SOCIAL LIFE IN GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 202, 20 May 1908, Page 5

SOCIAL LIFE IN GERMANY

AN INTERESTING LECTURE. . Mrs. Tudor-Jones lectured in the Masonic Hall last evening on " Social. Lifo in Germany." The-room ivas comfortably filled. Mr. J. M. Richardson, who presided, apologised for the absence of Dr. JVM. Mason, ! who was to have presided, but was prevented by indisposition from leaving his home. '■ •.. . . In the course of her lecture, tho material from which was drawn largely from experi-ence,-gained during a residence of several years at the University of Jena, Mrs. Jones' referred to the . huge industry actively fostered by tho Government, and pointed out that Germany in industrial and commercial pursuits was really not much older than ■' New Zealand. Her three hundred years of interval 1 wis only closed 40 years ago. This should be remembered if one would realise the rapid strides made by Germany.. It had not. been all, gain. Some of the old picturesque historical cities had been, spoilt by industrialism. At others, like Jena, the new ■ industrial town-and the old historical town existed side' by side, though' quite: separate..

Social distinctions ; - were ' very . jealously guarded, ;and wealth. alone was no' passport to. society. The /number '..of, universities caused culture to be more widely diffused than was possible with us, and the educated settler could find congenial company even in the small towns. \

' . Training for the professions* was so long and. severe in Germany that professional men 'usually ' began their careers rather ; late, and ; married dateA There was, accordingly, vej-y ' ofton a great -'difference - between the ages . of . husband and wife in the professional . classes;, as a man usually made his . position first and married a young wife. The system ' .of . paying the doctors would probably not, anit New.Zealand medical men.. - The'patient .fixed the fee and sent it as a' New Year's A present;, with plenty of good wishes. 11 The. fee was supposed to bo proportionate to the . number of visits'paid.'. '' Tho working classes were not so comfortably off as in this country. Their wages ; .comparatively low, but they' were ex- . tremely 'thrifty, and one never saw ragged people, loafers, or unkempt children. Homo .seemed-to mean less'.to them .than to our' own people. They were fond of tho public -gardens, whore they.could go for refreshment

A; and"'entertainment. ■ Ono rarely saw. driinkAAenness theso-gardens, pr anj'where else, , i and this was largely due to the character ,of ; the national drink. . A Some ancient customs still survived' in '.the'.country districts: One of- tho strange •Void/harvest' customs-was for tho maid sor-, . vants ( of adjoining 'farms to "'run -races, . ' dressed' in:white bodices and short skirts. The'winner was considered' the belle of ■ the countryside for the ensuing year. Another ; old- .but ' still surviving harvest' custom was ..that masters and men changed places for one', day, the masters woi'king, and the men giving orders. . • Specially comnicndablo among; public in- ; Btitutions was tho post office. Letters within the''country required only a halfpenny post-. ■ age',' and postcards, about a farthing. Money ' A could, be sent conveniently by-paying-it in at v a; post-office, the postman delivering the amount in coin at the door of'tho recipient. 'Money seemed to_ buy more , than with lis,. ■ for-'the' coin; enujvalcnt to our penny was : divided, .into, ten parts, represented ■ by as / many, smaller coins, ono of which would purchase an article.

Duelling at the universities still survived, . in spite of attempts/to pU't' ; it down. Theo-; > logical students alone were not expected to fight, Lut the others regarded the scarfi' on/ - their faces as a great honour. Dangerous wounds wero',not;given in these- 1 duels, and cuts 1 on' the. face ' were their usual-'result. Fine points of-etiquette, such; as'not lifting one's hat quite high enough oil riiceting a lady, were frequent occasions of duels. But German politeness was not merely a matter of: oxcessivc The deference and courtesy among families in their own homes v was a charming featuro -in German life.' It' took up no time, but made the day 6Wcoter and moro beautiful. ... . •

.Mrs. Jones was, convinced that England i had much to l(»rn from Germany in educational methods, .both as regards technical and elementary instruction. German children wero taught to think, and their individ-uality-was brought out, instead of 'an attempt being- made to turn them out as much alike as a row of postage stamps. Examination df tho teeth arid cyos of school 'chil-dren-.was rogularly undertaken in Germany. There was a strong'prejudice against'wo.'mon taking part in public affairs. If a .woman spoke at a political meeting, the police . might the gathering at 'once. The Gorman women were splendid housewives, and they trained-thoir-daughters to follow in ■ their steps._ They had a calm; serene ideal of home-ljfe, and the-obedience of tho children to their parents was very remarkable, lasting until they were grown up. A vote. of thanks proposed by Mr. J. Gamniell was carried by acclamation.