Another Social Tangle

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 50, 27 June 1930, Page 35

Another Social Tangle

RACH week a problem in social relationships is set, and readers are, invited to send in their solutions, for which marks are awarded. Prizes are offered to those obtaining the most marks over a series of ten. First prize, £2/2/-; second prize, £1/1/-; third, 10/6, for each series. . Competitors may send in their own problems for publication and solution, and a prize of 7/6 will be given for the best one sent in during each series, and 2/6 for each contributed problem used. A nom-de-plume may be used, but names and addresses must be sent addressed to "Savoir-F aire," "Radio Record and Electric Home Journal," P.O. Box 1082, Wellington. | Savoir-Faire’s decision must, in every case, be accepted as final. * Problem No, 8.-"Mr. and Mrs. A., who have been married three years, have only just managed to secure a home of their own.- Mrs; A.’s two unmarried sisters are not able to get rooms for the money they can afford, and, although their present lodgings are not expensive, after paying for same, there is very little left for other necessities. "Mrs. A. hears that her sisters intend suggesting coming to live with her husband and herself, They were delighted to get a home of their own and to know that they would have it to themselves, as they were tired of living in lodgings, having waited three years before their visions were realised. : "She knows they will not feel happy with others in their home, and yet does not want to hurt her sisters’ feelings by refusing them. Her husband would much prefer they did not cbme. What should she do?" Suggested by "La Femme." Answers must be postmarked not later than July 3, 1930.

N this case, certainly, no- »} thing would appear to be gained by beating about’ the ~i bush, and Mrs. A, has the 3 right to withdraw the perSe we} mission given to Mrs. B. to meee.) use the post-office box. ‘The E=2229 most straightforward course would seem to be for Mrs. A. to tell Mrs. B. of her suspicions, but I do not think she is called upon to give any reason. In fact, I think it would be wise not to do so. Should Mrs. B. decide, to’ deny the use she is suspected of @aking of the box Mrs. A. would be Somewhat nonplussed. my opinion she can quite well say that since giving her consent complications have arisen, and she would prefer not to be responsible for Mrs. B.’s correspondence, Should Mrs. B. press for a reason, Mrs. A. should give

the real one. Even if the suspicions are not correct, and perhaps, even more, if they are correct, she will see that Mrs. A. is being placed in an uncomfortable position, to say the least of it. Mrs. Oldman truly says "There is no disgrace in making a second marriage," but it is embarrassing for any woman to-be supposed to be the object of attentions that she is not receiving.

Fanny equally truly says: "It might make a difference to Mrs. A.’s- business; also she might have very personal objections to such a rumour get.ting about." Mrs. A. may be the mother of a grown-up family, to whom such rumours would be painful, or she may even be receiving attention herself from some member of the opposite sex "with a view to matrimony." In the latter case we can imagine that

complications might become very real. It is ‘fairly safe to suppose that anyone either seeing advertisements of that nature addressed to Mrs. A.’s box number or receiving replies from it would assume that the correspondence was invited by Mrs. A. I consider, therefore, that she has a right to protect herself by withdrawing her consent to the use of the box, without giving any reason unless called upon to do so. "Mrs. A. being in business will be receiving a fairly large number of letters daily. It is hardly likely that Mrs. A. will attend to the routine job: of opening the mail herself, this duty being deputed to an assistant, If Mrs. B. should receive one of her letters which had been opened by mistake by Mrs. A.’s clerk, she might see that it was inadvisable to use a business let-ter-box for private correspondence. "Alternately, Mrs. A. could inform Mrs. B. that an assistant now opened’ all the mail, and suggest the inadvisability of continuing to use the box for private correspondence, as Mrs. B.’s letters may be opened in error.""Plume." "It appears that Mrs. A. is being made a convenience of by Mrs. B. "Most certainly anyone inquiring through the P.O. box number will imagine that it is Mrs. A. who is conducting the correspondence."-"Pat." "As Mrs. A. only ‘suspects’ Mrs. B of using the box for matrimonial correspondence I would suggest that Mrs. A. get a confidential friend to answer advertisements or insert an advertisement and to clear the box herself very often and watch the handwriting so as to verify her suspicions."-"Bar-bara." "Mrs. A is placed in rather an unpleasant position, since she has (presumably) heard of Mrs. B’s desires of re-marriage through hearsay, and she is also by no means sure that Mrs. B

is using her box for the furtherance of that purpose. When Mrs. A gave her permission for Mrs. B, to use the box she, unthinking, would naturally lay no: restrictions upon its use. In spite of this, the one great fact at issue is that it is Mrs, A’s box and she has a

perfect right to retract her consent. As Mrs. A is very anxious to do this, she should put all scruples aside and do so. There is only one course. open: she must tell Mrs. B that for the future’. she must address her letters elsewhere. No excuses could be offered by Mrs, A that would be likely to be accepted by Mrs. B."-Viator."’ "Until Mrs. A is certain that Mrs. B is using the P.O. Box to carry on u matrimonial correspondence, she should do nothing.’"-"Apple Pie Mary." "If Mrs. A spoke of Mrs. B’s matrimonial correspondence, Mrs. B wouid perhaps immediately contradict, thereby leaving Mrs. A with no further argument."-"Michael." "As Mrs. A only ‘suspects’ Mrs. B’s correspondence is of a matrimonial nature, and even if her suspicion iz correct, there appears no likelihood of the world in general becoming aware that Mrs. B uses her box., I think she is troubling herself unnecessarily.""Ben." Marks Awarded. 8 Anon, 5; Amaryllis, 4; Anice, 5: Artful, 5; Apple Pie’ Mary, 0; Bab-el-(Concluded on page 40.)

Problem No. 6, Solutions of Which Appear This Week. Mrs. A. and Mrs. B. ave widows. Without giving any reason for wishing to do so, Mrs. B. asks permission of Mrs. A., ‘who has a business in the city, to receive correspondence through Mrs As post office box. Mrs A., being of a generous disposition, readily gives consent. Later "Mrs. A. learns that Mrs. B. is anxious to make a second marriage, and suspects Mrs. B. of wishing to carry on @ matrimonial correspondence and and of using the box to conceal her identity until it is necessary to reveal same. Mrs. A. fears that.it may become known and that people will think that it ts she (Mrs. A.) who is carrying on the correspondence. She is therefore very anxious to withdraw her permission to use the box. How should she act? eauua gacnneneuuuuueunenuauuiuunnneuuinimnannannti