OF FEMININE INTEREST

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 47, 3 June 1932, Unnumbered Page

OF FEMININE INTEREST

By

Patricia

I HAVE noticed lately a splendid range of subjects is being broadcast by the YA stations, and I am sure that every listener will be able to pick out something suited to his or her needs. The speakers chosen are generally those who have made a special study of their subject, though some of them do not always convey their personality to those who listen. Now, many people may have a slight knowledge of the matter put over the air, but expert opinion, which gives the finer details, is very welcome, and I would suggest that papers be scanned re advantage taken of these talks. * a & FSFEEL I must congratulate 2ZW upon the success of the children’s short story competition. I listened to the session when the stories were read, and was constrained to remark upon the ability of composition together with their imagination in childven so young. I noticed one of the stories had the elements of plagiarism, but the others seemed to me to be (listinetly original. 2ZW has rendered a good service for the children, and I trust other competitions of a similar nature will be instituted.

s J Do OME years ago a scheme was started by a very energetic New Zealand gentleman whereby the children of the Empire conununicated with one alother by letter, in which incidentally, it was understood that they would mention the industries of their own town. Beside its geographical and educative value, this did much for Ympire trade. Now we _ have the "Wool Woman" to give radio talks to the children-who until recently I suppose took woollen goods as a matter of course-about our woollen industry, from the sheep’s back to the manufactured article. I hear that quite a number of children are keen on the knitting competition suggested by the "Wool Woman,’ and I can see many of the radio cousins busily knitting the woollen squares that are to be sewn together and made into warm rugs, which when finished are to be distributed among the poor and needy. se ba M®. GHOFFREY SHAW, one of his Majesty’s Inspectors of Education in Kmgland, said recently that the first time he went into an elementary school the children sang to him a song called "When Mother-in-law Goes out to Shop." If this was a song they had been taught, then the most appropriate punishment would have been to eane the schoolmaster. Personally, I think the primary school children in New Zealand are better catered for musically than the English children, if the above is a sample of the curriculum. * bY * Music I think should be a part of everyone’s education; by that I do not mean that everyone should be put in the way of becoming a Caruso or a Backhaus. Genius will look after itself, and mould its own career. Simple good choral songs should be a part of all elementary education, In secondary education musical teaching may bt

carried farther, not only to make performers, but to form a musical taste. The vast majority of us can learn to train our ears just as easily as our eyes. There ought to be as high a standard of appreciation in the aesthetics of music as in the logic of verbal expression. A school which sent out.its scholars unable tu read easily and without preference for what is good, would be an acknowledged failure. But a school is equally a failure which sends out its boys and girls unable to listen with pleasure to good music. From 2YA- the Broadeasting Board is doing good work in this direction, and I suppose we can expect the other YA stations to give educational sessions at some future date. ® * * HAT the function of radio is not for entertainment only is emphasised by the fact that American commercial broadcasting stations are being engaged for educational purposes. This was brought to my mind while listening to 2YA’s educational session on Tuesday last. Such sessions have been usual in

Wngland for a number of years. I see now that Chicago, which has been so much in the news within the last few years, has been unable to continue fully its normal educational activities owing to a depleted exchequer. However, the educational institutions have co-operat-ed in establishing «a group system whereby schooling can be given through one of the broadeast stations. Group listening for children during the holidays is the latest idea, and if the ordinary holiday tasks are exempt this new form of group listening should have its attractions. = a £ FE are all so used to the telephone these days, and it has been brought to such a high standard of utility that we wonder sometimes how we managed with the old-fashioned kind. The earliest telephones were almost entirely constructed of wood and metal. Wood also entered largely into the composition of the wireless set when broadcasting was a new excitement. To-day a new telephone instrument, as superior to the old in appearance and convenience as

a modern car is to a "tin Lizzie," is obtainable in colours of green, periwinkle blue, ivory or pink, and also in delight~fully mottlsd and mosaic effects. * ™ a O New Zealand belongs the credit of having devised what is probably the most original of the numerous war memorials. Plinths, pylons, cenotaphs, and sculptured groups abound not only in Great Brituin, but in the lands of our Allies and former enemies. It was, however, ‘left to the citizens of New Zealand to select for their national memorial one that is audible as well as visible, in the form of the carillon, the music of which is heard almost daily by the relatives and friends of Wellington men who fought and fell. ® " * ROM the London "Listener" I gather that the manufacturers of readymade garments in Englund seem to expect their customers to conform to a few rigidly-defined sizes. Nothing varies as much as the human figure, and to be able to buy clothes that took into its account more of its variations most women, we fancy, would be willing to give up some of the diversity of colours and materials that now embarrasses their choice. In Wngland garments are usually labelled "outsize." "small wo mens," "matrou's," or "maid's," aud this is often the cause of a good deal of time and expense being spent in getting specially made clothes. In France and America they order these things better, where subtly differing categories are stocked, such as "petite plump," "stylish stout," etc. unknown in the British store. The British manufacturer should take a Jeaf from his foreign rival’s book and aim to provide all but the most unnatural figures with well-fitting clothes straight "off the peg." a a &

