The Chautauqua.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 64, 21 August 1919, Page 5

The Chautauqua.

PROSPECTIVE VISIT TO MILTON. Miss Hiiraea, an American lady, arrived in Milton on Monday, for the pur* pose of organising for Chautauqua. Probably this latter name is not familiar to local readers, but Miss Hames assured our reporter that it was not the name of a patent medicine nor a new automobile. It is simply tho name of a big movement that started in America some twenty-five years ago, and is now spreading to other parts of tho English ?peakuig wor.d. Chautauqua is an American Indian word, somewhat hard to say at first and also nther difficult to define as applied to the movement which it reprerents. The momboi-s of Chautauqua have as one of their main objects tho briogiog of the highest forms of entertainment inco the lives of the people who ordinarily would never know, that such things existed. They send entortainers and lecturers into I the email towns and give them some« | thing to divert their minds and broaden their outlook. These people are not cranks who have launched out on a campaign to save the world from evil, for such folks, however well-meaning, usually have some difficulty in making themselves popular with the average man. They do not preach or tell the workers of the world that they should read books they do not oare about or listen to music which they do not understand. The Chautauqua is merely out to give the people the best in the way of entertainment in the rnoßt simple manner and at the lowest price. Such nltruism is porhaps hard to understand in these mercenary times, but nevertheless it exists, and for many years tho Chautauqua has been bringing into the lives of the Americans the best of music, literature and thought. The concert parties sent out include singers from grand opera, musicians of international repute and learned men from the college! and universities who can talk to the mm in tbc street and open his mind to larger things without tho listener being aware that ho is being spoken to by a " superior per son."

Tho Chautauqua made its first appear •» anco in New Zealand at the beginning of this year, commencing at Auckland and working right through the smaller towns to Wellington and has been cordially received in over fifty towns. The North Island people have been loud in their praise of the American visitors and Miss Hameß is confident that when the idea of the movement has been fully grasped it will be equally as successful in the South Island. The company that toured the north has now returned to America, but a new company will be coming across early in the new yoar to visit tho South Island, and it is with the object of interesting local people and gaining their support that Miss Hames is in Milton. Miss Hames wishes it to bo understood hat the Chautauqua is not " an American money-making venture," and if there are any profits from the visit they 1 will not be taken out of New Zealand but will bo handed to tin Government for use in furthering the movemeoti Any loss will be paid out of tho American fund. The compaay to visit the South Island early next year is comprised of about thirty artists and includes Mary Adele Hayes, from the Metropolian Graud Opera, New York, the Zedeler concert company, a string orchestra from Stockholm, Sweden, and Judge Alden, of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, la humorist and philosopher who has been remarkably popular in his lecturing tour. It is hoped that the local citizens will form a ttrong committee to assist the producton of the entertainment here and also to form an organisation to maintain the iuteres'iß in the Chautauqua, for it is the intention to Bend other companies to Ne v Zealand in the future. Mirfs Hames, who is at present stay ing at tho Commercial Boarding-house haa j jst ccmpli ted organl i.'g in Ohristchuah aud. the smaller centres in North Cont' rbury including K'uapoi ar.d Rangiora, where cemmitteio have been set up in anticipation of the prospective vLit.