TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 49, 29 June 1928, Page 6

TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

"At Home" in the Art Gallery, 'A& WIND that wailed and rain of the. most devastating were the weather conditions last Friday evening, and they were lucky who could sport a "Rolls-Royce, a Ford, or the indispensable Black and White, when faring forth to the Art Gallery to a reception given by the chairman of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, Mr. W. M. Page, and"Mrs. Page. A pleasant party indeed, with a welcome that radiated kindness, and the hall looking charming.as it rapidly filled with a softly moving crowd of fair women) and brave men; all made the more interesting because opportunity was taken to present the institute’s gold medal to Mr. Fearn, for his design of the Booth Memorial College. Mr. Moody, of Auckland, president of the institute, in giving the medal, mentioned that it was the first time the honour had been awarded; Mr. Fearn’s few words of acknowledgment included graceful and feeling reference to his late partner, Mr. Austin Quick; and, after the Mayor's short and genjal comments, there was stringed music of merit, much gay chatter, and time for leisurely wandering and discursive argument as to the best and worst pictures in the gallery. Beauteous garments were exploited, in particular the chic of the shawl; for, though few can gracefully wear its slippery loveliness, everyone tries nowadays. ‘Coats and cloaks of ring velvet held charm and seductiyeness on the coldest night of the year; while a notable woman artist wore trailing black draperies that suited well her stately bearing and shingled grey hair. Gay girls trailed fringed and scarfHike embroideries over fluining gowns; one of the Very Young looking particularly attractive in crisp silken frocklet of a delectable shade of pink very beguiling on her slim blondeness. A shawl of prim Paisley pattern was quaintly decorative, and another of rose-magenta a gorgeous note of colour on the brunette who wore it so well. A Chinese happy jacket looking at home in surroundings so artistic, and very suecessftul was a bridge coat of covetable blue brocade. A few of the new pendants were worn, gleaming on long slim chains, and proving a graceful and feminine adornment; and admirable was . a closely-woven rope of garnets clinging closely to the throat, and full of fascination for lovers of this alluring

stone. A gay and cheery party, and a prized interlude amid grey and bustling wintry days. The Royal Academy. "AMONG the most prominent pictures at this year’s exhibition is a very youthful-looking portrait of his Majesty King George V. by Sir Arthur &. Cope, R.A. and a_ true-to-life, and therefore beautiful portrait of "Our Queen Mary," by A. T, Nowell. Another picture of interest is "Sisters," by Harold Knight, A.R.A.. Mr Knight has recently been made an Associate of the Royal Academy, a few morihs after his wife, Mys Laura Knight, was elected. Only once before has it happened that a husband and wife were both A.R.A.’s. Some New Books. THE Battle of the Horizons is the title of Miss Sylvia 'Thompson’s new book, for which we have been eagerly watching and waiting ever since its forthcoming (and title) was mooted some months ago. It deals with the effect England has upon a sensitive American girl, married to an Englishman, and living in a strange world. The book is considered by its publishers to be one of the most important "pew novels.’ John Brophy’s first novel is a remarkable study of adolescence, "The Bitter End" portrays the effects of the brutalities and profundities of life in war-time upon the mind of a boy who enlists under age. An excellent little book of sound advice to youth, from the pen of Dr, Blizabeth Sloan Chesser, has been’ published recently. "Youth" is written primar-| ily for women, and is very truthfully outspoken on the physiological aspects of human life.

‘A Woman's Mission. AS’ an aid to public speakers, Commandant Allen, of the Women’s "Auxiliary Service, is loud in her prais2 of aeroplane travel. She has just returned from a seven days’ air trip to Hungary and Czechostovakia, where she has been speaking on women police. The Commandant thinks it 1s the easiest method of travel, and she intends never to go by train again. She was astonished to find that nowhere were they ever 2 minute lat2, although travelling by five different air lines. Commandant Allen was :nvited to Budapest by the National Council of Women, and spoke at three crowded meetings. Hungary, like Czechoslovakia, has extremely difficult social problems to solve. So far Hungary has no women attached to its police force, but Czechoslovakia has women in its welfare branch, in the same way that Germany originally had. From Budapest Commandant Allen went to Prague, speaking at two meetings, one for the Czech section, and one for the German, the same evening that she arrived.