"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 75

"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY.

May 3. The coming of May usher«J» don season proper, and J«* JSJ country has decked itself out in its most gorgeou, apparel people come J***™ The woods- tocr i»m» aaii The more than usually this yean The yellow of mimosa is banked by the blac and the whit* and red <* with the blue rial, of the bluebells spread ing round the trunks of &° are nothing else world. ManJ*]"? free to enjoy the countxy in town, e/cept for the week-ends winie the great majority wonders of the country by their duties in the city. Yet even here the sp m t ot spring fhas penetrated ;jthe rtr eeta arj flooded with sunshine, the shop * * . are gay with colour, and in £ e £*""£ chestnuts and the birds are singing of men j °?he spirit of the season is felt and seen in the gr« afc popping centres, aU the concerted* length from P to Ox ford street is alive with traffic, jju street, perhaps, surpa.<*ee aH*the» ateeeta for life a«d JJM* make seems to go to Bond sweet,, ei L "~ . purchases'or to watch **" ftjUJ A solid block of motor bne Jhe kerb This year the <**££ffi even more packed usual. £" ; b nationalities the French and American axe •most frequently encountered among -vu well-dressed, smiling throng. »f*J™ in the morning^ J £-**; n rm t g ill 2 as Hv"e Park is from J till 6 in Then eon». the from opera, dinner, theatre to supper ana dance, under the clear night sky With snrine vegetables in April and -May atThTfaS prices of luxuries, the housekeener who has been harassed all winter 52V m of dear ooal and other commoditics is inclined to say "If it isn't one thing, it £ «WJ,' Nothing is growing for want of m There will be no early peas. The seeds in the ground cannot germinate foi want of moJure. The drought is caling the attention of the housekeeper to herbs and rdants which in times of abundant gieen S areoverlooked/ The tender Wee of the dandelion replace the scarce lettuce for salads, and the young green nettle, which many compare apmach are used for vegetables. Sumach is at pre St M per lb, and quite small cauliflowers are 6d each, and for a very humble cabbTpartlroamed the drought which a d elu P ge of rain may is hoped, will S and commerciallv are good. „.,*--> The week-end ©ut-oi-town . cu*«o«., which has been steadily growing of late vears, and which releases the social and political and business world from pressing engagements for a health-giving respite haS been recognised by the King and Queen as the trend of to-day. •Whereas in King Edward's time most of the Court functions, drawing rooms, balls, and banquets were arranged for Friday nights, the present Court officially adjourns from Friday till Monday whenever this is possible * The last two Courts of this season, to be held before Whitsuntide, are to be held on a Tuesday in one week and on a Monday the next. With the legal coming of age of the Prince of Wales on June 23, when he will be 18 years of age, there will be some changes in the etiquette of the Court. His Hoval Hierhness's Household will be established at Buckingham Palace, and other palaces, in such a way that there will be no confusion between the two households. The Prince's revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall will be duly administered, and private accounts kept separate from the King's Household. But although his Royal Highness will have separate apartments for his own entourage and personal friends on occasions, he will still be one of the Household of his father and mother in the ordinary way. The Prince will return from Paris and his studies of French history for his birthday, and it 13 anticipated -that one of his first public acts after attaining his legal majority will be to make his appearance in the House of Lords. Then comes the university. The spring meeting at NewmaTket was honoured on the ooenine day by the presence of his Majesty, who motored down, accompanied by three members of his suite. In the evening the King honoured Sir Earnest Cassel by dining at Moulton Paddocks. The day was delightful, and there was a large attendance each day, and yet not so large-as in recent previous years, the house parties, not being so numerous as last season. The. new tenor at Covent Garden is the latest sensation in musical circles, or, to be more correct, one of them, for another irreat tenor was introduced to London by Mr Hammerstein tin's week at the London Opera House. Signor Giovanni Martinelli. who has been hailed at Covent Garden as a tenor as fine as any that hns made his appearance : here for s'.me years, is 25 years of age, and was born at Montagnana, in the Province of Venezia, Italy, of poor parents. He always had ft passion for music, and when not working spent every moment -playing the clarionet. At 21 h© went into the army for military service, ./md played the clarionet for the regimental band. One day the conductor heard him singing, and iold him he had a valuable voice, and when his time of service was up, introduced him to musicians at Milan, and

