"THE CROCKERY WAS TOO THICK."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 14

"THE CROCKERY WAS TOO THICK."

Mrs. Darlow Returns from America

Mrs. J. B. Darlow enjoyed lier trip through America. She returned to Auckland yesterday by the Monterey, after having attended the Pan-Pacific Conference, chaired one of the roundtable discussions on labour standards, and done 0000 miles by bus in sightseeing. Apparently she had just one fault to find with America—the crockery was too thick. "I never once enjoyed a cup of tea,"' Mrs. Darlow said, laughing. "In all the hotels and reetaurante the cups and saucers are so heavy that they quite spoil the tea. I pointed out to them that in other parts of the world they seem to be able to cope with the breakages problem without putting up such a heavy defence, but they stuck to their guns—heavy crockery they had to have." American women were very intelligent and bright, Mrs. Darlow found. She was amazed at the numbers of women who were in professions that in the past had been reserved for men. She met two judges—Judges Bullock and Mcrikle— women who try their case<4 just as men would. " All the Best Geysers in the World." "I was amused." she said, "when we were in Yellowstone Park how the Americans make the most of all their assets. The guide called out -to us to 'Come and see all the best geysers in the world,' and if we had not been New Zealanders we might have believed him. In our-*ountry we are too modest. If we had people pointing out the beauties and novelties of this country as they have in the tourist resorts of America the world would know a little more about us." One of the most interesting days Mrs. Darlow spent was with a well-educated and intelligent negress, who had been speaking to the women of the world at the conference about her own women. She took Mrs. Darlow to her home in Detroit, and showed her through the negro quarter there. "I saw the strangest sights." Mrs. Darlow said. "Right in the heart of the city there were funny little shacks opening off the footpaths. One won - dercd that they could be allowed by the city authorities, so dirty and dilapidated they were. One family was being turned out by its landlords, and all their pitiful little belongings were piled up m the street. I was asked to address a meeting in the hall, and swarms of Negro people were crowded in there, in the terrific heat, and there were only two little windows to give fresh air. I met Negro doctors, lawyers, undertakers, people in all walks of life, and I was struck by their intelligence and life." A Charming; Hostess. Mrs. Darlow's hostess was a charming woman, who lived in a beautiful home, tastefully furnished. "I soon forgot that she had a black skin," Mrs. Darlow said, "and I kept on thinking what a pity it was that the races did not mix more, and get to see more from each other's point of view." % Although she had thought very little . about the conference after leaving it, Mrs. Darlow said that the impression she brought away with her was that 'there had been too many public meetings and not enough time given to roundtable discussions. "One of the chief subjects, Labour Standards, had an hour and a quarter's talk," she said. "Xotliing bears more closely on the causes of war than international labour standards, and yet we had so little time to discuss such a vital subject. I thought also that it was a that many of the delegates were afraid to speak their minds. They were very careful what they said—too careful. I thought the Japanese delegates were very clever." The Pan-Pacific Conference will be held in New Zealand in 2J years' time.