SIMPLER TEAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20519, 21 March 1930, Page 16

SIMPLER TEAS.

Sir, —A paragraph appearing on Friday last gave us the views of the Plunket Society's president, on behalf of Mrs. St. Clair Brown, ra simpler fare at social gatherings. A perusal of this paragraph opens in our jninds several avennes of .speculation. May I crave your indulgence to ventilate a little of them? Firstly, - then, the proposal appears to be on the right track, but to stop * short of the logical conclusions, whether thinking backward or forward. Popular convention anent the raising funds for charitable purposes generally takes the form of social gatherings or teas, and we are to presume that the hostess and her guests in these ■cases are, without exception, actuated by an altruistic-, sense of duty nobly performed. But it would seem to lack consistent philosophy—this view of duty. Our hostess and guests are presumably friends. Then why costly or cheap gatherings at all ? It is proposed ,to hava simple fare, as a consequence Of which 5s weekly would benefit some fund. Would the "self-sacrifice" be too heavy if this pandering to the "inner-man" were dropped altogether ? In other words, a more logical ending to this very worthy reasoning seems to be, by all means have your social gatherings, bat instead of indulging in "victuals" indulge in gossip or bridge unadorned, and deliver the whole of the saving to a central fund, proving thereby that the feeling is one of real charity, on your part, and not merely a result of an afternoon's pleasure. However, we must "bear in mind withal that the proposal may prove to be a twoedqed sword—the dropping of cream puifu and other goodies will possibly prove an added burden upon the struggling caterer* whose very livelihood depends upon the spoliation of digestive organs—and one mav inquire—what of the medical fraternity' one of whom has already cried out to mo lor help 011 this subject. With the "back to simpler fare" movement, what is to become of those small but regular cheques from social afternoon habitues, who relied upon their local practitioner to get their digestive organs \vell again after each orgy of cream puffs ? LizajiK.