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Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 124, 18 February 1933, Page 7

MODES OF THE MOMENT Passing Notes by Jane Wellington, February 17. Dear Mavis, — I received a most, stimulating letter from a young New Zealand salesman by the last mail. The members of his firm had been addressed by the general manager of “the most go-ahead company in Canada,” who had said: “If people generally followed our business methods there would be no time for so much talk about depression, and the whole country would be better off.” “Oh boy!” says the writer, “does! he fill you with enthusiasm? I’ll say so! After he had spoken I felt as if I could go out and sell; dozens of —s. However, I didn’t. A dud day. But it’s the finest organisation in the world, by gad, and I’m full of determination again to-day.” If, now, the heads of a Government could instill that spirit into the people of a country; the confidence, the admiration, what a difference we might find in the general outlook. Is it our fault, do you think, that they can’t. If we refrained from criticism and spent every ounce of energy on preserving order In our own affairs, refusing to entertain fear in any guise, and taking it for granted that readjustment is at hand, would it not give results a fairer chance? Is it possible, do you think, that a general backing-up of Government methods by people too busy with their own concerns to argue, might bring about a general settlement and a gradual return to normal? While the present ‘turmoil and the fear of the future is so tangible a state as to be called depression, what hope exists that any tree of experiment can bear aught but bitter fruit? I know the price of everything has gone, or is going, up. M ell, the storm is upon us, and we must battle through. We shall have all the work we can do and more than we’ve ever thought we had the capacity for, to get to the other shore. But it’s unthinkable that we shall not reach it. Of course ne shall. Bach doing his and her own particular bit. I’m no politician, as you mav judge, but I think wo might refrain from incessant grousing. By the bve, there is a very important development taking place in the matter of accent which you may or may not have noticed. It, was due, oil course. The wheel is always turning, and the rather mincing drawl we had grown accustomed to, the affected “good-bye” of the “retained” young person, is giving place to a drawl again, in which the vowels are rather overdone. The mouth is opened wi-i-de, and it would be difficult to tell a child the difference between the new accent and the twang that was so severely vetoed in poli-i-te socl-i-ety a decade ago, though, of course, it is there. It is very apparent among the younger film stars, and the Americans who have been learning to speak English. It is clearly discernible among young Wellin r ’tonians who have lately been abroad and have adapted themselves to their environment. New Zealanders have a marvellous facility for picking up little points of the mode. This new departure interests me immensely. It has come so quickly, and every week sees—or hears —a few more disciples to the new method. Are we going back to the accent of Shakespeare’s England? Will the “h” become extinct again, and) will the coster twang be heard in the drawing-rooms of Mayfair? It is certain that a definite reaction is upon us, and we must bear it as best we can. If instead of modelling themselves on film stars, the youth of the country would absorb the speeches of hiss Majesty the King, and the Prince of Wales through the medium of radio and gramophone, with a view to emulation, what a relief it would be. No accent, no affectation; but pure, straight-forward. English. A perfect medium for the conveyance of the practical common sense that invariably marks the utterances of English royalties. I meant to tell you that checks are fashionable (no; I won’t makei it!), and that all sorts of delightful little scarves and shoulder-capes are going to make the way of autumn renovations easy. But I’ll leave it till next week. Good-by-y-ee, my dear. Yours, JANB.