SOME OLD CUSTOMS STILL RETAINED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18786, 15 June 1929, Page 1

SOME OLD CUSTOMS STILL RETAINED.

WHAT IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EVOLUTION AND REVOLUTION?

(Written for the “ Slav ” by E. J. Howard, M.P.).

The late Lawrence Birks, one time city electrical engineer, and at the time of his death chief electrical engineer in the Public Works Department, was perhaps one of the most interesting lecturers we had in his time. Describing the great revolutions in the art of cooking, our friend opened & lecture by lying down on the floor to show how our prehistoric women folk would have to start a fire in a hole dug out in the ground by blowing on some glowing 'tinder. Then, rising to his knees, he would explain how someone had thought to build a fire higher, until he brought us to the modern oven with all its latest fittings and the cook able to stand erect in a natural attitude. One could see the big strides made and naturally wanted £or his womenfolk some of the advantages of an electric cooker. Opt U-air Schemes. Dr Truby King adopts somewhat the same system. That large audience at the Art Gallery almost gasped, and then laughed, when his first picture thrown on the screen was what appeared to be cow-bails. The attention of the audience was at once riveted on to that picture, and one naturally wondered what it had to do with opener schools. But when the doctor explained that at Seacliff they were losing 25 per cent of their calves until they turned the calves’ houses towards the life-giving sun, it dawned on the audience that there was something in it after all. Sitting at afternoon tea at Livingstone, in Northern Rhodesia, a couple of years back one of the Rhodesians said: “ I shall never forget bfew Zealand because of a lecture I heard by your Dr Truby King. He was explaining the advantages of breast-feeding of babies,” said my host, “ and he used a lantern slide showing a pair of English-made boots made from breast-fed leather. It was the most remarkable illustration I had ever seen.”

At one time, when the Socialists were a very active force in this city and had a meeting place on Oxford Terrace that is now a motor garage, hours were spent by the young men studying such questions as the difference between evolution and revolution. If you called yourself an evolutionary Socialist you were accepted as being sane and respectable by the editors of newspapers, but you were looked upon as distinctly reactionary and as an agent of the “ plutes ” by the others. But a revolutionary was the A 1 at Lloyds, or the top-notchers. But when one thinks how quietly we slip from one system to the other one wonders just where is the difference between evolution and revolution. The life of a nation is made up of little details, said one writer, and whilst there is a tendency on the part of the old people to glorify the past as ideal, the young are always wanting to push forward. The Square. *'«* ••

I sat in the Court and heard the evidence tendered in the Cathedral Square case. On the evidence the judgment of the Court could have been nothing else than what it was. During that case it was shown that what has become the most popular and greatly used. part, of the city was a few years ago referred to as that M waste ” land. It was, as a fact, a kind of white elephant to the city fathers of those times. One must Jake off his hat to those city councillors who set out to clean a piece of Jcnd that had become an eyesore to the people. The words of the trust certainly do not indicate that it was intended that the Square should have; become the convenient and popular place it has become. No persons appear to have had sufficient vision to lead them to imagine that some day it would be the heart of the city. And there are those with us still who would like to see the Square laid down in grass, and all business activities removed.

To me the. Square is ideal, although it deserves a better building in the centre. All roads were said to lead to the Holv City. Well all roads certainly lead to Cathedral Square. There is hardly a baby of any age in this city that has not been taken to the Square. There is perhaps not a living soul in an around Christchurch that has not been in the Square. On the other hand I venture to say there are thousands who have never seen that other fine cathedral a few streets away. But my desire is not to enter into the controversy just now but to show how easy we slip from one stage to another with* out realising what is happening. There are thousands living here in Christchurch to-day who can remember the old snuffers that was always ©n the candlestick for cutting the wick of the candle because it would not burn as quickly as the fat around the wick and consequently set up a smoke. From those “snuffers” to the modern electric switch is one of the revolutions that we have lived through. Victorian Dress. It is only the other day comparatively speaking that Queen Victoria died. But the Victorian age with its cus-, toms and habits is a source of fun when viewed by our children from illustration. Imagine to-day what joy it would be to our youngsters if we could by reversing the handle of the machine, throw back on to the # screen some of the pictures of the costumes and dresses worn by our ’grandfathers. Dad in his green frock coat and that neck cloth he called a stock. Mum in her crinoline or even the bustle. Imagine what a laugh would go up amongst our young ladies who punch the typewriters if they were compelled to wear the trailing skirt. Still we have the remnants of these ancient garments with us.

The day Parliament opens the Ministers will come dressed in some of this disappearing clothing. They will wear that barbarous-looking atrocity called a “tall” hat. Dad is a Conservative. He hates to let go something his father wore. This “tali’” hat and tail coat came over from France in the early 70’s. Not so long ago, but if anyone believes that even Ministers of the Crown like wearing them, watch how quickly they will change back into ordinary clothing after the ceremony js over. The hon gentlemen of the Upper House will wear what are term ed evening clothes during the ceremony, But one won’t be able to see their heels for dust when they scamper to change into every day clothing. When Keir Hardie first came to Parliament in a tweed suit a soft hat and a muffler around his reck, even the policeman on duty couldn't believe that he was a member of Parliament. But Keir Hardie brought about a revolution in men’s Parliamentary clothing. No one takes any notice now if members wear fight coloured or dark coleu'eel clothing in the House of Parliament.

Woman in Cabinet. Now we have the news flashed to us over the cable that a great constitu-

tional difficulty has arisen over the first woman Minister of the Crown. Margaret Bondfield must wear knee breeches and a Windsor coat to appear before his Majesty to be sworn in. Well Margaret won’t do that if I am any judge. This ex-factory girl is a little bundle of common sense. She will get over the difficulty without causing any Cabinet crisis, but she will have brought about a complete revolution that may lead to an alteration in something that has been looked upon as exceedingly important in the past. No one knows why Mr Speaker wears a horse-hair wig and a gown. The Chairman of Committees, who takes the place of Mr Speaker when he is absent, doesn’t wear those things arid the work of Parliament goes on just as well. But the “people” have a pic:- ; ture in their heads of what Parliament looks like, so that Parliament must he carried on in conformity with the picture in our heads. No one knows why there is a gold mace on the table when Mr Speaker is in the chair. It has always been there and so it is part of the things we expect to see when we see a picture of Parliament. Life is made up of little details, some of them interesting and some of them l decidedly funny.