Things to Come

New Zealand Listener, Volume 7, Issue 159, 10 July 1942, Unnumbered Page

Things to Come

T is appropriate, we feel, to draw attention here to the fact that next week we are presenting our readers with two Sundays -another instance of the lengths ‘to which we are prepared to go to serve our subscribers. While we feel we should say that this is not due to our having tampered with the International Dateline (like the octogenarian in the Stephen Leacock story who swam the Behring Strait in one hour forty minutes under zero), nor yet to any longitudinal ‘vagaries occasioned by the recent earthquake, we must emphasise that it is not a@ service which we can indefinitely continue, particularly in times like the present when any moment may be our next. Weary war-workers, however, will no doubt be grateful for the extra twentyfour hours of rest which we have, with unexampled generosity, provided for them, Ars Gratia Artis We were never inclined to believe, ith Miss Edith Sitwell (or was it Noel d?) that "Life is a curve and Art an oblong within that curve." For that reason we like Sydney Thompson, whose pictures (should we say canvasses? ) please our senses without muddling our intellects. At least -- should he think such criticism unflattering — he can get his message across without getting oblong or cubist. We are the more sure that he will have no difficulty in putting over the talks, "An Artist Abroad," which he is now giving from 3YA. The next will be heard on July 15. Worm That Dieth Not Thanks to their own efforts in resuscitating the sprightly melodies of halfforgotten Tudor and Jacobean composers Zillah and Ronald Castle will have an appreciative audience ready and waiting for their next violin-recorder-virginal recital, from 2YA on July 12, " Maskes and Revels" is the general title they have selected but we are willing to wager that most listeners will find one item piquant above the others. Whence came the country-dance called "Mr. Isaac’s Maggot’? ‘What whimsy led the apocryphal Mr. Isaac to cherish this spawn of

Beezlebub and through what patient transcriber’s efforts has this very symbol of the corruptible flesh put on incorruption? Air Adventure Alexander ‘the’ Great wept because there were no more worlds to conquer, but his tears, as he would no doubt admit now,: were a trifle premature.

Apart from the bold exploits of Christopher C., stout Cortez, and hosts of others we cannot even in this century claim that the age of exploration is dead. The most that we can say is that maybe the age of footslogging exploration is over and that now the bold spirits of the age scour the unknown in silverwinged ’planes. The story of aerial adventure in this century is the theme of

"Lords of the Air," a new serial which *s presented by the ZB stations. Beginning with a serial story of two lads who join the R.A.F., the series continues with the stories of all the great flights and flyers, from the first attempts to fly the Atlantic to the battle of Britain. "Lords of the Air" is produced by Peter Whitchurch, ZB announcer, who is now serving in the Navy. You may hear it from 2ZB on Monday evenings, and it will begin from 1ZB on July 30, from 3ZB on August 3, and from 4ZB on August 17, Garbo And Some More Quéens in their own right have from time to time proved themselves to be strong rulers like Queen. Elizabeth, or scholars like Lady Jane Grey, or beauties like Mary Queen of Scots. But a Queen who combined these qualities with horsemanship, courage, the daring to wear men’s clothes, the honesty to follow her conscience, and the sense to abdicate when she felt she should in the interests of her country — such a queen deserves a Garbo and then some more. Unfortunately we can still think of Queen Christina only in terms of Garbo so we shall welcome some more information in the talk which will be broadcast from 1YA on Tuesday, July 14. Do Pigs Need Crops? We suppose that the idea of all these pig production talks is to ensure that the 1942 pig is in every way bigger and better than last season’s model, and we are prepared to consider a certain nume ber of innovations. But the title of this week’s talk (3YA, Thursday evening, July 16) "Crops for Pigs" may worry some readers. It’s all very well for the domestic fowl to be equipped with this elementary feeding gadget, but the need for it in an animal which subsists mainly on apples and skim milk is not so clear, We would in fact go further and suggest darkly that no good can come of it, for the modern pig, resentful of any attempt to tamper with its digestive system, may be impelled to follow the example of its Gadarene ancestors and plunge neck and crop down the steep cliffs to destruction.

HIS is Nana, the " Pets’ Friend" at 3ZB. She is obviously fond of monkeys: in fact she says that whereas a dog can understand a man,.a monkey goes further and can be almost human. She has several monkeys of her own and others belonging to her are at the Zoo, Every Wednesday in the Children’s Session from 3ZB Nana gives listeners

the benefit of her long experience among animals. She answers hosts of questions. "Why does my dog grow so fat?" a boy asks her. Or "lt I give my dog cake will it spoil its teeth?" or "A frog is living at the bottom of my garden. Should I make a pond for it, and what does it live on?" There is no need for even a dog to lead a dog’s lite with Nana to advise.