ROUND THE COMPASS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18937, 6 December 1929, Page 8

ROUND THE COMPASS.

London’s Latest Novelty. A HUGE crowd attended last month at the inauguration of the latest novelty in London's night life. This is a rising dance floor installed in the restaurant of one of the most famous hotels. The purpose of the floor is to give an uninterrupted view of the cabaret performance from any part of the restaurant. The construction of this floor, which can be raised 2ft 6in in a few seconds, is a minor triumph of engineering, for immediately below it is a ballroom, of which the ceiling had to be left intact, so that the dance floor of the restaurant is actually controlled from a special hydraulic engine three floors below. If your table happens to be right alongside it, the sensation, when you see the floor swiftly moving upwards, is decidedly disconcerting and might easily induce considerable disquietude in the mind of one who had dined well but not too wisely and was unaware of the floor’s peculiarity. London’s latest plaything made a successful debut and withstood without a tremor the stamps and gyrations of a particularly acrobatic and violent troupe of Russian dancers. It is one of those things that everybody will want to go to see, and the restaurt ant management should soon recoup the £IO,OOO they are said to have spent upon it. ♦.* Mr Hughes’s Humour. WILLIAM M. HUGHES, that remarkable figure of Australian politics, of whom it can never be said that he is a back number, recently once more was the central figure of a Parliamentary sensation—the defeat of the Bruce Government. He has a sense of humour which sometimes proves to be anything but humorous for those at whom it is directed. The following story tells of one such occasion:—Some years ago the Government in which he held office had just been defeated by one vote, thanks to Lord Forrest having deserted his party and voted with the opposition. The divisions were announced, the figures were heard by everybody, and still Hughes, his hand to his ear, stood listening in the middle of the chamber. “ For what,” asked the Speaker, “is the honourable gentleman waiting?" And without a glance at the luckless Forrest, squirming in his seat, Mr Hughes explained: “ I am waiting for the cock tp crow." M 8 tZ Making an Impression, THE new salesman was in charge of the temporary office which had just been put up on a new sub-divis-ion. Just as the first, person was about to enter the door he took down the telephone receiver and commenced: “Yes, sir. I think we can agree on those terms. Thirty lots in one parcel and twenty in another. Yes, sir, the price is satisfactory—thirty thousand pounds at the transfer, and the remainder in sixty days. Did you say I could meet you in the morning and receive your cheque for ten thousand pounds as the initial payment? Very well, sir.” Hanging up the receiver, he turned to the man who had entered while he was talking: 4 ‘ Is there anything I can do for you. sir?” 44 No, not a thing,” was the reply. “ I just came to connect up your telephone, that’s all.” 2Z Experts on Nudltity Wanted. '"PHB 44 Prud’hommes ” of Paris—the 44 sage and prudent men,” that is to say, who are chosen by their fellows to settle disputes between employers and employed—have been set a pretty problem by a Queen of Beauty. Mile Gabard, having one day tasted as Queen of Paris the pleasure of magnificence, evidently saw before her in the offer of a music-hall manager the possibility of prolonging into an indefinite future the splendour and applause. But when the exQueen reached her dressing-room, what did she find set out for her to wear? A dress that did not deserve the name of dress at all, she declared indignantly, and certainly not compatible with the dignity of Queen of Paris. So without more ado she shook the dust of the music-hall off her feet and returned to the dressmaker’s shop. But Mile Gabard had a contract which could not be broken. So far there is nothing jn all this to bother the “ Prud’hommes.” But it is the motive that led to the breaking of the agreement that is the complications; in other words, Mile Gabard’s refusal to appear on the stage in a costume that divulged all the grace of her shapely limbs. Now a “femme nue” belongs to a Special category among the employees of a music-hall, and the question which the “ sage and prudent men ” have to solve is at what point of 44 undress ” a “ figurante ” becomes a “femme nue,” and whether it is for the individual or the management to decide the limits at which modesty may be legitimately called upon to blush. Those Modern Amusements. ]\£ISS GRACIE F.IELDS, England's best-known and best-loved comedienne, comments mordantly on pre-sent-day amusements in an article in an English newspaper. Miss Fields declares that 44 We are more handicapped to-day by- the people who devise amusements for us than were the savage or barbarian. A barbarian at least enjoyed himself in the manner that he most liked. He climbed trees and made mud»pies (one of my favourite amusements) without let or hindrance, and—this is very important -—nobody asked him to go to musical evenings, church bazaars and garden parties. To-day should we dare to admit that we would sooner sit and make mud-pies than go to the local mothers’ meeting we should be ex posed publicly as lunatics.” Her Remedy. AJISS FEILDS feels so keenly on this matter that she has made out a list of the “ entertainments ” she most abhors:— Amateur Concerts, Garden Parties, Whist Drives, Musical Evenings (unprofessional), Afternoon Tea Parties, Church Bazaars, Seeing a medal presented to the re tiring village policeman (with speeches). But Miss Fields intends resisting, and she appeals to all who feel as she does fo refuse invitations to such affairs. She says: “ Let us suppose that Mrs X has asked me to attend a mothers’ meeting with a sale in the offing. She will pen a friendly note, which will run something like this:— i “ * Dear Miss Fields,— “ ‘ I should be so glad if you would come to our bazaar on the 10th. It is going to be such fun. The dear Bishop will be there, and \ee are going to see some Czecho-Slovakian peasant blouses and some wooden bowls designed by dear Miss \ , who is so.

artistic, and for whom y° u might hke to call as she is suffering from riieumatism, and really ought not to come alone.’ ~ , “And I shall answer, bold and brave:— “ ‘ Dear Mrs X, — “ ‘ No, thank you. I shall be making mud-pies in my garden with some friends on the 10th, and so I shall not be able to come.’ “ Won’t that be a grand and glorious feeling?” Yes, wouldn’t it!.