1953-03-06 — Page 4

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THE CHINA MAIL," FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1953.

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HONGKONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

COUNCIL

弁当

happening in Big Business

today

London.

N the first two months

of 1959 1 have been

tion of one of the biggest shifts in the in- dustrial balance of power since the war.

The "Managerial Revolu- tion" has often been heralded. These past few weeks home of my friends in the City were saying it had arrived. For, in Big Deal after Big Deal, the old aristocrats of industry are selling part, if not all, of the businesses they have built up over the years. And new. comers, some of them with little or no training in in- gaining in in- dustry, are fluence.

World Copyright Reserved.

CHARLES CLORE and the industrial graph he and others are helping

The to alter. analysis today shows publicly owned businesses rapidly creeping up on the family concerns - but still 6 per cent. behind breaking even on their share of Britain's pro- duction.

THIS 'BLITZ'

London .crpzeta Service

on the OLD

FAMILY FIRMS

by Bernard Harris

Already the debate £3,000,000

Gorden Halels who

•

started employment

or

Three are descendants,

married to descendants, of the four brothers who started the in St. Helens, Lancs, business four generations ago.

'TRAVIATA' 700 YEARS OLD TODAY

Fiasco On Its Opening Night

M

·

It has been kept privately

owned by the prudent financial

By GERALD BOURKE

ARCH 6, 1853 was in the Gazetta Musicalo do

Milano."

10

notable evening Within a year, however, the at the small, but scales began to turn: Verdi exquisitely propor- revived La Traviata"

theatre in different

In Venice, tloned Fenice Theatre

with cula which are still Venice where a new opera adhered to, and replaced the

11

was presented by Signor contemporary constumes with Verdi, then 40 years old those of the Louis XIII period. the and enjoying his first Furthermore, this time

charming melodies were better Two general recognition.

sung and duly appreciated. In months earlier he had wit- England, though, the, coolness nessed the first perform remained. And a lending musle critle wrote: "The book is of ance of 'Il Trovatore'. This for more consequence than the was an instant success, and music, which, excent so for as vehicle for the Verdi may well have hoped it affords a that 'La Traviata', written utterance of the dialogue, is of to value whatsoever. For the simultaneously, would prove present, it will be sufficicht lo equally acceptable,

treat La Traviata as a play cat. to music."

years.

But whereas the Italians were used to virile, artificial plots such as that of 31 Trovatore, which comprised most of the G00-odd new operas sald to have been performed In Italy during the previous ten they were not ready for opera In everyday costume. Verdi was, however, at that time feeling artistically free and had gladly accepted a commission from the Fenice Theatre for a work

based on the highly praised contemporary novel The Lady of the Comellas' by Alexander Dumas the younger Verdi's Wife

Story Censured

The

critic

discountenanced

the whole busts of the opera: "It might have been seen that, whatever was the temptation of the spoken drama, The Lady of the Camellas was a story untenable for muste. Consump-

on for one who has to sing! A ballet with a lame Sylphide would be as rational."

WDS

sultable

YOUTS

Mins.

Too, the immorality of the story was severely censured in several countries; the play whs banned in England. until 1801, though the opera slipped through many

earlier The favourite part of Violetta The story was partly auto-

sung at Her Majesty's blographical, but strangely enough, it also matched Verdi's Theatre, then a rival to Covent Bfo

many respects. Ho too, Garden, by a lady named, with

emphasis, had recently lost his first wife A

also named Marguerite and Piccolomini. She became the had adopted a similar, although first of a succession of prima

donnas vying for the pari. firmer, stand to that of Armand.

Although by 1874 Verdi's fine father-in- (Verdi rejected his

whereas the

tunes had everywhere found law's petitions,

favour, the Influential Athen- fictional Armand was weak.)

