The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-02-15
THE BATTLE OF
WOMEN'S HATS


WOMEN'S HATS
At San Francisco just twenty-fiv
years ago this February, there be
gan an agitation regarding women
hats, that swept over the countr
like an epidemic and removed
source of useless annoyance that ha'
been accepted as necessary evi
thru many centuries.
1t was a move to require women t,
remove their hats in theaters ant
other meetings where 1t was desir
able for people in the audience t.
see the speakers or actors. 1t wa
commenced by AN angry physician IL
San Francisco when he was ushere(
to his seat in q theater and f0un(
that he could get only glimpses O
the stage. the view being cut on b,
all kinds of hats ahead of him. He re
turned to the box office, where hi
had bought his ticket and demanded
money back on the ground that he
could get no satisfaction sitting II
the presence of actors whom he
could not see. His demand was
poo-hooed and he was told that he
could stand it the same as others
did; the seat was there for him and
that was what they charged him for
was a seat; he could use it or leave
it, just as he preferred. He left
after first saying that he would have
a law passed compelling women to
remove their hats in theaters, and
for that they laughed heartily at
him.
He sought an audience with the
city council soon afterwards and they
gave him a hearing. An ordinance
was drafted and given publicity and
protest, mostly ridicule. People said
1t was outrageous. Women had al
ways worn hats In theaters and al
ways would. They had always worn
them at church and always would.
It was their pride and their glory
and who ever heard of a woman
sacrificing her pride and her glory
for the convenience of a man or
many men! To require a woman to
uncover In theater or church was
unthinkable and men who suggested
such thing were contemplate. If
the city council enacted such an
ordinance 1t would be ignored and
made a dead letter. Whatever a
woman chose to clothe herself with
was her own affair and was sacred
After the period of debate thru the
press and the clubs and other gather
ings, the council put the ordinance
on Its final passage and 1t was
passed, approved and published. and
the date fixed for 1t to go into effect.
People bought theater tickets and
openly declared. "My hat, Cor my
wife's hat) is going to remain undis-
turbed and I'd like to see an officer
to do anything about it."
That was the spirit of the people who |
and those who were keeping still
could not be fathomed.
At the theater where the physician
had asked for his money back, the |
house was packed, and as the mo-
ment arrived for the curtain to rise,
there was a tension as If something
was about to happen, and happen it
did. A large placard was hung out
bearing the words, Ladies will
Kindly remove their hats"
A dead silence fell over the house
and nobody moved for few mo-
nents. Then a woman down near
he front, removed her hat and
placed it in her lap. Another did
he same thing, and then as if every
)ody had adopted the idea, all hats
anne off, and the battle was won.
1t was case of "Everybody's do
ng it," And as soon as it was done
hey all saw the advantage of it, in
luding, of course, those who had
opposed it. The press of San Fran
isco gave it publicity as a great sue
ess, and within few days it was
iven publicity thruout the nation.
with it came the
mixing Of the battleship Maine, the
ush of the Klondike and the
panish- war. 1t was time
cooperation and mass action, and
lmost over night, placards were t
ung out in all theaters from ocean
D ocean just before the curtain went f
p, and, off came the hats.
Women's sleeves had been made b
lender and tight-so tight that t
hen correct" woman could not
ut on nor remove her own hat. 1t t.
as sign of correct sleeves when a S
oman called in some neighbor to j.
ut her hat on for her, and in the
ears that followed, the designers C
ade the sleeves as big as they could f,
axe them, faring like the horn of
photograph. and a woman could le
1T on or remove her hat almost
ithout moving her sleeves. To Il
ave sleeves as large as the modern
)bble skirt was an indication that Z
e wearer attended theaters or that +
e was qualified to attend theaters. !.
was the thing. Everybody was j.
caring them. =