Evening star., 1948-10-23
Letters to The Star
Home Princess Contest


TO the Editor Of The Star.
Together with the majority of unbiased Spec
tators was thoroughly disillusioned with the
so-called Home Show Princess Contest. This
contest has been widely ballyhooed as a COM
petition in which the final winner would be
selected on the basis Of audience applause plus
commendable achievements. personality and
general appearance. Emphasis was made that
1t was not to be q beauty contest
Many homemakers, old as well as young, al
lowed themselves to be drawn into what ap-
peared, to be q long-oyerdue recognition of
women In their finest role, that Of homemakers
Naturally, the top award q vacation cottage
was highly incentive. It was the sort of prize
most mothers with brood of lively youngsters
would long for. In the earlier stages of the
elimination they Jared well but when fnalist
or princess was to be chosen, the setup was
entirely unexpected.
The audience was informed that in order to
insure fair decision q board of three judges
had been appointed. The first, gentleman
who had successfully run the Miss Washington
beauty contest; the second, night club report
er for one Of the daily papers; the third, radio
and teievision man. These connoisseurs of
wonanhood were to help pass judgment on the
seven contestants, five of whom definitely were
not In the beauty contest class and four of
whom could claim only motherhood as their
outstanding achievement These ladies were
introduced by master of ceremonies who ap-
parently would have been more at homeUln a
night club.
After the rounds of applause which were sup
posed to be fairly recorded on a meter. y ap-
parently was clear to the audience thai the
largest ovation had gone to an attractive per
:. .Sonable widowed mother of seven chiidren-a
woman who had been put forward by her en-
ployer as an outstanding mother and an effi-
cient employe.
Amid protests from the audience the decision
was announced: A tie was declared between
the two youngest and most attractive women.
One was an exceptionally pretty young mother
OF two. who also had received a great deal of
applause. The other had not even been sus.
pected OF being In the running. Their accom-.
plishments OF pie making, ETC., were extolled.
and the audience was. urged to pick the prin-
cess The boosters of the younger childless
woman won. The chief officials of the Home
Builders' Association rubbed their hands with
glee, and SO the show dedicated to the home
moved closer to its climax of crowninp its
glamour queen. KIN.
To the Editor Of The Star:
tNOuSanOS
witnessing the beauty contest spectacle at
the Home Show Wednesday night. our sroup
attending mainly for the purpose of applaud
ing Mrs. Virginia Davis. one of the contestants
for the princess. The public was informed by
the press, the radio, and in announcements
distributed to prospective entrants that the
contest was to be judged on an applause basis
and that principal qualifications were to be
those of homemaker. Therefore, we knew
that Mrs. Davis would have considerable
number Of worthy opponents (winners of pre-
vious contests). In fact several of us applauded
Tor one OF these, a woman with two children
one Of whom had spinal meningitis very
pretty girl, also with two children, received
the second highest applause. Mrs. Davis a
veterans widow with seven children, whom
We consider q woman in million received top
applause.
Imagine our surprise and chagrin when q
tie was announced and Mrs. Davis was not one
of the tying contestants! One Of these final
lists wore strapless evening gown, which may
have added points to the judges decision. The
winner was a 22-year-old girl, married two
years, with no childrsi. IJTHY1dedision received
little applause from the audience and countless
people felt that great injustice had also been
done to the other contestants who were COM
peting On a homemaker basis.
1t presumably Is too late to reverse the de-
cision. However, we think it only fair to warn
contestants that the basis for judging has
changed since earlier contests. Hereafter. the
contest should be labelled whatever it is meant
to be-a beauty contest II this is the case, and
not one for homemakers. If future contests
really are to be decided from homemaking
standpoint. We suggest that one or more womerr
be added to the judging stan and that the
men selected not be professional or semipro-
fessional beauty contest judges.
R.F. DALE
w. H. HAGGARD
JIM PANTHUS
SAMUEL B. SOLOT
LUCIUS w. DYE
Z. PAYNE
j. RIEDEL
]. r. HAMBRIGHT
= RONALD w. MATHEWS
]. ENGER.
Kind Words for Fire E;Shter.