Marian Williams was fifteen years
old the 9th day of last August. Now,
what difference does it make how
these kids were dressed, and if their
parents want to make young women
out of children, why should the news
papers help and thereby put the same
foolish notions in the heads of other
girlS?"
superintendent Wilson is opposed to
uniforms for high school pupils, but
says that over-dressing of girls should
be discouraged. 'It is worse than bad
TASTE" he declares. "And while par
ents are spending too much for clothes
for the girls, they are not spending
enough on the boys. Dress your bow
more and your girl less, and cut out
the society idea for the children and
encourage the newspapers to do the
same, is Mr.. Wilson's advice to par
entS.