-" a al MANY talks on economic problems have been broadcast recently, and many people take a keen interest in them. Everyone recognises how important it is that this public interest should continue. If we allow economic conditions to pull us in the wrong direction our means of livelihood will disappear. We should, however, remember that material wants are not the only necessities of human beings. Manners and morals are important, too, and we all must be prepared to play the game. Unfortunately many people either from thoughtlessness or pure selfishness never think of anything but their own point of view. For instance, look at the number of motor accidents that occur every day, many of them fatal. We may be sure that no motorist really wants to kill or injure anybody, but.2 good many motorists act as if they are entitled to speed in any direction regardless of the risk of colliding with someone else who has as much right to the use of the road. However, the pedestrian, too, is to blame, He has certainly a legal right to the use of a part of the road, but be has no moral right to use the road in such a way as to obstruet unfairly its use by other people. ‘The risk of + + (Gontinued. overleaf

wit. Of Feminine Interest (Continued from inside back cover.) accidents would. be greatly lessened if the pedestrian would observe the same rule of the road that is obligatory with. every kind of vehicle, bicycles included. * ae * TY this country we have ceased to talk of "women’s rights." -There is no need to talk about them, because barrier after barrier has been throwa down until, except in some very minor aud trifling points, men and womel are equal before the law. Apart from the question of the suffrage, this is very fur from being the case in France. Woman has immense power in the "conseil de famille," in the business world, in art and literature, and in some of the professions; though she has just been refused the right to act as a solicitor, the Bar has Jong been open to her. But it is amazing to find how far, with all this recognition, the mar- -_

ried woman in France is from possessing the rights of separate property. Wer property is indeed largely under the control of her husband, and she cannot open a banking account or obtain a passport without his consent. Many. Frenchwomen are coming to see that these and other reforms in the interests of women will only be achieyed when women can make their influence directly felt by possessing the same voting rights as men. , ae * [¥ you wish to keep fit and feel ready for the day's work, do these exercises before taking your morning bath: -Lie flat on your back on a rug on the floor, with a small cushion under your neck. Bend both knees, keeping the soles of the feet ov the floor and about twelve inches apart. Place both hands flat on the floor. Raise the hips about five or six inches, so that the weight of the body rests on thé head, shoulders and feet. Vigorous-

a ly swing the body from side to side, keeping the shoulders flat on the floor, so as to throw each hip upward alternately. Repeat six times each side. Lower the hips to the floor and rest three seconds. The whole exercise takes about. two minutes to complete. Breathe evenly throughout the exercise, being careful not to hold the breath. + *

HERE was a Walnut Exbihition at Sir Philip’Sassoon’s hors ‘ark Lane some little time ago, uud among the curios was a Queen Anne cookery book, which shattered any idea that ready-to-serve foods are the discovery’ of this age. Cherries preserved in jeily is one recipe-the kind of dish for a ready-made meal that modern housewives buy at the stores. Only the finest penmanship was worthy of recording the secrets of the kitchens of: the titled women of that day, many of whom contribute their recipes. Apart from their extravangance-ten chickens are the alarming start-off for one pieone is chiefly st ruck by the strangene: \S of some of the ingredients. A grain s# musk is recommended in the "making of "carraway W iggs, " and amber grease in the following 200-year-old recipe for cheese cakes :-"Take a quart of curds of sour milk when the whey is drained well from it, and beat it in a stone or wooden mortar with half a pound of good suet butter. Then you must have for seasoning a large ‘nuttmegg’ grated sud beaten, cinnumon as much as the quantity, of ‘nuttmegg? half a pint of good thick ‘creame,’ eight eggs, and take away half the, whites, a little sack, a. little rose avater or orange flavour water, a little amber grease dissolved in sugar. beaten very fine, half a pound of currants. Mix all well together, then fill your cheese cakes; half an hour will bake them; your oven must be. hotter than for’ white bread. Puff paste is best for the cheese cakes." red she a

Pur RE bas not. been much gardening advice given from the Wellingfo broadcasting stations recently, al(hough other districts. have been well served in .this connection. I heard v talk some time ago on "rock gardens" Which are hecoming quite a feature of New Zcaland gardeus. Those. who Would like a rock garden. should set thout, the work of erecting it as soon: tLS possible. The. best time for plantiug it is in the autumn. ‘The gardener with ouly a small space at his ¢lisposal will find that the rock garden adds both interest and apparent space, to the’ garden. ~ When the soil is natunuly light «nd well-drained. not much preparation to.the foundation is needed; but if the soil tends ta Phe damp---as a clayey soil, for example, will-the foundation of the rockéry should be dug out for about a, foot. and. this . filled yith rough pieces of. rubble, clinker , and, pottery. A layer of fibrous, turfy lodm,may come next. The work of building a rockery calls for’some skill. ‘ The stones must not be set in the steepest positions, nor in any way that might cause a draught to the plants when positioned. Also, do not pack the stones too closely together. A system that works satisfactorily is to place the stones each on its broadest base in each subsequent layer, leaving plenty of chinks between into which soil may be sifted. When the first layer is built so, further erections may be placed acs cording to taste.