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arrangements were made for him to bo taught. He is now under engagement with his patrons to pay them a percentage of his earnings for 10 years. He studied for 18 months with Professor Mandolini at Milan, and made his debut at Milan hi Verdi's "ISaum? 1 *»en appeared at Rome last summer in "The Girl of the Golden West.'"' Signor Majrt-ioelh » rejoiced at his success in London, which on every appearance is more pronounced. In "La Tosca" he ravished the house, and the calls at the end of each act lasted some minutes. Mr Hammerstein's new singer at the Loridfon Opera Houxw, Signor Geimaro de Tura, made his success in Verdi s "Trovatore." His voice is «lefl-*rit>>3 as a tremendous tenor, which rings out the notes in triumphant assurance. At the London Opera House oi.e afternoon this week a girl-singer came under the special notice of the King and Queen. The occasion was the matinee given in aid of the League of Mercy, under Royal patronage, and the beautiful Opera House at Kingnway was crowded wita a <ast audience. Besides their Majesties, were present the Prince and Princess Alexandra of- Teck, Princess Victoria, and Princess Marie Louise of Schkswig-Hol-stein, Dora, Countess of Chef.te.rHls, and the Earl of Chesterfield. 1 .ie had been selected in view of ohe Royal v h.i. A recitation by Mr George Alexander wa s by the 6cene of Wokey's fall, from "Henry VIII," with Sir Herbert Tree appearing as the Cardinal. One item was a song by a little girl, Stella Carol, who has evidently a career before her. She sang as blithely as a bird. T.Se Queen was told how one uitrbt Madame Amy Sherwih heard the girl singing a Christmas carol in the streets. She sent for the child, and decided to train her. After her song the girl was taken to the Royal box and congratulated by the Queen. During the afternoon the Queen also sent for the new singer from America, Miss Felice Lyne, who is appearing at the London Opera House, and congratulated, her on her voice. The appeal to' the women of England for the widows and orphans of the Titanic disaster has been nobly responded to, over £44,003 having been subscribed within two weeks. £IOOO hos been contributed by soldiers and friends of the Salvation by soldiers and friends of the Salvation Army at the special memorial services which have been held all over the country. With the cheque, Mr Bramwell Booth sent the following letter : —"Our people have given this money out of their need and often out of their deep poverty, but what has touched me most about it is that I believe every shilling has been accompanied bv prayer and faith and tender solicitude of those who have suffered. I believe God will hear those prayers. ! ' But generous as are the gifts, much more money is liecutu iur aafeUlig |UetH?ut>, {iSld UWJiUV women ' who have not the command of money are sending jewels, pictures, lace, and other valuables to be sold for the benefit of the fund. Most painful and dramatic scenes were witnessed at Southampton when ths train arrived, bearing those men who'were saved from the Titanic home to their wives and mothers and sweethearts —too few, alas! Some of the women who had hoped against hope, cried "Oh God ! he is not here," and some who hud despaired were delirious with joy at reunion. Elaborate precautions had been taken bv the Board of Trade and the White Star Line to' detain the men who returned by the liner Lapland at Plymouth until their ■ evidence was given at the inquiry. But the men refused to be kept prisoners, and a special train took, the majority to Southampton, where relatives and friends gave them a loving welcome home. Women's Trades which sSen Have Monopolised. The invasion by women of men's sphere of work is no new story. Every year more and more trades and occupations find places for women, who, if they do not respresent actual rivals in all positions, at least compete with men in the lower branches. At the same time —as the North American, Philadephia, points out —invasions have not been only on one side. Men have also outed women from trades which at one time were their own prerogative. Bee-keeping is quoted as representing one of the occupations where men of late years have slowly shouldered women out of the field. Formerly women were sunnosed, according to some occult reasons, to be in active sympathy with the honey-maker and her home, and to succeed in making an industry out of their hive? which was nothing if not lucrative. Nowadays it seemes that out of 1375 bee-keepers only 51 are women.

Women were formerly responsible for all the bread baked in the country. Today men bakers predominate. Men confectioners outnumber women. There are about 50 men to every two women in the same trade. Curiously enough, there seems to be a large number of men housekeepers in the United- States, although it is explained that these domestic workers trade under the name ot "steward." In the dressmaking field, men often succeed where women only make a partial success, and some of the largest fortunes are made in this way. Out of 350,000 dressmakers, a little over 2000 of these are men, while there are a fair number of men milliners.

Women at one time used to have the monoply of Tunning a boarding-house. When a man undertook hostelry as a trade, his establishment went by the dignified name of a hotel, and was run on a

much more ambitious scale than the modest boarding-house. To-day the proprietor of the latter is very frequently a man, while the difficulty of securing maids to work in these lodging-houses is resulting in the recruiting of a small army of "house-men," who take the place of the chambermaid.—Evening Standard.