TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14306, 18 March 1912, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A recent visit to London Krupp's. of tho eldest daughter and heiress of tho late Horr Krupp called attention again to the size and ramifications of tho great business which she inherited. Tho Krupp concerns probably constitute, with the exception of Standard Oil. the largest business in tho world. Perhaps, if one had complete statistics, the American company would bo found to occupy second place. Frau Krupp yon Bohlen und Halbach owns Essen and its quar-

ter of a million inhabitants. Her direct employees there number 40,000, and she controls some hundreds of iron mines, coalfields in Westphalia, many quarries, and a fleet of steamers which bring her iron ore from Spain. There are 50 miles of railway insido tho Esson works, 100 miles of telegraph and 200 j miles of telephone wires. The tentacles j of the Krupp firm stretch across Europe, and its interests are worldwide. The intelligence department is so important that it is controlled by a general manager and ten assistants, each of whom has a special department of engineering to watch. There tho newspapers of the world are read, compared, sifted, and commented upon, and every month tho department issues a littlo newspaper of its own, "for private circulation," indicating all the new ideas, suggestions, and inventions in engineering, chemistry., physics, and the allied sciences. Tho workman who takes service with Krupp's has many advantages. The wage of the averago workman is low, but as against that there is an elaborate organisation for his well-being. Ho rents a model cottage from tho firm, or is lent the money to build one. Tho firm banks his savings up to £5000 and pays him 5 per cont. Tho firm runs a co-opera-tivo store, which supplies him with food and goods at very cheap rates, and pays him an annual dividend. Tho firm provides him with doctor, hospital, medicine, a club, a fencing master, a library, concerts, schools, and tho means for Qutdoor recreation; the firm, in fact, orders his ontiro existence. Ho has all tho moderate comforts and conveniences of life, but few of its liberties. " One might as well bo in a barrack yard as in Krapo's" 6ays a London paper. Even tho number of glasses of beer a man drinks is reported upon, the inference for undue lavishness being that ho is obtaining money from somo suspicious source. This vast organisation began a hundred years ago Avith a village blacksmith. The special correspondent Singers of tho "Sydney Daily Telein graph" declares the poptilar London, idea that London offers a premium to artistic talent to be erroneous. It is true J he anys, that London provides a vast field for practically every department of human endeavour, but on tho other hand tho avenues to success are choked bj' many hundreds of eager applicants, clamouring for recognition of their abilities. The Australian coming to London is ■hampered often by Jack of influence, nnd has to contend against tho English habit of remaining faithful to its idols oven unto tho second and third generations of stage folk. An Australian lady who was impressed by tho extent of the field for singers in London, declared on her return: "There is concert work in London every day and every night. Anyone who has a voice can get on." The first sentence is true, but tho second needs qualification. During tho season there are certainly engagements to bo had, but an Australian of ability must bo prepared to put in two or three years making herself known in concert circles before her fees will bo sufficient to meet her expenses. If she has made a considerable colonial reputation, or is under the patronage of a. big singer, tho period may bo shortened considerably, but it can never be dispensed with. In tho majority of cases her living expenses will amount to £300 beforo she can keep herself by her voico. Nearly all tho arrangements for concerts in London are in tho hands of agents, who select the singers, fix their remunerations, and make all preparations. These men tako no .notice of Press cuttings, and have not time to hear voices. It is no part of their business to ''discover" new voices. All they can suggest is that they will arrange, a concert in tho Bechstein or Steinway Hall, at a cost of £50 or £60. which will be attended by tho critics, and will advertise the singer. Lower down the j scale are to bo found concert agents, j who chargo new singers a fee of £15 I or £20 for allowing them to appear at I a big concert. And tho singer must J have a fair voico beforo she will bo allowed to appear, as tho agent could not afford to let a poor performer spoil his concert. Then there aro other agents who do not charge a fee, but stipulate instead that the singer shall sell tickets to a certain valuo. Singing at private nnd semi-private functions provides a big field, but it, too, is overcrowded badly. Chorus work is seldom acceptable to the girl who aspires to concert work, and the music-halls want only singers of tho song and danco sort. Apparently ability and training must bo backed by patience, perseverance, and somo capital, if a singer is to succeed in the metropolis.