MUSSOLINI AS AUNT SALLY IN SIDESHOW

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 34, 3 February 1939, Page 24

MUSSOLINI AS AUNT SALLY IN SIDESHOW

President Of New Zealand Showmen’s Association Is Incignant . More And Prompter Cricket News, Please... Local Playwright’s Suceess With BBC

ROM Chas. Davey, Presi-. dent, New Zealand Showmen’s Association: In last week’s copy of the ‘‘Record"’ you ask if the local Italian Consul may set himself (officially) up as the judge as to who or who may not be earicatured in the time-honoured ‘‘Side-Show Alley."? While the incident you refer to is, on the face of it, perhaps trival, yet anyone reasonably conversant with the acts and avowed intentions of the two men referred to, cannot claim to be a true New Zealander if he will acquiesce to such subtle interference. If at any time this Consul. dared to dictate to any member of our association, I feel sure that to a man we would let him know that our tolerant law courts would not agree that it was an offence to caricature Hitler while Germany vilely abuses Lord Baidwin and Winston Churehill. ° Had I known of this form of Fascist ‘‘idealism,’’ I would have. assisted to resist such behaviour of an outsider. Thank you for giving this matter publicity. Radio -Talent G. F, Cook ¢(Hastbourne): In town yesterday I happened to

see a copy of the ‘‘Reeord’’ with an article about the discovery of radio talent in New Zealand by the Commercial Service, and I think it might be a good idea to look into what the National Service has done in this direction, too. Yours is an excellent paper, and many people go by it. I.do, anyhow. And I think you should know, if. you don’t already, that Graeme-Holder, who won ‘the prize in the competition, and who has written some good plays since then, looks like being a good advertisement for New Zealand. I learned on good authority that he has two plays coming over from the BBC within the next three weeks-and that must be something of a record for the BBC. Fees, I am informed, for the two plays are something near a hundred pounds. Cricket Cricketer (Auckland): Some weeks ago a listener wrote complaining of the length of the intervals between broadcasts of ericket results. I heartily agree with him, whoever he

may be, for as 2 follower of cricket myself I like to hear how the Auckland team is faring in the south. But no. Both 1ZB and 1YA give results about once or possibly twice in the day. At 7 o’clock when the news is announced the score is the afternoon-tea score. oO ee a )

Surely with these days of telephones they could get a later result than that. The only topic that the Auckland stations can interest themselves in igs racing. Every hour or so brings racing results from some tin-pot little racing meeting in the remote parts of New Zealand. Very few people in Auckland care whether one horse or another wins at a meeting in the smaller towns in the Souih Island, but I’m sure many in Auckiand would appre ciate it if a little more time was devoted to cricket. Win And Windle _ Jack Win (Wellington): With "reference to your criticism of Win and Windle in current issue, I am afraid little consideration was given to the difficulties of artists ‘catering for an entirely new audience, whose tastes are an unknown quantity. By a study of previous programmes, and judicious inquiries, we. endeavour to find out the most popular brand of. humour locally (of which there is, like pickles. more than 37 varieties), and then present what we deem. most suitable. That it is impossible to please everyone we "know, so during our season we vary. our material. In view ‘of this, I think it a little unfaiy that one should be damned on a. first performance. Criticism, which is,. after all, ‘only one persen’s opinion, should be constructive, not destructive, and a few hints as to the why and wherefore of such criticism’ would possibly be helpful. It is never too late to learn. I may add that the item we presented to which you refer was taken from one of our

sketches in which we starred for years in London, South Africa, Australia, ete. In England it ran for ten years, twice nightly, without a break, so it must have had some merit. I think, in justice to artists, criticism should be on the whole, not part of the engagement. Restrictions Listener (Wadestown): From snatches of Mr. Wells’s talk iast Sunday night-interference and static prevented perfect recep-tion-I gathered the speaker advocated constructive instead of destructive occupation for ail young people as an outlet for surplus energy, as an antidote to war. He said: "If we do not exterminate war, war‘will exterminate us." Now the developing of ambition and talent in many directions by those possessing them is more often than not quite impossible of being put into practice; therefore, many desirable "bents" must be told to "lie down and sleep," as it were. How few in this mechanical age consider the creators of beauty as deserving remuneration-and without payment how can these people live? But cultural subjects are indispensable nevertheless, and they should be paid for even as the bakers of bread are paid. Our examination system, too, can debar many young people from developing the subjects they are gifted for. Lastly there are unions, circumscribed bodies of many varities, all helping to shut out opportunities for those outside such magic circles. Mr. Wells is right that all should be encouraged to live this life profitably and with liberty to develop the talents they are endowed with for the making of happiness and satisfaction for

themselves and others, and the enhancement of the world in general. If all were reaching out towards that which is beautiful and good there would-be no desire or room for wholesale murder, slave and concentration camps, slums, bomb factories, and the exploitation of the less enlightened (who should be helped instead) and defenceless. Perhaps men would even recognise that no one has the right to take the lives, or command the extermination, of others. The Church Frank C. Gibbs (Glen Eden): The letters on this subject have interested: me, and perhaps a view from another angle may interest others. The question involves two lines of thought-i.e., the temporal and the spiritual sides of the Chureh. The Church as an organisation is but a mirror of the life and standards of the people, worldly in. its outlook, no better and. no worse than the State in -which it exists. It is part of the usual practices and customs of. the people, ‘it conforms to the laws and traditions of the State, -but does not make either; it. works within the fabric of society as -it is-not as society should be; it is but a cross-section of -accépted ideas and methods such. as .would be found in a more or less united body of businessmen, sportsmen or trade unionists. It is but the -gum total of the moral standards of the people. The Church.in this sense cannot lead except within its own organisation for its own good. All its good works-and they are many--are but as an ambulance following in the wake of civilisation, but not

leading. A movement of human welfare must be accepted by the people, who then bring it into their many and various branches of church organisation-as a part of public life. Children of underpaid workers are fed and cared for by the charity of organisations, but the workers must fight alone. Chinese refugees are accepted as a charge on the Church, but the Port Kembla strikers must not be mentioned. "The poor ye have with you always" is accepted as @ promise rather than a challenge. One is drawn to the conclusion that the real issue is, "Can the world save the Church?" What of the spiritual side of the Church? . Ali men and women of goodwill throughout the world, notwithstanding race or creed, accept the golden rule as a guiding principle in life, and it is they who czn and will save the world. Tk Church can only help, and that ‘measure of help is limited. About Symphonies §.G, (Dunedin): In a letter published in the Forum of January 13, your correspondent "Sparks". makes scathing reference to ‘Jong, monotonous sonatas, symphonies and symphonic poems," putting the word "alleged" in brackets after each. Perhaps my taste is somewhat queer, but I have Hstened to all the symphonies broadeast since 1934, and have not heard one that did not deserve the title. Is there something wrong with me that makes me find the average symphony an intriguing collection.of tunes and rhythms? If your correspondent will write once again and name the sonatas and symphonies and symphonic poems to which he has to add

"alleged," then we-ean judge whether he -is qualified to make such a sweeping survey of classical or modern music. (By the way, I enjoy "Rosalie" as much as he does.) ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. Alex Kidd (Invercarg!ll): Lucky Star of Ware (Sports Page, "Record," January 13) and Cobnar Pip are not the same dogs. Cockers often look remarkably alike. t