Christchurch Record Smashed!

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 10, 15 September 1933, Page 21

Christchurch Record Smashed!

Auckland Raises Big Sum at Community Sing-A Bill of 150 Guineas for One Suit- More Recordings, Fewer Artists- 1YX Very Popular. |

PHE community singing record established by Christchurch recently has been smashed in Auckland, A record collection, amounting to £111/10/7 was received at Albert Russell’s "£100 Sing" in the big Auckland Town Hall recently. The Auckland community singing committee naturally is justly proud of its achievement. Over 800 seats haa been booked in advance, and the hall was packed to the doors with 3006 people. The expenses only amounted to £6, and the balance of over £100 will be handed to the.metropoiitan relief committee’s fund. It was a triumph for that enthusiastic spreader of joy germs, Albert Russell and his wife. who work so hard for the poor and needy of this city by gathering funds to assist them. Mr. and Mrs. Russell ied the singing, and the popular numbers were enthusiasticaily rendered by- the huge crowd. This season-and it is not yet over-community singing has resulted in almost £500 being collected for the relief fund. Christchurea, can you beat that? ae & & 1x4 is surely catering for all radio listeners. Apart from the good musical programmes, there are talks to suit all tastes. Talks for the . children in schools, talks for the Maoris, in their own language, talks by famous politicians and newspaper men, ete. Lovers of animals find the talks on pets and their care given from this station every Monday morning by "Loreta," who certainly knows his subject well. The complaints of cats and dogs are fully explained, and questions answered, and this session is proving popular and a welcome new departure FORMERLY New Zealand’s High Commissioner in London, Sir James Parr, now the Leader of the Legislative Council, gave another talk from IYA on Tuesday, September 5. Bverybody hopes that this address will not be the last heard from Sir James, as he has proved himself an outstanding lecturer before the microphone, He breathes personality, and has the gift of making his talks "go over." His subject on Tuesday night was just as interesting as his previous addresses. Tt was "Jottings From a High Commissioner’s Diary." He described in 2 lucid and interesting manner the varied duties of a High Commissioner among the great ambassadors of the world in London, In an informal and discursive fashion, Sir James chatted merrily away about the aspects of an active and interesting life. Many glimpses of the great men he met, and an insight into great events, were given, This was the last of a series of talks, unfortunately, as Sir James will be packing his bags for the Parliamentary session at Wellington. * Ba * AN example of the high expenses entailed in being a High Commissioner was.giyen by.Sir James Parr.- ‘For:

instance," he. said, "the State uniform in which the High Commissioner must attend Royal Courts at Buckingham Palace cost me a tailor’s bill of 150 guineas. And, very often, unless one has the good luck to be followed in the office by a successor of the same size and build as one’s sélf, who would not be averse to buying this magnificent

uniform second-hand-well, one has all this gilt and braid and gold lace locked up in a safe, useless and wasting for the rest of one’s tife. And there are many more similar expenditures which the tenant of the High Commissioner’s office has to face.’ Out of his salary of £3000. he has to provide himself with a house. "During the summer we usually went to Henley-on-Thames, a delightful,spot. about 20 miles. out, of London

on the Thames, noted for the aiuttual boat race which is. rowed there. I recall that my bedroom in the Red Lion Hotel there was occupied by King Charles I during the Parliamentary Wars, and the snecial wall paintings prepared for his Majesty three hundred years ago were still there. Although in that room, at times, I mused about the life of the ill-fated martyr King Charles I, when he rested in this spot, that did not prevent me from sleeping soundly my usual eight hours. His ghost did not trouble me," said Sir James. . bd , # . ARMING in England and farming in New Zealand are two different matters, according. to what Sir James, Parr told his listeners in his last talks’ from 1YA. The farming of the old. squires still, it seemed to him, had’ some of the ‘old feudal system about it: On a New Zealand, farm one good’ general hand could do any. class "of ' work, Not so in England. Even to-day there was kept a ploughman. Then there was the hedger, There was the ditcher, « ‘the thateher, the stonemason to repair’ the stone walls or fences. There was the dairyman; the shepherd. "I have seen the shepherd with his ‘crook. on’ the downs of Sussex tending his "Southdowns, and in the Cumberland hills watching over his merinos," said Sir James. "The New Zealand farmer should thank God for the New Zealand climate, the best in the world for mixed farming. The English climate is awful to its farmers. I have séen hundreds of acres, just ripe and about to be reaped, destroyed in.a single night by a storm, and I have seen the cows shivering in the fields covered ‘with snow a foot, deep." « YA’s new policy of increasing the number of good recordings and decreasing the number. of local’ artists, some of. whom were distinctly poor, has been appreciated. by. listeners. Goon reports are still belag received from all.parts of New Zealand and Australia concerning station 1YX. The: latest letters of appreciation . received by the ‘authorities at 1YA about. this 100-watt station: come from Sydney, -Dunedin, and Hokitika, on the West Coast. People living in the city, who perhaps do not want to hear. the news session at 7 p.m. daily, find it convenient to tune into 1YX and get the fine programme of recordings :that are sent out. om 3" . UP here in n the north the Maoris are enthusiastic listeners, and, like most: sensible Eropeans,.consider that their pas.and homes are not complete » without: the installation of a radio set. It is therefore only fitting that they are ‘being so well catered for by ‘special Maori .talks, broadcast. by a. competent woman "Karere," * who... on Wednesdays, at.:11.a.m,, speaks. Maori, to Maoris on. ‘Maori