£15,000 IN 10 MINUTES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 279, 25 November 1931, Page 9

£15,000 IN 10 MINUTES

. ORDERING BY TELEPHONE. AUCKLAND TO LONDON MILLINERY FIRM’S DEAL The modern marvel of tho radio telephone made it possible for an executive of an Auckland millinery firm to spend £15,000 in just over 10 minutes with a London business house this week, says the New Zealand Herald. It cost him £23 12s 6d to do it. This ! was tho first time tho Auckland-Lon-don service has been used to transact business from Auckland. Tho Auckland man who spoko considered the cost to be justified by the great saving in time and bother. Moreover it enabled him to rain an impression of the hat fashions in vogue in London at the very moment ho was speaking and tc have any queries answered immediately. Tho reception at both ends was astonishingly clear and no difficulty was experienced in hearing every word. Tho conversation was carried out shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning, London time being about midday Tuesday. Conditions were so favourable that listening-in both at Wellington and Sydney in order to noto instances of fading, if any, did not affect the clarity in the least.

In fact, the voices were as audible as in a local telephone conversation. Instead of first ono person speaking continuously for a period and then awaiting tho other’s reply, as is sometimes necessary, it was possible for short sentences to bo exchanged Static was completely absent. The clarity was also attributed to the use of the new improved neophone machine, in which mouthpiece and receiver are attached to the same handpiece. A complete summary of the present trend in hat fashions in London was given by the executive of tho London firm. He said tho modes oi the moment were tho tricorne (a variation of the bowler) and a tip-tilted model with a peak worn low over the right eye. The materials most used for the autumn models were velours in both soleil and satin finishes. Plush felt and velvet were also popular. Plain black and a combination of and wh’. predominated among a selection of colours, prominent among which also were all shades of brown, and, to a less extent, reds and greens. Mulberry, heliotrope, sage green, Prussian blue, copper red and seaweed” (a dark brown green) were shades sera in London recently. Trimmings still favoured feathers, although the pendulum was swinging from ospreys to the less flowing quill variety. To ensure tho prestige of their creations, some English designers have adopted tho policy of autographing and dating each model.