DOROTHY DIX

Hokitika Guardian, 3 July 1931, Page 8

DOROTHY DIX

NEWSPAPER CONFIDANT arrives.

STUDENT OF HUMANITY

Confident of thousands of men and women in the United States on the most intimate questions affecting their daily lives, Dorothy Dix, newspaper columnist, of nation-wide fame arrived in Wellington on Monday by the Matmgantii from San Francisco. Dorothy Dix, whose married name is Mrs E. M. Grimer, is travelling with a friend, Mrs A. Nolte of New Orleans, and they are on a short trip to New Zealand, Australia, and the East.

“My life study has been that of human nature” said Dorothy Dix to a “Dominion” reporter, when, interviewed shortly titter her arrival. For thirty-five years she has been engaged in work which included crime-report-ing, and the mixing with a tremendous variety of human types gave her unlimited opportunities for coming into touch with, every conceivable phase of human nature.

VARIETY OF LETTERS

“Do I get tlie.se letters, or do I make them up?” is a question frequently asked of me, she said. “!

can assure you that every question asked in my column is from a bonafide inquirer. T receive every day from 200 to 1000 letters, and T personally attend to each otto of them. They conic in many instances from all parts of the world—-Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. “What T notice about all these 'inquiries is that problems are exactly the same all over the world. ,ln New Zealand the flapper worries that tho parent- is too strict -it is the same in America, England, or wherever you. may go. Then there are the problems of the philandering husband, the wayward son, and the discontented wife —they never alter from generation to generation, or from country to country, even though trackless wastes of ocean may separate them.” i “I suppose you have to adhere to a certain code of ethics in your work, just as a minister, a clergyman, or a lawyer, would have? she was asked. “Yes,” she replied, “I receive thousands of letters that T have to reply to personally by the post. 1 receive an amazing variety of letters. Crimes committed 'have' been revealed to mo on many an occasion. People write to me on the most intimate subjects—on things that would scarce reveal to their lawyers or doctors. I hey know, of course, that I would never betray their confidences.

dispassionate ADVICE

“Why am T in a position to give all this advice? I am often asked,” she, contimfed. “Well, the auswei is perfectly plain. All’ our little problems keep coinp around in a little circle, and to solve them, somebody, quite dispassionate, must throw some new light upon them. A person does not go to his own family for advice—lie knows quite well what the answer would he. Nor does he go to his friends for very few friends can keep a secret. Wliat he wants is a, peifcctly disinterested counsellor -one who can probe into his affairs in a different light—and then in many cases the most difficult problems can he solved. “On one occasion T got a. letter from a prominent psychologist—one who was engaged in making a, scientific study of human conduct. 1 replied to his query by letter, and following mv suggestion, be was able to find a solution to his affair. When lie replied to me be said, ‘Your suggestion was so sjmple that I simply did not think of it.’

A DIFFICULT JOB

“At times, too, I am quite astounded by the things which people say to me. Once I received a letter from a woman saying, l l usually tako my prohlenls to God, but this time I am taking them to you—someone that is practical!” Another time I received a letter from a woman who complained that a certain man was not taking any notice of her-—could I assist her? I renlied, making several suggestions, with the> result that the two eventually became married. Just before T left home. F received another letter from the same woman, saying that the marriage was not a successful' one, and if T had left her alone, she would never had the man, and would have been bapi’V. Giving advice is a- difficult job.” Dorothy Dix mentioned that all her writing are syndicated, that is that they are published simultaneously in about 200 different papers with a circulation of Ao millions. There were several Australian journals handling her matter.

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