Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 29, 27 January 1933, Page 19

Auckland Notes

By

Neutron

YA staged a very pleasing innova- ~~ tion on Thursday evening when Gordon Hutter, evidently listening-in to a powerful set, gave a ball by balt description of the Test play at Adelaide. It was really well done and seemed as if we were among the’ spectators at Adelaide’s beautiful Oval. There were no tedious repetitions of who was where all over the field,. but a.chatty story of what was doing. While the cabled summaries haye been of wide interest, this was so much better that many will hope 1Y¥A’s commendable enterprise will be amplified in succeeding tests. By the way, the Plunket Shield match relay from Eden Park was also an improvement on some earlier efforts-it seemed to be less of an effort; and C. S. Dempster’s evening resume was first-class. 5 Eo + Gon of us who heard and enjoyed ¢ Will Bishop’s "The Dumb Wife" are not nearly so wide-awake as we thought, and I’m one of them. The little discrepancy mentioned in these notes about the period of the play (1600) is explained by the fact that the dating of the period of the play, announced in Auckland, was carefully avoided by the author, However, iu a very pleasant letter Will Bishop points out what we missed-Ann has sugar at breakfast at a time when sugar was not used in England. The mistake was "spotted" in Wellington, and 2YA had Shakespeare’s sweetener, honey. Then W.B. gets home right over the heart. I was hyper-critical. "If one must be hyper-critical,"’ says the cheery author, "there is the fact that you refer to ‘Mangel-Wurzel’ in the par. But that’s a little thing: the Ohristmas season was with us and the wassailing spirit abroad." Of course "Wurzel-Flummery" was meant, and don’t you think Mr. Bishop should hare suggested the printer had been wassuailing? It’s his classic privilege to take the blame for everything. Never mind, we'll be all expectation and watchful of our step for the next Will Bishop comedy. It can’t come too soon. Which is more than coals of fire for a knockout blow. * * = * PPORE-PEAK" of the trawler fleet, . Who has forgotten more about fish and fish-catching.than most of us ever knew, presented "Another Fishing Yarn" from 1YA on Saturday. He exploded the "good fishing spot" theory by stating that fish change their grounds in accordance with wind and sun eonditions. The skipper of the trawler that/goes out and catches fish week afift- week and in all weathers, watches thé conditions and fishes accordingly. "Tf," said "Wore-Peak," "in a reputed *. ‘good spot’ you get no fish, change to a place where the conditions of wind and sun are exactly opposite to get results." .He offered a weather tip which seems worth trying, as he said, even to prevent the ladies taking in and putting out their washing when things seem unsettled. Notice the sparrow’s harsh note when it is raining. The little brown bird uses that same note some hours before rain actually starts and is thus a pretty reliable barometer. Trawlers make some queer catches, such as the boilers of the old Wakatere or even a laden scow. For ~instance, the scow Herald, fully laden, wrecked near Flat Island, drifted some ten miles under water and was brought to the surface -by the trawl of the Thomas Currell. The speaker de eovibed the wreck of the Thomas Bryvaa

one dirty night on Cape Colville. When the ship struck old "Geordie" was just changing into his working gear. Clad in singlet -only, he. rammed his .feet into hob-nailed boots, his one comment being: "Mon,.I must ha’ made a fine picture." It is good to hear that "Fore-Peak" is optimistic about the fishing industry. Let’s hope he’s right, though last time I was out for the day I caught a very painful sunburn and no fish. But that must be because I wasn’t weatherwise. : em. t a an Wu ILE there has been no outstanding musical evening ‘in' the north this week, there have been some offerings of

individual excellence that have redeemed programmes. Such a one was Madame Winnie Fraser, whose soprano solos were entirely enjoyable. Then there was Reg. Morgan, whose voice is always welcome, in the "Loyer in Damascus" suite. And I wish to apologise. Once I wrote that I didn’t like women’s voices over the air in spoken pieces. On Thursday Miss Audrey Allen, from 1YA, jarred my prejudices. Iler three numbers were slight, but they were given so naturally that listening was yery pleasant, ue * * QURVEYING present-day fils and the political remedy, Mr. BH. Cortis is urging 1YA listeners to renewed faith in democracy. To reach the objective of increased social justice, he urged a return to the two-party system. The cure for the ills for which democracy is blamed, is more democracy, with Cabinet responsibility to the electors and not to caucuses or irresponsible outside bodies. Then, he said, the demands of the hour would discover leadership, whereas to-day no man of intellectual or moril force will enter politics to be a puppet in-a machine, He condemned proportional representation, which he

said was perfect in theory and worked out well in practice, yet gave leadership to no man or no party, and perpetuated the "balance of: power system." Mr. Cortis is often picturesque, as, for example, with the phrase: "The Marxian cat walking precariously on the edge of chaos." ® * * ONTINUING his "Danish Folk School" talks from 1YA, Mr.-B. J. Bror ©. Muller told us of the founder and the aims of this unique educational movement. The man.who towered above all others in this connection, he said, was Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, priest, poet, and reformer, who was a native of old Zealand, by the way. Grundtvig, born: 1783, who lived for 90 years, was a Christian Radical, like Thomas Arnold in England. He had confidence in the mass of the people, and fought for individual liberty and against materialism. It had been said that his bust should be in the doorway of every factory and every co-operative institution in Denmark, and certainly the present-day premium on Danish butter (of which New Zealand dairyfarmers know) is due to.his influence. He found Denmark in the depths, and said that if they had lost outwardly they must gain inwardly. There must be more cultivation of the soil-and of the people: if Democracy were to be a success the Danes must be educated. He established schools where adult youth could assemble and

catch glimpses of the meaning of life, could be helped to find happiness in their ordinary work, and were taught the need of co-operation. Indeed, it was from these schools that the germ came

marketing of to-day. The gchools broadened and humanised the outlook, so that now the Danish farmer says: "The world is my country: Denmark is my home." ‘The schools themselves were for young people of eighteen or more. ‘They had no examinations, which Grundtvig regarded as manifestations of materialism. Books were discarded in favour of lectures and academic training was less valued in the teacher than experience of life. Finally, their chief insistence was toward the development of the co-operative mind. Mr. Muller is an enthusiast, and deserves to be widely heard. Clearly this country is in need of far more cooperation among all sections of the community.