In the Mirror

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 5, Issue 1, 1 July 1926, Page 2

In the Mirror

(Classical 'Profile

We celebrate with this issue of The Mirror our fourth birthday. We feel justly proud of our growth and flattered at the wide popularity "The Home Journal of New Zealand" has attained. During the past year The Mirror has made wonderful headway. From sixty-four pages we have expanded to eighty, and are to-day offering our readers the largest quality publication of its kind so far issued from the printingpresses of the Dominion of a modest cost. Having said so much of "ourselves," we. must take this opportunity of gratefully thanking the public at large, and our subscribers in particular, for the very generous way in which New Zealanders have shown their appreciation of our efforts to make The Mirror reflect the national life and aspirations of these Fortunate Isles. 'Tis not in mortals to command success; But ti'c'll hope to do more — deserve it. The noteworthy triumph our Kiddies' Sunshine Circle has achieved indicates that the childhood of New Zealand are very discriminating readers, and we have, through the medium of this new feature of The Mirror had the opportunity of better appreciating how many really clever children our young country is rearing to guide its future destinies. There is a natural reluctance on our part to "blow our own trumpet." We may. however, modestly claim to have initiated a campaign against the pernicious growth of the gambling spirit amongst the youth of the country, as an aftermath of

the license allowed in "Chocolate Alley" at the recent Dunedin Exhibition. Public indignation was aroused to such an extent that police prosecutions were instigated against a number of promoters of "Amusement Parlours" in different parts of the Dominion and further permits to exploit the unwary by this obnoxious form of gambling have been denied by local authorities. So far so good. But the deplorable laxity of the Department of Internal Affairs still permits "art unions," surprise packets, raffles, and like thinly disguised charitable stunts to be "worked" onto the public—too often for private gain. The Prime Minister has recently made a pronouncement to the effect that the Government has decided to lake measures to curb the craze for socalled art unions. The Prime Minister must know that from the inception of his succession to power the gambling craze, in its more degrading forms, has been rampant, and that the Government has all the time had in "The Gaming Act," the means of controlling, checking or prohibiting these recently introduced forms of exploiting the public. We readily admit that gambling, betting, speculation are all more or less comparative terms, and that indulgence in what is admittedly an

inherent instinct of our people is by no means indicative of a degenerate mind, or is sapping the moral fibre of the nation, as some of our rabid anti-gambling crusaders would have us believe. contention, however, is that ' undue latitude given to "clever" mendicants and self-styled "charity" promoters is an evil, and one that must have an extremely baneful effect, not alone on the youthful mind, but upon the economic state of the country. ; I \> the rational-minded there is -*- actually no more harm in buying a ticket in a raffle, a lottery, or a sweepstake, than there is in speculating on the Stock Exchange, or betting through the totalisator, which are legalised forms of gambling. The crux of the question is that if gambling in any form is given too much latitude it leads to unrestrained license and abuse. Therefore it is essential that there should be impartial, strict, and intelligent control to save a national proclivity degenrating into a national vice. With this issue we publish for * *' the first time a budget of notes on behalf of the National Council of Women, of which The Mirror is now the Official Organ. This new section will in future contain much informative information regarding the activities of this splendid organisation, which has done so much to bring about the emancipation of our

womankind and care for the welfare of our children. cover-design for the current issue of The Mirror is from the S. P. Andrew Studios. The study represents originality in artistic portraiture and technical skill by the process-engravers—the New Era Co. Ltd.—in rendering colour effects. A number of correspondents have written complimentary letters commending the cover-design for last month. That pictorial work, we are pleased to intimate, was the work of a talented young New Zealander— Miss Mildred Corbett, of Auckland. In selecting designs and pictures for reproduction by Dominion artists, be they photographic prints or sketches by pen or brush, The Mirror is giving a lead in New Zealand journalism that is long overdue. '"phat these "Fortunate Isles" pos- -*- sess artists of merit is generally conceded; but it is a slur upon our judgment, as a community, that we generally have to hear them applauded from overseas before we recognise the latent talent which too often languishes for want of appreciation or encouragement. T Tnfortunately the Press of New Zealand has in the past always been most niggardly in giving expression in its publications of the efforts of our young Dominion artists. Indeed, more has been actually done to discourage than encourage them. This, of course, is most regrettable, but it is to the credit of talented New Zealanders that they persevere under the greatest disabilities of finding a local market for their artistic wares in almost every department of the journalistic, artistic, and topographical arts.

Top row Mrs. MacConnick, wife of Dr. Kenneth MacConnick, of Auckland, nee Miss Margaret K. Duncan, of Rotorua. (S. P. Andrczv, Studios)-,' Mrs. J. Maude rs, nee Miss Roberta Gee, of Taka pun a (Home Studios) ; Mrs. IV. J. A. Hislop, of Napier, nee Miss Bridie O'Grady, of Wellington (Standish and Prccce, Christchurch). Second row--Mrs. Marsdcn, nee Miss Rena Cooper, of Wanganui (Tesla Studios) ; Mrs. Mailings, of Wellington, nee Miss Clegg (Elisabeth Greenwood) : Mrs. V. T. Sayers, nee Miss Thirza Trcgidgc, of Onchunga (I .H. Ashe). Circles — Mrs. G. If . B. Hardy, of H airarapa, nee Miss McLeod, Martinborough, niece of the Hon. A. D. McLeod {Elizabeth Greenwood) ; Mrs. L. J. Mitchell, of JVairoa, I LB., nee Miss M cGougan (Croton Studios, Wellington). Bottom — Mrs. II ilhain Collie, nee Miss Jean Burgess Todd, of Auckland (Tornqnist Studios) : Mrs. Ronald Corbett, nee Miss Kathleen Raymond, of Auckland alter Clegg); Mrs, G. Owen, nee Miss Janet McQuarrie, of Papatoeloe (T. II Ashe, Onchunga),