The Bookfellow.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 13

The Bookfellow.

[All Eights Reserved]

(By A. G. STEPHENS.) SOCIETIES IN SYDNEY. Progress! Progress! In all sectarian wars we recognise its stigmata. Vet it is familiar how the old social divisions persist between the Haves and the HaveNots, the pretty birds with silver tails and the plain brown birds that have no time to be pretty, they are so busy hunting grubs. State regulation of labour has merely brought the old spots to a nev surface. Sydney now divides its journalists into three camps; its musicians into two; it 3 actors into two; and several of the camps are breathing war, ink, and eloquence. We don't know and we don't care whether it is C'apt. Marryat or Michael Scott who tells the story of the Barbadocs schoolmaster, and we don't caie if was an Antijrua scholmaster. The truth is in the application of the story. Captain Scott found this negro schoolmaster 'reviewing his pupils. "All yous good chllun da* hab shoe and 'tockln, you stand iv de front row.' .

Two good chllnn stood forward. •'All yons <-i>JJim dat hab shoe and no 'toefcin, you stand in de nex' row."

Four chilun stood in de nex' row. "ICotv all yous poor low trash dat hab no fiboe ana no 'locldn, you stand away behind."

And the poor low trasdx stood away behind.

First in the Sydney journalists' hierarchy comes the Journalists , Institute, patronised by the editors with steady jobs at anything over' £500 a year, and upholding the Dignity of the Profession without offence to the newspaper pro-'

Then comes the Journalists' Association, with a backbone of reporters, and a general feeling that the labourer is worthy of his. hire, which resulted recently in a desirable settlement of status and increase of remuneration. It upholds the Salary of the Profession, and does not precisely see eye to eye with the proprietaries. • •••■•• In the distance ie tie Writers' and Artists' Union, which is affiliated to the Labour party and makes noises like distant thunder expressive of discontent with the proprietaries. It includes freelances who do not draw £1,000 a year or even £250 a year in salary;. but vend their talents on the - piece-work system. It stands for the Unsatisfied Aspirations of the Profession. In the field of the theatre, the Writers and Artists' Union has a congener in the Actors' Union, which was formed to make theatrical proprietaries employ.. local actors regularly and at decent wages (star parts preferred) instead of importing travelling companies. Its slogan is "Not more than two imported actors for any piece." Mr G. S. Titheradge,. addressing the Commonwealth Club in Adelaide recently, said:— "My sympathies are entirely with the ■unemployed native actor; I believe lie is suffering great injustice; but what's the remedy? . . . We shall have to trust to time and the repertory ■theatre to set matters right . . . the success of the last London season woe made toy my daughter ■Madge, -who, I have heard toy cable, lias repeated It In New York. So we may lie 'happy in the assurance that Australians of ability are meeting <wtth. recognition, in •the world's capitals, if not in their own country.' , Mr Titheradge and others met the "no-shoe-no-'tocking" combination by starting the Actors' Association, which is well provided with shoes and stockings. Thus, in the arbitration strife, fire is fought with fire; and the registration of the Actors' Union — includes,

I believe," said Mr Titberadge, "many worthy people and is controlled by a few men who have attained a certain prominence as stage failures" — been cancelled in the Arbitration Court. The theatrical proprietaries breathe freely again. In the musical field, the Musicians' Union is supreme. This is a, union affiliated with the Labour party, and consists typically of shoes-no-'tockins "who have won the price of 'tockins by systematic organisation, so that musicians born to shoes and 'tockins have been compelled to bow to the will of the democratic majority. Recently a Musical Association was formed in which the Musicians' Union saw a menace to authority. The Union, like Sir Boyle Roche, smells a rat, and is determined to nip it in the bud. It has resolved "That all persons receiving remuneration for their musical services shall be invited to join the onion; and, in the event of their refusal to do so, members of the union shall refuse to accept engagements wi*h thoaz."

' War fa declared! These interesting developments of class consciousness are reported merely as manifestations of progress. Evolution long ago decided for us that the greatest thing in life is motion. Once you get a limpet off a rock anything may happen to him. Attention to the cheerful spectacle of limpets getting off rocks 1

NEW FICTIOH. jar Algernon Blackwood's new book of spiritual stories, ''"Pan's Garden," (Macmillan, 2/(5) maintains his remarkable power of imagination. His power over style is increasing; and much of the work is in the highest literary rank. He takes ihe view that Nature—tho universal frame—is filled with life that is similar- to our own in kind, though diffused in mmiberles? manifestations,

and not usually concentrated in a personality like a human personality. Yet in every species of Nature there is specific life, a mass life that, with appropriate circumstances may become individualised and even personified. Mr Blackwood invents a form of literary evocation for these natural forces, supposed to be obscurely felt existing in subconsciousness, and sometimes keenly felt existing—as in an earthquake or a great electrical storm, la "The -Man Whom the Trees Loved" he relates vividly and beautifully the power of the Forest over a man whose spirit is in tune with tha tree-spirit. "The Sea Fit" is a narrative of the Ocean's strength shown to a worshipper; "Sand" is an evocation of the spirit of the Desert.

