The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-10-12
WHAT COULD THE
TEACHERS DO!

Down at East Orange, N. j., the
teachers and superintendent OF the
high school have had q little prob /
lem Of their own making, and you
might like to know about 1t.
You have probably heard some
thing about dress and its abbrevia-
lions since the war. Well, 1t hit
East Orange, this wave Of economy
and the like, and it broke out In the
schools.
You heard about the new kind OF
hat designed and put into use IN
Paris? No? Well, the hat was
woman's whole attire, but 1t had
sort of outer edge veil that reached
to the ground all round, suspended
from the outer edge Of broad brim,
and 1t wasn't SO startling as one
might expect at first blush. There
was a place to look out thru at the
front and the wearers got along very
we'll, as did also the other people.
But to get back to East Orange,
the girls of the freshman classes
adopted a new mode of attire above
the waist. 1t consisted chiefly Of q
sweater and a headache band. The
sweater was worn, of course, and the
headgear was a band worn tight
around the forehead.
The superintendent and teachers
mediated, and seemed to interpret
the new mode as being q means OF
letting the body have as much free
dom as possible and the brains as
little as might be- The girls were
assembled in chapel and talked to
about it. The speaker made the
mistake of saying that the head
band was unhealthy, since 1t fit too
close and prevnted ventilation. At
the same time, he applied the OPP
posite to the sweater and con-
demned it because it was nearly all
ventilation. He said, in effect, or in
the words of the marines, there was
'high visibility" and it was not
necessary. The girls did not claim
that visibility was necessary, but he
had the floor and what could they
do! After telling them that 1t did
not conform to his ideas and that
they must alter their modes to suit
him and no compromise, he asked
how many of them would change
their mode of dress, and about 10
per cent of the girls held up their
hands humbly. Then he asked how
many did not intend to heed his
admonitions, and the 80 per cent
shot up their hands high and hand
some.
The speaker was nonplussed OF
whatever you call it. Then he re
covered his composure and tolt
them they could 60 and talk to theil
teachers about it, and out the!
poured and besieged the teachers
Why can't we be comfortable?
they asked. What is there abou
backs and shoulders that hurts any
body?" ''The sophomores ant
seniors wear this yisible-invisiblt
attire, and why can't WEI" "Wert
you never young yourself and hav'
you so soon forgotten how it feel
to be in a class with other yount
spirits?" '.Why are we singled gu
for the sacrifice and others allowed
to be cool and to escape the prespir
alton and discomfort"
The teachers are said to have
hesitated and backed up somewha
and made such replies as, We'll, el
you see it's like this, er all err ahem
it isn't exactly the thing. to err" ant
etc.
Recent dispatches do not SHOW
who is ahead in the arguments, bu
since the superintendent threw thu
bars down for argument the suppo
sition is that the girls will us the op
portunity and then maintain that ]
is matter of personal privilege.
BY the way-a girl down II
Arkansas powdered her nose ant
went to school in September, 1927
and they barred her out. She suet
the school district for a writ Of ad
mission and got it. The principa
rendered his resignation and tn,
board declined to accept it. The.
seemed to think the school was BIZ
enough for him and her too.
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