TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14837, 1 December 1913, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Thero is something about The music - making which Musician's tends to good appetite— Meal. if not sheer gluttony. It is said that Malibran virtually ruined her career by injudicious eating. Poor "Wagner, after his years of semi-starvation in Paris, took to food again with such zest that he set up indigestion for life. Handel could eat liko a wolf, and be as unashamed. This great composer it was who entered a restaurant and ordered "dinner for three." Handel sat there alone; the food was ready; at last a waiter enquired anxiously when would tho guests arrive. "Guests ?" roared the composer, "there aro no guests. Bring on that dinner!" Rossini was more gourmet than gourmand, but ho sighed that ho ought to havo been a cook, though fate had mado him a musician. And he succeeded in winning great fame as a salad-dresser. The greatest pianist of to-day shows the right professional taste for good things to eat, Paderewski is a noted epicure, and a chef from Paris adorns his board with all the delicacies that genius deserves. In his modern wisdom, however, this musician never sacrifices art, duty, or health to food and drink. Indulgence in such luxuries is strictly regulated, especially when composing or preparing for a Paderewski concert tour. That good writer upon the kindred subjects of music and food, Honry T. I .nek, declares that artists in general must reform their ways, and forsake the bad old rule of over-much eating and too littlo sleep. Singers do well who tako tho last meal a good four hours before singing—but then they must not console themselves afterwards by "congregating in restaurants to eat, drink, talk shop, and quarrel," going peacefully and hungrily to bed. Restaurants and hotels should cater more simply for singers—or, better still, the artist should travel with his own cook, and so avoid the risks of elaborate feeding. Then the motor-car is a new health peril. "It is such an agreeable mode of going about that most singers uso it constantly, refusing to walk evon fire blocks." Madame Sombrich is quoted as a happy exception. Resisting the spell of the motor-oar, she preserved the freshness of hor voice by long daily walks, which served to neutralise any bad effects of a musician', meal. . But to the most temperate feeder may come the dyspepsia which is duo to the enervating effects of unventilated halls. This is a too common trial. Last Juno a pianist in a London concert hall had to leave the stage, his sonata unfinished; he was overcome by tho excessive heat. And it was Hans yon Bulow who objected, once to making his appearance in an over-heated atmosphere, on tho ground that he was "only a pianist, and not a palm."

The Maoris are an interesting From example of a people who were Stone living in the Stone Age when to they were first visited by EuroIron, .peans, and who may be said to have leaped at a bound into the nso of modern tools. An exceedingly " interesting work by Mr Elsdon Best, entitled, "The Stone Implements of the Maori," has been published by the Government as Bulletin No. 4of the Dominion Museum. It shows what really wonderful work was dono by the ancient. Maori with his stone implements-—his greenstone adzes j and so forth. Many people are puz-' zled to know how tho Neolithic Maori managed to bore holes through such an exceedingly hard substance as the native jade. It appears that this was done by means of a splinter of flint attached to a stick, whidj- was mado to rotate rapidly by means of a bow drill. It is thought that the Spanish were the first people to make the Polynesians acquainted with iron. There is no doubt, however, that it was introduced to the Maoris by Captain Cook. It was not long beforo they learned, to value the iron tools, and showed their eagerness to possess them. They wero very fond of spike nails, which tbey converted into chisels by sharpening tho ends. . Cruise (1823) mentions the keen desire of tho Maoris to obtain European axes. They undertook to supply the ship with kauri spars for ono axe each. He also mentions that missionaries at the Bay of Islands purchased 20,000 acres of land from Hongi for forty axes. Among the articles handed over to the Atiawa Natives in payment for lands bought at Wellington by tho New Zealand Company were 120 axes, 60 tomahawks, and 46 adzes, which, as Mr Best quaintly observes, were probably more useful than some other items, such as 60 red nightcaps, 12 umbrellas, 12 shaving brushes, and 144 Jew's harps. The introduction of iron and steel tools enabled tho Maoris to do work much more quickly than beforo, but for beauty of carving their stone-wrought examples remain unsurpassed*

. Twice every week the PrePresident sident of the United and States and the Press corPress. respondents at Washington meet m the "White House. In the days of Mr Roosevelt this conference used to bo called the "Press Cabinet;" in Sir Tait's time it was the "Tea party," and under rM Wilson's administration it is the "Press inqufeition." Just what happens at a session of this bi-weekly inquisition is described by the American correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph." Perhaps a score, perhaps a greater number, of newspaper men aro present, and the President is subjected to a bombardment of questions on every conceivable subject of political interest.

"Will Mr President toll us just how the Mexican situation stands?" "^ m Mr President 6ay whether there is any fresh development in the Panama tolls controversy. » an <_ so on . The information given by the President may be published (special vetos apart), but not "in quotes." A special feature of theso interviews is the personal relation which is established between the President and the Pressmen. Tho latter soon learn to know their man, and sum up his little peculiarities. Mr Roosevelt was soon put down as "mercurial." Mr Taft as "judicial" and Mr Wilson as "scholastic." As for Mr Wilson, tbo "Telegraph's" correspondent thinks his measure has not yet been taken properly. "He is neither Mr Roosevelt nor Mr Taft, but is not less-masterful than the former or less judicial than the latter." His first meeting with tho newspaper men at Washington was something of a fiasco. Mr Wilson seemed appalled at the number of his potential critics; he was stiff and formal, and tho result of an austere little speech only mado the frost a " trifle harder, A week later tho thaw seemed no nearer. T_e President himself- felt the chilliness of their relations. "What is it gentlemen?" he enquired, at the conclusion of a speech, in which he pointed out tho way in which the newspapers could help in tho business of government. "Mr President," was the reply from one of the audience, "we realise tho importance of what you ha~ , said, and we want to help you, as you have suggested. But wo cannot do so unless we get to know you; unless we can talk with you face to face, and man to man. We want to ask you questions, so that we may know your mind and interpret you to tho American people whom we serve." At this, a smile stole over the President's face. Tho ico had begun to melt.