RADIO IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20917, 6 January 1930, Page 11

RADIO IN NEW ZEALAND.

A TALK FROM THE LONDON STUDIO. (From Oub Own Cobbespondent.) LONDON, November 26. Bridging the Gap—Radio m New Zealand was the title of a talk given by Mrs M Primmer from the British Broadcasting Corporation's studio last Friday evening. Mrs Pimmer was " Aunt Diana " of 4YA in New Zealand in 1026, so she came with experience to the microphone. The title of the talk was rather misleading, for in the 15 minutes allotted to her Mrs Primmer covered a very wide range of subjects relating to the Dominion, and reserved the last Lhiee minutes to the question of wireless. The whole talk was a bright, clever, and compelling piece of work This is how she began:— „ " New Zealand," I hear you murmur. Let me see, isn't that the country that has earthquakes and boiling mud . . . and, oh yes, the Natives are called Maoris" . . . please this word should rhyme with "cowries," and' is not three syllables . . and then you continue, "I remember hearing that at the landing of Galhpoli these Natives nearly frightened the wits out of the poor Turks." As a matter of fact, if you saw a haka, as the Native dance is called, you could understand the feelings of the Turks. Tongues waggle from nose to chin and cheek to cheek arms and legs are thrown about, and the whole body quivers with excitement. Add to this spasmodic yells, and there you are. Well, I can forgive you knowing even less than this. "When I knew that I was to go to what we fondly call " God's Own Country " (only there seem to be so many of them all over the world), all the information I got was "a very wet country,"' no, not in the double sense, please! From maps I made up my mind that I could have week-ends in Australia and a foitnight or so in Japan, As a matter of fact, even with fast steamers, it takes four days at least to Australia, and six weeks to Japan. From the north to the south of itself is three days by boat and rail, not counting outlying districts that are etill unopened. . HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS. Passing on to social matters, she told several stories to explain the democratic atmosphere of New Zealand. Shall I ever forget in a boarding house, she said, the dreadful silence that followed my innocent query about the then New Zealand Government failing in a few days . . . but how on earth was I- to know that my neighbour was actually a Minister in power? I had "never in the British Isles found that Cabinet Ministers, M.P/8, judges, and other big-wigs lived with ordinary mortals at so much per week. You grumble a,t your plumber on Friday, and on Saturday run up against him spending the week-end at his country house, car and all complete. Your charwoman cheerfully pockets your 12s a day, and sits next to you in expensive theatre seats. All this sort of thing makes' us friendly, and a newcomer in a township is liable to be called on by all and sundry. I do think we act up to " Jack is as good as his master." Your servant, if you can afford to pay the 25s a week and have one, is, I expect, a good deal richer than you, but she wants to leave -home for a change. She has pretty well all her evenings out, and is a person of great importance. One of my earliest used, as she went off in the afternoon, to wave and call "Ta. ta, see you later." The school system, the upside-downness of seasons and other things, the Christmas season, picnicking and camping, roads and cars, and finally the influence of the wireless on home life were the other subjects touched upon in a bright and instructive talk to the people of the British Isles.