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Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1933, Page 4

Time was when every castle, every mansion, and almost every cottage possessed its piano, but of recent years mechanised music has pushed the piano into the background. Signs are not wanting throughout the world, however, that the piano is coming back into favour, and that the average man prefers natural to artificial music. A youthful English piano manufacturer recently asked his wife whether she would prefer a grand piano or a player-piano. “Are you serious?” she asked. “Why, of course, I would rather have a grand piano.” This reply determined a great policy in the English manufacturer’s mind. He realised that women liked pianos, and he set about producing small grand pianos on a large scale.

•The coming of Santa Claus once a year always brings joy and happiness to the children. Each year he introduces new toys, new ideas and new gifts for the “kiddies.” This year residents of Inglewood and district will have a unique opportunity of visiting Santa Claus in the novel surroundings of a magic cave at Toyland, opposite Reesby’s garage. A Christmas tree laden with balloons, toys and everything the children like will provide ideas for Christmas shoppers, while in the shop itself there is a wide selection of new mechanical toys, aeroplanes, meccano, wooden toys, dolls, prams and a hundred and one other useful gifts. Bring the children to Inglewood on Christmas Eve and make Toyland your headquarters.* “Drinking at dances is an abominable habit,” said the Chancellor of Melbourne University (Sir John MacFariand) on December 4, “and it is only done by a few degenerates. Any Australian boy or girl who cannot have a dance without a few stimulants is not worthy of the name.” The University Council has therefore banned drinking of liquor at University dances. The conditions approved provide that no intoxicating drink must be brought into the University grounds privately, in motor-cars, or in flasks, or left in motor-cars outside the grounds to be taken by guests at the dance. If any guest should violate this rule it should be the duty of the committee managing the dance to refuse that guest further admission to the dance. “No doubt this is the moment you have all dreaded” was the opening remark of the principal (Mr. W. H. Stevens, M.A.) in his address at the Wellesley College prize-giving ceremony. It was customary, he said, for the principal to give an elaborate and detailed report followed by a learned discourse on educational matters, but he had always thought that a prize-giving should be a pleasant ceremony. He did not propose to read any formal report because he thought that if the prize-giving were preceded by 50 minutes of pedagogic theory on his part the small boys’ vitality would be sapped. After speaking for another minute or two on school matters, Mr. Stevens resumed his seat amidst thunderous applause. The matriculation examination, mention of which, he said, was like a red rag to the public, was briefly commented on by Mr. A. E. Flower at the Christchurch Boys’ High School prize-giving. It was, however, the public’s fault that matriculation loomed as large as it did, he said. The public thought matriculation. was the only thing to aim at in secondary school education, and would not be content to accept the advice of the headmasters and headmistresses, whose certificate was worth far more. For many years now the university had been doing its best to discourage the use of matriculation as a school leaving examination. Now at last it looked as if something was to be done toward the provision of a school-leaving examination, although he would not expect too much just yet. Mr. Flower added as a word of warning that those who asked for a broad syllabus were likely to get shallow foundations to education.