NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21925, 8 October 1934, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

LINKS OF EMPIRE All the King's sons are following tlie example set by their father in seeking by personal contact' to extend their knowledge of the countries and the peoples which make up the .British Commonwealth, says the Times in an editorial article upon the tour of the Duke of Gloucester. His Majesty is King not only of Great Britain and Ireland, but also of the British Dominions beyond tho seas. The Royal Family by right of birth belongs as much to Australia and to New Zealand as to Great Britain. As other formal bonds have dissolved with the growth of the Dominions to independent nationhood, the link of the common allegiance to the Crown has become of ever more vital importance. It is far more than a symbol of' .the underlying unity which binds together what foreign observers are often tempted i;o regard as a mere haphazard congeries of independent and semi-independent units differing in their origins and in their constitutional development. The deep feeling of loyalty to the Crown and to the King's person is a potent forcti binding together all British subjects, no matter in what part of the Empire they may live or under what form of government they may administer their affairs. Visits such as the Duke of Gloucester has now set out to make do lasting good in strengthening this feeling by personal contact, to say nothing of the pleasure which they give in the countries visited. TRADE UNION OBJECTIVES The position of trade unionism in the modern industrial world was dis--1 cussed at the International Metal Workers' Congress held in London. Mr. Conrad Ug (Switzerland) said that in 1911 the biggest strike that had ever taken place among colliery workers occurred in England, and when Parliament 6aw that the deadlock was complete they stepped in and saved a crisis by the introduction of a minimum wage in the mines. This was a striking example of the need for political action combined with trade union action. The fundamental trade union objectives could be attained only when trade union action was equally combined with Parliamentary and statutory legislation. The part the trade unions had to play in regard to socialisation and planning was aa much political as economic. An appeal to the congress to exercise its power for tho prevention of war was made by Mr. R. Dennison, on behalf of the British delegates. "This congress," he said, "represents 700,000 metal workers. I am not agitating for a general strike, which is usually a general nuisance, but an understanding among the metal workers of Europe will make statesmen —Hitler, Mussolini, or anyone else —sit up and take notice thai we are determined on this question. 1 would suggest that this great congress ought to make up its mind that the moment war is likely to be upon- us a congress should be called in order that we might declare to the world that those who are the aggressors will suffer for their action, and so far as we metal workers are concerned we shall take into account whether we shall make munitions for anyone under the sun. : " RADIO RELIGION Dr. J. H. R. Dixon, organist at Lancaster Roman Catholic Cathedral, speaking on the broadcasting of church services, said the soul's highest aspiration, which was prayer, could not be broadcast, though the words of prayer might be spoken into a microphone. God was not to be regarded as listening to the loud-speaker. One could not imagine Him as a humble eavesdropper, curious to hear what a speaker said on the microphone. Prayer was one of the least suitable subjects for broadcasting. Preces and responses were also unsuitable, unless all ideas of sincerity were disregarded. Unless a choir had exceptional ability, unaccompanied choral singing should not be broadcast, because the microphone showed up unexpected blemishes in this. He thought Scripture readings were an overdone feature, which might be cut down. They had little to do with real worship. Talks and sermons should have more instruction and encouragement than the cold and neutral spirit of benevolence with which 8.8.C.. religion seemed to have identified itself. He would like to see given every Sunday a broadcast by each of the principal religious bodies in the country in place oj: the present unbalanced scheme. Unitarians, Jews, the Greek Orthodox believers and Sweden-borgians might be given an occasional broadcast. A broadcast service could not be regarded as a substitute for the real thing, and passive 8.8.C. broadcast religion would empty churches, just as passive listen-ing-in had emptied concert halls and teaching studios. ART OF SELLING A paper on the art of selling was read by Mr. C. R. B. Chiesman, of London, at the summer school of tho Drapers' Chamber of Trade of the United Kingdom, held at Balliol College, Oxford. It was necessary, ho said, to make the staff part of the completed machinery of the store and not merely a piece of a cogwheel. The first qualification of the salesman was tha study of human nature —to be able to know either by a glance or from conversation the type of customer that had to be dealt with. The aim should be not to foist goods on a customer or necessarily to endeavour that the highest priced range should bo bought, but rather to supply a customer's wants with the utmost expedition, courtesy and satisfaction. It might bo advisable to emphasise tho mistake of endeavouring to create additional sales by importuning the customer to buy more than was actually required, or for which there was no immediate use, which resulted in indignation and a' resolve not to return.. A satisfied customer was the best adjunct a store could possess, and the initial reception of a customer was of paramount importance. Service included a desire to offer that little something which, in all probability, was neither expected nor paid for. General lay-out and display were of great importance. The public would much prefer to buy fish from a cool, white slab than from a wooden plank of dubious colour. When a salesman wrote, it was perhaps considered) clever to continue the old-time business letter, containing stereotyi>cd phrases, giving an impression of efficiency. But. I that created a cool and distant atmosphere with the customer. Such phrases as "re yours of tho 25th ultimo," "adverting to your letter," and "yours to hand," should be relegated to the past, and replaced, by language nearer the real intention of the letterwriter.