As I Hear... From Corridors And Galleries

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31500, 14 October 1967, Page 22

As I Hear... From Corridors And Galleries

(Specially abrtttse for "The trott" b*

J.H.E.S.

Two «r three days before the referendum bn 10 o’clock closing I met on Lambton Quay two journalists of long experience, especially political experience. Both had for many years been members of the Press Gallery., They had just come down from Parliament Buildings, where they had been renewing their youth Ito , testing the opinions of members. Theft word Was have thought, they nbw agreed. No chance. But we all know what happened; This little encounter and the sequel impressed on me viction that! ponticiuiß are issa-asireA'S public opinion, which is as if one worn tb spy that swimmers drift know the temperature, brMSgato,.tad Currents of the „W»ftt’;<|h»:-.'SWim in. But thefie jjpbjßfbrence: for the nnfflmwy bwfms too often swasffis* SWWSfttS&S in common ocmmunleatlon with those Who think as they do and ire as easily moved to wishful tWe*[ine TSiey .make public MBilfijkßWitfe »*• SLamßxaS SfiAW. S K that they learn a form of comtheir qhdosure? Is it any wonder that wfansome uncommon public demonstration iSKSS . * ■ ♦ V♦ , I Prcsr’a reripe* for marrow mwsssaa’E fa 4 that the treatdtat Wi to dimmer in a pot I had always beloved that the preferred, if Mi the invariable, ttWttmMt .fMMvs. in cast anynpn' is simpler famous Boodle’s Club in London).

"Pepper nd salt the braes well, spread a little butter on them to moisten them. Place oh a gridiron over a clear fire or on a gas or electric grill; turn them over two or three times until they are done. Pour over them Ihe broil sauce. “Ingredients: Worcester sauce, common vinegar, made mustard, butter. "Measure equal portions of the sauce and vinegar and half one portion of made mustard. . Mix well. Add a little bit of butter. Make all very hot and pour over the broiled braes.” ♦ • ♦ Recently I Saw in the National Gallery a remarkably good exhibition of pottery. Where there Was so much to admire in design, decorative and functional, in variety of technical treatment, and in finish, it seems a little ungenerous to cavil; but many exhibits had the same fault. They used pot-

tery for unsuitable purposes. For example, nobody will choose, being in his right senses, to drink sherry or any other wine out of squat little pots. You cannot see the colour. But the exhibition was full of sets of these pots and of wine jars to go with them. If you decant your wine, surely you will choose a dear decanter or claret jug, which displays the colour and sheds on the doth thraa charming golden or red reflections from the light —tad which, it hardy needs to be said, shows how much la left, For another example, many sets of jars to hold spices and herbs were exhibited, all labelled and all closed by large corks. In all sets, larger or smaller, the jars were evenly sired. Now this uniformity in rise is not useful. Nobody wants to store the same quantities of, say, paprika, nutmeg, mace, and so on. As for the large corks, they are not dose enough; and if you force them in, presently the edges will begin to break away as you withdraw them. I came a few days ago on a copy of “10 Years of Pottery in New Zealand,” a special mien Mason. Primarily this J 8 a summary of lb years’ exhibitions, culminating in Gsrutehureh; and there the coincidence was extended by mv finding an extract from

Professor John Simpson's critical notice. “If this exhibition can be regarded u revealing national strengths and weaknesses,” he said, “then the lack of proper concern for the primacy of function gives me the greatest concern. So many Of the exhibits just didn’t Work, perhaps were not intended for use, will never be used; pitchers which couldn’t pour, lids which served only to annoy, mugs and cups with coarse and rqugh'lips, the list was endless and dispiriting.” He closed: "I do hope my remarks Will not offend of hurt” Nor mine, either. The potters are doing wonders. WWW It cheered me during the week to read the announcement of the Minister of Broadcasting (Mr AdamsSchneider) that N.Z.B.C. hai been authorised to go ahear on the television studios at Avalon in the Hutt. This project was initiated in 1961; and In the six years since, N.Z.B.C. has continued to run television from all sorts of made - over, reconstructed buildings, in only one of which, formerly the seat of IYA in Shortland Street, was it possible to approximate a television studio and associated accommodation and equipment. Although the facts have been known and have been publicised—l think too modestly—by N.Z.B.C. during those years, this has not spared it sharp questions and ignorant protests from critical viewers and viewercritics, who have been slow to learn some elementary truths. Why has N.Z.B.C. not produced more studio shows? Why have too many of its productions been technically faulty and weak in scale and design? The answers spring from physical causes. If the production studio is not large enough, not designed for the demand of major shows, and not fully equipped for them, choice is restricted; and some that are chosen will have to be produced under damaging pressure of restrictions of all sorts. That is all there is to it and all there has been. N.Z-B-C, Is much less to be blamed for what it has failed to do or done not very well, sfall we say, than praised for a continuing struggle against i wart-breaking conditions and for the successes that have emerged from it