Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-20
Once Over Lightly

H0DCacllS SA'Ou PcL bhASut,
which represents q 900 per
cent increase in price over q So
year period. In 1905 q haircut
cost Is cents and a shave 10
cents and the barber furnished
more and better services at
those prices.
Well, sir. III guarantee that
no gold-lined $3.50 barbershop
will ever ind me rs . patron.
There are plenty Of shops
where the BARRIERS do not de-
iude themselves into imag-
ming that they belong to the
profession" but realize that.
after all, they are just BARRIERS
and charge in keeping with the
level of their trade.
Last week I had my hair
cut for 80 cents and it was a
better job than I have been
paying $l.25 for at q shop
that I had patronized for IS
years.
Disguised.
Since BARRIERS are causing
some indignation and bitter
ness, ! think The Star should
acquaint its readers. as we'll
rs some of its "bald-headed
friends" with q few facts re-
garding BARRIERS which are set
forth In "A Message from Your
Barber" Here they are:
"Your barber dislikes to raise
his prices, but you, as a patron,
are entitled to some facts.
"Your barber Is an artist.
He must be able at q glance to
visualize mentally q picture Of
how your hair should be cut
to look at its very best.
I'm order to do this he must
take into consideration the
color, texture and growth OF
your hair, the shape Of your
head, your natural hairline.
etc. He then proceeds to make
that mental picture a reality.
He must use good Judgment in
the style Of haircut that will be
most becoming to you. After
a long and difficult period Of
training, and after consider
able expense in learning the
skills and techniques Of good
barbering. he begins to earn q
livelihood. He must be free of
any contagious disease. in
order to protect the public he
serves.
1.-THE practice of barbering is
not q business, but a personal
service. Nevertheless, 1t must
be conducted in q businesslike
way or the barber will not have
. practice.
when the average barber
renders his services to fourteen
different individuals, 1t Is a
normal days work. Any service
over that Is equivalent to over
time. There are from two to
three hours idle time even in a
busy barber shop. and a barber
is in his shop long hours for
the convenience Of his patrons.
Around rs years ago the
price Of a haircut was so
cents. 1t had been generally
established at that figure to
place it within the reach of
the man who at that time
earned 81 a day. It was rea-
soned that those men who
earned above that sum would
and did get the extra services
that a barber renders, such as
shampoos, messages and hair
tonics, which are all bene-
fetal to the patron and on
which the barber makes some
profit. That condition existed
throughout the country until
about 1880.
There Is no need to tell
you about the imitation that
has occurred between then
and now. 1t has also hit your
barber, doubling and trebling
the price Of his supplies and
the equipment needed by him
to render his services. In an
average barber shop today the
expenses run from 80 to As
per cent of the gross receipts.
The barber chair that formerly
cost $125 (when haircuts we're
so cents) costs $500 today.
Barber shears that were $3.50
are So to So now, laundry has
more than trebled in cost, and
hair clippers that were SO are
$3.50 today. You, the bar
ber's patron, know and need
not be reminded Of the high
cost Of food.
Because your barber has
tried to hold the line on his
prices, his earnings are less
today than those Of any other
craft or profession. This is the
reason why many BARRIERS are
leaving their profession to
work in mills, factories and at
other more remunerative call
ings, In spite Of the fact that