CHOCOLATES FOR MADAM

NZ Truth, Issue 1200, 29 November 1928, Page 17

CHOCOLATES FOR MADAM

Sweets For The Sweet Young Thing In Town Hundreds of boxes of chocolates, some with pretty ladies enjoying the air on their covers, others more solemn, but still imposing—are displayed temptingly m glass-cases around the entrance hall of Cadbury's /Wellington depot.

TUST as the caller has carefully J selected her box, a be*l rings, a door opens, and a clerk announces: "Mr. Sara will see you'now, madam." The call is paid m reference to that recently-published cablegram which announces that Milady musn't blame her superfluous . inches— or yards — of girth on past sins m the chocolateeating direction. So it's just as well to know, once and for all, whether we can really renew acquaintanceship with our old friends, whilst yet keeping that lamp -post look so popular m the best circles. "It's true enough," 1 says Mr. Sara, "chocolate — good chocolate— can't make superfluous flesh. It's nutritive, certainly, but" it's a health food, and no healthy person , can be over- fat. So I don't think the chocolate-fiend need worry much. "Here m Kew Zealand, you know, what makes the confectioner tear his hair is the fact that people's palates aren't educated to differentiate between fine and coarse qualities of food., We don't suffer alone. Wine, to the'average Colonial.' is just , wine. / "A cigarette is merely a smoke, and a chocolate is just a chocolate. Very little recognition is given to the varying degrees of skill shown m flavorblending. Still, we are by no means despondent. Give us time, and we'll teach the Colonial palate to know a good chocolate when it tastes one. "Another point m which New Zealand is a sinful place; I can't understand why', out. here, people, beautifully dressed, ride m cars to the best seats the theatre can provide; and eat sweets out of a . bag. They do. I've, seen them— and the theatre hears them. "Don't you think there's something: milch more attractive and dainty about the old custom of giving your theatrepartner a box of cihocolatas, than tnere is m; the, ne'r;Mea of delving noisily into, a paper bag? : ' - "Chocolates, of course, are part of the ■ days of courtliness. When we think of the fbrmMn which they first became popular, the liquid chocdlate. drunk . from little handleless cups of

fine porcelain by ladies "with fans and mantillas^ — we realize that there's a sort of romance about them. "They are uimost the sole survivors of the gifts which gallants used to make to pretty girls; valentines disappeared; flowers, before a dance or a theatre expedition, are no longer regarded as part of the white man's burden; and if chocolates, too. lose their old-time popularity, we'll be reduced to 1 a state of being m which man thinks he has done his bit when tie pays a lady's bus fare and offers her a cijrarette. "Still, all. this is unduly pessimistic, and chocolate still piays a wonderful part, not only m the social world, but m that of sport. You would be surprised if you knew how many of your fishermen, before they start off for the wilds of Lake Taupo, pack up a good stock of plain chocolate m tneir kits. It's easy to carry and doesn't take any preparation, and yet it has invaluable properties of nutriment. "You may be interested to know that Commander Byrd has O.K.'d our chocolate to the extent of purchasing a large quantity of it for use on his South Pole expedition. "We have no New Zealand factory, as yet — that may come. But m Bournville. Cadbury's 'factory m a garden,' conditions are practically ideal. Every bit of our chocolate that you eat has been prepared by girls who live m happy . surroundings — who are taught to swim m our own baths, given trips abroad by our own social clubs, and educated, up to the age of eighteen or nineteen, m our^ own schools.