CHAUTAUQUA.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1510, 9 March 1920, Page 4

CHAUTAUQUA.

ZEDELER ORCHESTRA AND JUDGE ALDEN. The large attendances at yesterday's sessions of Chautauqua bore'amile testimony to its growing popularity in Palmerston North. Patrons yesterday were enthusiastic at the rare quality of the fare. The programmes were distinguished by the remarkable orchestral playing of the Zedeler Symphonic Quintette and the interpretations of the most popular selections from well-known masters, held the audience entranced. The party comprise Mr Nicolai Zedeler. 'cellist and director; Miriam Zedeler (pianiste), Salvador Sala (first violin), H. Parsons fsecond violin), and Miss Helen Portuno (organist and soprano soloist,. The inclusion 'of an organ in fyho quintette gave a beautiful symphonic effect, and added materially to the enjoyment of the programme.* The Zedelers handled, wirh rare ability, many difficult compositions from various operas, and the result was a musical triumph., The singing of Miss Portune was delightful. ; ' THE POWDER AND THE MATCH." Judge Aldcn delivered his final lecture at the evening session. Thb said that although the lecture was? under the heading. " The Powder and the Match," a more fitting-title, to his mind, would be " The Health of the Nation." Right throughout his address he introduced many jokes and humourous stories which aided in illustrating his meaning ami his delioate handling of a portion of his subject —touching on the question of sex in its application to the education of the young —deeply impressed his hearers. Judge Alden split up his discourse under four sub-headings: "Man." •'The Home," "The Town," and "The Commonwealth." Referring, first!v, to the subject of man, he dwelt on the necessity for the study of history. He said it was essential to have a knowledge of what had happened in computing what was likely to happen. It could not be disputed that indifference was ever the powder to which the, match of revolution had been applied. The Judge said he held great sorrow for the ignorant, for uneducated man, not onlv because of the selfdetrimental effect, but also for the fact that he blocked the way for so many others. Education, he pointed out. was the result of thinking and of developing one's own powers. " Some of the bigcrest fools I have ever met were men who had University decrees." It was what went through .you that counted, and not what you went through, he remarked. " lam going to apply the match of truth to the powder of conventionalism," said the Judge, when touching on the subject of home. The sex question, especially in his country, had been so discussed and commercialised that' he felt like apologising for it. Plays were appearing which should never be allowed to be staged. Problem novels were being published that should be debarred publication, and pictures were being screened on the plea that they were for the enlightenment of mankind, that served no purpose but to arouse the passions and coin money for the producers. He hoped the time would come when we here would have local boards of censors. He dared to speak plainly on these matters for the reason he was new-fashioned enough to believe in outspokenness, but at the same time he was old-fashioned enough to believe in decency. Coming to the married stp.te, he said that the design of the Almighty was that men and women should marry and havo children, yet this was a which was forbidden to be spoken of —a question which the public had no right to discuss—so it was often said. " T say they have every right to discuss it." said the Ji?dgo emphatically. To-day we were paving a terrible price for our prudery, and he made a strong appeal to parents to confide in their children; to eneo.itage them to talk on these subjects. | which at present they forbade them to I mention, with trie result fhat fhey "be-

came possessed of ideas and faulty information from filthy sources, and from •he lips of lust instead of from the lips of love. TMe most important of all points in. the progress of a nation was the building up of its manhood. There rmist be equality of morality for both The audience accorded Judge .Alden three hearty cheers at tho conclusion of his telling address. To-day's programme provides for concerts, in both sessions, by tho famous Zedeler orchestra. This afternoon Mr M. C. Reed will lecture on " The New Era in Civilisation," and this evening " The Value of a Vision.''