(7) "The Major," of 3YA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 25, 15 December 1939, Page 12

(7) "The Major," of 3YA

MAN. . who thoroughly enjoys the. job he is doing is "The Major," organiser of the Children’s Hour for 3YA, Christchurch. When he was interviewed last week by a Listener representative he was enthusiastic about the work he does daily from 4 o'clock onwards at the station. "I feel that one of the most fascinating tasks .one can do in this world of ours," he said, "is the building up of a children’s hour for radio presentation. This is partly because the building of such an hour is as perpetual as life itself. Every day there is something new and something in-

teresting." Began in Dunedin "The Major" has spent the greater part of his life working for and among children. His first experience of broadcasting was in 1921, when he was programme -organiser at the old original 4YA station in Dunedin. He worked there for three years and since then has had a variety of jobs in broadcasting and has been for several vears working for

the children’s hour at 3YA. . The chief difficulty in arranging a children’s hour programme is to work in enough variety in the short space of time allowed, "'The Major" explains. An infinite number of tastes must be considered, he has found from experience. Is there much criticism from the children themselves? "Misguided Criticism" No. The greater part of the criticism comes from would-be helpful parents and other grown-ups. But "The Major" is convinced that a great deal of the advice he receives is misguided. He explains: "Human nature being what it is, there is, of course, little unanimity about what children like. Many critics, I find, are really telling me what the children ought to like, not what they actually do like. I work on this principle: Entertainment is the Queen of the children’s hour; and a shy and unobtrusive but alwayspresent handmaiden is Interesting Instruction." "Uncle Tom" Popular Recently "The Major" arranged a competition in which children were required to compose a complete hour for presentation.

No prizes were offered, and yet there were more than 800 entries, some of them rich in ‘material and suggestions that will affect future broadcasts. There were also numbers of entries that were replicas of the usual hour as it is heard from day to day. A batch of letters of thanks recently came in after a serial that had just finished — " Uncle Tom’s Cabin." "T thought ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ would appéal to the nine-year-olds and upwards," "The Major" said. "But I’ve had letters from children of all

ages, even one from a little girl of five — three-quarters of a page written with great labour and care in the printing she had just learnt to use. And a little boy of seven in the country walked two miles by himself each Monday afternoon to hear every one of the nine _instalments. That encourages me to go on

with good serials of this type." He Believes in Fantasy "The Major" does not agree with those psychologists and educationists who object to giving children tales of fantasy. He considers himself old-fashioned in adhering to the school of Ruskin, Hawthorne, Grimm and Andersen, but adheres to it with conviction. He says: "I believe the children of to-day are no different from the children of the last generation and I believe they need tales of fantasy to help them develop their imaginative powers. If we deprive them of these tales we must be careful not to crush their imaginations or we will be responsible for a lack of inspired artists in future generations." Mystery Man He is simply "The Major" to his thousands of young listeners; no one knows the rest of his name, and no one knows his face. "The Major" remains a mystery man with a friendly voice and a large enthusiasm for producing hour after hour of lively and. popular entertainment for the children who listen in to 3YA, Christchurch.