TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 25343, 23 July 1935, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Grand Onera and C'nema. At Covent Garden early in June an American onera singer made her first annearance before a London audience. It has sometimes been h'nted, says The Timos, that Covent Garden knows too much about foreign opera singers and too little about English opera singers; but it was by no means only Covent Garden, nor the regular patrons of Govent Garden, that knew about Miss Grace Moore. She had al readv. here as in other countries, a vast public of her own. And it was not tp grand opera that she owed it. It was to the cinema. Signs have not been wanting that Govent Garden is going to reap some of the fruit of her fame. Myriads have heard Miss Moore’s voice “canned”: the eagerness to hear it fresh probably exceeds that aroused by any other singer new to the operatic stage in London. If grand opera is indebted to the screen for Miss Moore’s popularity, the screen is indebted to grand opera for Miss Moore’s quality. By engaging her as prima donna for the climax of its season Govent Garden does the fair thing in giving Miss Moore the chance of proving that she is not a “film star” exalted into grand opera but an opera singer who has adventured with triumph into the films. The position is new and rather amusing. Two forms of art not usually very matey are found doing each other a good turn, the cinema getting the uplift and grand opera the publicity; and a lady of conspicuous ability sees each of her two kinds of achievement acting as advertisement agent for the other. Britain’s Achievement. In his first public speech after he became Prime Minister of Britain for the third time, Mr Stanley Baldwin spoke of the notable achievement that, in the critical years since 1930, alone among the democratic nations Britain had achieved stability. Democratic stability was no easy thing to achieve, he added, and when achieved it must be jealously guarded. British stability was necessary to the world. It could not be maintained by a weak Government with a narrow majority, nor by an inexperienced Government. Contrasting the Continental dictatorships and the democratic constitution, Mr Baldwin pointed to the possibility of swift and unexpected action which was open to the former but not to the latter. Thus, there had been rapid rearmament in the air, concealed for a time, in Germany, and difficulties which caused concern in Europe between Italy and Abyssinia. Britain could not control the Governments of other countries, but she could elect her own. “Let that be an additional reason for maintaining the national principle in government,” said Mr Baldwin, . and for seeing that, when the National Government is returned to power—it may be with a reduced majority—but let it be with a majority that will make the world conscious that behind that 'Government stands the mass of the British people, whatever their local political allegiance may be.” Domestic Service. The much-discussed problem of domestic service has been very much to the fore again in England, writes Miss Margaret Baxter in United Empire. Everywhere women are applauding Miss Margaret Lane for an outspoken article on this subject, for in every class of the community the domestic servant famine is being felt. “A large percentage of one of the widest and most necessary branches of female labour in Britain is passing, with the indifferent consent of our own domestic servants, into the willing and capable hands of immigrant foreigners,” says Miss Lane. “But the sad truth is that few or none of the women queueing at the labour exchange could competently perform the good domestic work that is needed .... Would it be too much to hope that domestic service might one day be officially recognized, made the controlled and recognized sphere of a definite and united body of workers; that the generation of girls now larking through their last year at school might be brought to believe that there is no shame in skilled and wholesome and necessary work which on the one hand is a life’s job lasting until the oldage pension, and on the other the best possible training for a happy marriage?” I am strongly, of the opinion, Miss Baxter continues, that until domestic work is recognized as an honourable profession by mistress and maid alike, we will be no nearer solving this problem. The invasion of foreigners was inevitable, but one must remember that the girls who come from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, etc., to take up domestic service, are well educated, intelligent, trained in all branches of housewifery, and with the determination of mastering the English language.