In these stories and others Mr Blackwood exhibits his rare talent to naturalise the supernatural, shown already so many times in the splendid series of romances that commenced with "John Silence." His power of invention, hi« gift of creating a magical atmosphere in which the most extraordinary things become ordinary, are remarkable. We have no doubt that many readers will close "Pan's Garden" with "I wonder if it ig really true"; some will say "I believe it is really true." And the most sceptical will avow that Mr Blackwood presents and enforces wonderfully ideas and emotions that arc novel, interesting, and impressive. "Pan's Garden" is illustrated by Mr W. G. Robertson with designs that are ingenious in treatment and harmonious with the stories.

"The Prince and Betty," by P. G. Wode house, is a lively contribution to current fiction. The action passes chiefly in New York, and the author gives picturesque sidelights on several kinds of society in the Empire City of Graft, The heroine's friend closes her eyes in. order to define love: "It's like eating berries and <ream in a new dress by moonlight on a minuu<?rii!gihc while somebody plays tie violin far away in tho distance so that you caa jdst heaj! it," she said. Her eyes opened again. "Aiid it's like coming along on a wfu'ter eveiiitig and seeing the windows lit up and knowing you've readied home." Thanks to the hero, the heroine declares love still better than that. "Lady Dorothy's Indiscretion," by Arthur Applin (Ward, Lock; 3/6) mixes the ingredients of popular romance with (Considerable ingenuity. If we make, the large concession of plausibility that most readers will make gaily, then the incidents are fresh; the : characters have vitality, and the plot develops - surprisingly till it reaches the inevitable close. Quite useless for strong-minded women to protest against that inevitable close. The women with strong instincts are wiser; they feel that marriage is the true close of individual life; that everything else is anti-climax. The blessing of the human race can be-conferred only at the dramatic moment when He clasps Her hand, She lifts Eer eye 3to His, and the World ends until it begins agaiu for the next couple. "Cab No. 44," by R. F; Foster (Ward, Lock; 3/G) complicates the sensations of current fiction: In Tendon (where the money ■■ comes from) £5,000 is wagered lor and against the police. Their admirer affirms their unerring intelligence; theit detractor declares that if criminals did neft betray each other they would, run little risk. A test crime is arranged, and its development takes thY betters by. surprise. Cab No. 44rswjias in' blood, and in the Thames, sinks ;a human arm with a- hand -with a finger with a ring "with -a drudenfiiss-cut lightly upon it." This is the first dnidenfuss we have met in current fiction. The mystery-of the drndenfuss is- added to the mystery of the story;* and ij! ***—; 1 1 . .;..:..;.. PROJECTED COHSERVATOBrCM. The committees appointed by the N.SAV. Minister of Edniraotipn to discuss the project of founding a National College of Music and Art have presented reports. The music" committee asks the Minister to move "in a big wayj and hot in a small way; in an~ imposing way." Salary of nuisie director, ,£Lj2soji .year; fees to piano, singing, and .Yjojin. teach: ers, £200 a year for eight hours,.a.week, and so on. Aha! . . . .... The painting and sculpture committee recommends buying th* Sydney Municipal Markets for re-uiodelling them, for £20,000, and. devoting the building to the college. Salary -to art director, £SOO a year—a resident Australian artiet to be appointed, "other things being equal"—with three local "professional artists" to manage and outvote the '-director" in a controlling, board of five members. Oho! Teachers, scholarships, and a library. The scheme is to include "decorative and applied, and bother the Technical College, which makes a speciality of these branches. The Minister for Education is "considering the reports." He has reason to. The music committee estimates a loss of £3,374 on the first year's operations. The painting committee estimates an annual loss of £400. There is room for a clear opinion that, considering the amount now paid in fees by Sydney students of music and painting," and considering the influence and prestige which a properly conducted National College will possess, the scheme can be made to pay expenses from the ■ outset. If it is started and controlled, on the business side, by an organiser with business ability. If the finances are managed separately from the aesthetics. If the College is made a living branch of the tree of State education. And if the directors are not meddled with by boards, but are given entire control and full responsibility, with positions dependent on results.