WHO WANTS TO WIN HALF-A-GUINEA?

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 3, 5 August 1927, Unnumbered Page

WHO WANTS TO WIN HALF-A-GUINEA?

_ Afternoon sessions are coming from 2YA-yes, in the very immediate future-and that means that broadcasting will make a specially intimate appeal to every home-keeper and home-maker. While our men are away at work-in office, shop, factory or field-we will have our leisure and our own special session of items of interest. And 2YA is so powerful that it will reach, even by daylight, to all parts of the Dominion; so here we have our longed for oppor-tunity-a common social hour, as it were. The Editor has entrusted me with ‘this corner to convey to you the plans and prospects of service to you by broadcasting; to indicate briefly what is contemplated. But I am told to go further. I have to find out from you your points of view, what you expect and hope to get from this new service. So hhere’s a penny for your thoughts-only it’s half-a-guinea for the best concise letter of some 500 words or so outlining "What I want from Radio." I want letters from just all sorts-country and city-for we have to share our time and meet all needs. Just as Radio is to be of service to you, so the " Radio Record,"’ too, is to be your field for expression, the suggestion box for the better development of our broadcasting time. And each week we will discuss here some subject. Now, who wins the first half-guinea? Use a nom-de-plume. Closing date (to give distant friends as much time as possible), August 13. Yours in friendship,-Verity. P.O. Box 1032, Wellington.

How: this life changes, and how enormously it has improved during the last century, and especially the last generation. Life is happier to-day than ever it was, and never, never has there been so great, so bright ‘an outlook, nor so great a proportion of joy.and contentment as there is now, in spite of the few dismal people who keep on telling us that we are degenerating, or words to that effect! Probably they would like -us to return to mediaeval dirt and darkness. ° But it‘is rather refreshing to pause and reflect, and realize that, after all, life is immensely livable, even fascinating and delightful for just about all of us. A man, once, who loved doing things just for the fun of doing- them, got most frightfully keen on adding another accurate figure to the constant gravity of the earth. While he was amusing himself thus, he noticed the peculiar behaviour of quartz under certain conditions, and because of his observations then yet another new joy is added to this wonderful life of ours. All because an ordinary human being had sufficient intelligence to amuse himself with two metal balls suspended by delicate quartz fibres! I wonder whether he realized what a tremendous influence his observations would have upon the whole world? Maybe he had a slight no-. tion, but even in his wildest moments he could never have guessed how it would affect that very important person, who does the pulling of the most worth-while strings-the woman at home. The subject thrills me! There is such a lot to be said about it,. for to the home maker, the advent of Radio opens up many new sources of helpful information and advice, | and as such is making a very special appeal. And what a wide range of subjects can be broadcast-as a matter of fact, almost everything that is dear to the heart of woman. The problems of entertaining are becoming things of the past-they are being solved for us in no small measure. For what could be easier or more simple than to turn on a. little switch and interest our friends in a brief but instructive lesson in Bridge-on "unblocking," for instance, or any of the many knotty points. Truly, devotees of this allabsorbing game will welcome these > helpful little digressions if they can be arranged. | There will be certain to be entertaining discourses, too, on up-to-date furnishing and colour schemes, with a whole host of new ideas for beautifying our immediate surroundings. Cosy, intimate chats on health and

beauty-so inseparable are these two that it is impossible to have one without the other-will be.an important service rendered, and a veritable joy to all enthusiasts, to whom will be revealed the means to achieve the much desired ends of health and beauty. } There are talks coming, too, in the afternoon sessions, on cookery, with suggestions for menus, and new sidelights on this all-important accomplishment. The harassed housewife will no longer reiterate her time-

worn question of "What shall we have to-night?’ She will be relieved

of the constant tax on her ingenuity and originality-Radio will decide for her! And just think how fascinating it is going to be to mix and make a pudding under the immediate instructions of the loud speaker! And won’t it be convenient to have some unprotesting person to blame for our failures, too! Lectures on Women’s Institutes, telling us of the many useful home industries and handicrafts to be learned through them-mothereraft in its many phases, too, are certain to be subjects that will find a large number of eager listeners. To the country woman, wireless is proving itself to be a priceless boon. She will no longer feel that she is living at the back of beyond. Things that have hitherto been out of the question, on account of distance and inaccessibility, will be brought right to her own fireside. She will know how the world is wagging and consequently have wider and fuller interests in life. In bringing the outside world into her home, Radio is doing much towards dispelling that sense of lonleliness and remoteness, which is, in a greater or lesser degree, the lot of every sojourner in the country. She will no longer wonder what the shop windows are displaying in town, and make hazy speculations as to the shape of this season’s hat, or the new cut of coats. Talks on fashions will be given by experts with detailed instructions for cutting out and making up of all kinds of home-sewing. . What a tremendous help this is going to be! And for the lovers of music away in the wilderness of How often have they not longed to hear songsters, other than the birds, or music from the fingers of a master? But distance again was the inevitable barrier. Wireless has removed the obstacle, and there will be no more sighs of regret at having missed a

golden opportunity of hearing a great artist. Then there is the little old lady who spends most of ‘her time at home now. The weather, so often, is none too good, and she is not able to walk far. What a miraculous thing wireless is to her! Once, many years ago, she was very fond of life, and loved going out to concerts, but now she has nothing much to do all day but write letters and sort out her little treasures that she keeps so fondly to remind her of the past. Now she can once more hear the

musie she loved so well, and how her dear old face lights up at the sound of one of the old favourites. In listening to the voices of life, the days somehow seem not so long and lonely. There is no end to my visions of service-but I want yours! Tell me your thoughts (as outlined in the ‘panel above), and let us together make our combined service the joy and benefit it should be-Verity.