And so,

"How many within

neum then wrote: five years Traviatas of how many coun- there appeared as novel, drome tries have died on the lyris and opera the story of 'The

stage since the lugubrious and Lady

the Camelias', Marguerite Gautier was called equivocal three-pet opera wha by her florist on account of produced? It would be

curious calculation to count the her dislike for scented flowers,

The audience that evening primo donne who have taken

to this disagreeable part was weil-disposed initially to the

lody consumptive

who wards the. composer and enthusiastically acclaimed the coughs planissimo and sings opening ballroom scene. Indeed fortissimo in her death scene. they scarcely noticed that the

Patti, Tetrazzini' soprano weighed some 12 stone, and the tenor, Graziani, war Yet a fow years later, Her hoares, But during the second Majesty's Theatre was able to act, the baritone, Varesi, who treble the prices when Mme.

sang Violetta. considered the secondary part Patti

Jenny of Germont beneath his dignity. Lind, the Swedish nightingale. made little of the new famous also sang the part frequently. aria Di Provenza, although he And the famous soprano, Mme. chose it for her demand. insisted on repeating it without Tetrazzini,

London debut In 1007. She grumbled at her fee of £120

of

1#

Audience Laughed per performance, but considered

policy of the early Pilkingtons Marguerite, lay dying of con-ot an ideal month for opera

and by the family's good fortune in producing brilliant inventors and busineas men,

Yet Arms like Pilkington's are having to struggle to keep their business "in the family,"

In breaks out: Are these the group, whose string of hotels their business all proud to be right men to run Britain's fanges from London's May Fair long to the same family firm. Even the famous Lyle family, business? Will the future of to Folkestone, Brighton, and

whose £4,000,000 feet of ships Some people will

say that trades all over the world, are British industry be safe in Monte Carlo.

family firms combine, these having to sell up part of their their hands?

certain in stock. virtues activity and a

disposition to pool kings, are extending their live off the dividends carmed by the enterprise of the fore- Juhn and Cecil MooTIS, the fathers who begat them. milionaire owners of Little-

Taste shared

THEY are important ques-

Wealthiest of all the new- comers to industry, the football

Influence still further.

wouds;

splash £700,000 on 好

Landon drapery business to add the to their retail store network.

tions. It is worthwhile to look more closely both at the new men, and system which they are be ginning to supersede.

New coups

Most colourful of the powerful new figures is

LREADY they own factories 48-year-old Charles Clore, A

making quilts and bedding, shrewd juggler in millions, furniture and baby food, and who adds boot and shoe many other things. All financed, factories and a chain of 920 of course, from the fast-flowing profits shoe shops to the big ship- (and Mill undisclosed) yard, the West End theatre, the ice-rink, and the other businesses he already con- trols.

Clore shares ono taste with the older aristocrats of Industry: he collects | French Impressionists.

Elegant, shy

ness men.

羊

To co-ordinate the activlifeş ol voluntary ware organizations, and and to promote the knowledes practive of social welfare work.

Information on any Social Welfare matter and, particulara of Associate Membership will be gladly, supplied

Office: 403, China Building

by the Bretary.

2

| Tel. 21706,

of the 1-2-X craze they started

in one room in Liverpool 30 years ago.

will a

I do not

dispute that, in rome cases, case is more evident than energy, and birth a more qualification for Important executive position than brains.

There is one family concern I know where no fewer than six managing directors all to satisfy family pride. brothers have been appointed

Still winning

THERE is anellier where the managing director is having to go slow on development be

"Grandma In the plushy parlours of the cause, na he says, West End and the more insists on shoving her oar in." austere boardroom of the

This burden....

in-

66 THE nome Lyle of Greenock,"

they

announced the other day. "has been closely associated with sugar and ships in the Clyde district for 200 years,

burden of "The heavy creased taxation, now imposed on the holders of shares in family businesses, becomes in- creasingly

the more To piosperous is the business. meet this burden...the share- holders are now disposing of part of their holdings."

the

onerous

the

1 uphold the value of family concerns. I am sad to see them,, losing influence, Yet welcome the Assault which the Inanciers and others make For their strongholds. City, other big coups are being Grandma, of couse, is in this upon

between struggle

the fresh instance the controlling share planned which will add

now men and the old names to the growing list of the holder.

aristocrats of business revitalises new industrialists who acquire directorships and influence by But, desplie the heavy laxa- Industry, and allows the fresh blow buying rather than building.

tion which Mr Butler imposes, winds of competition to by

way of death duties, on in many a hitherto sheltered family shareholdings, some comer of industrial life.

• family firms are still winning victories which "rival any

of the those coming the way nt aristocrats.

Responsibility

་ '

of These now men thrive on competition. They are willing to sake take big risks for the of big profits. They are pre- pared to do battle in the market place to pull off a deal.

HE frankly admits that he

does not put up all the PUT what of the system they money for his deals himself. are superseding? Many City

Among

S Pilkington's, them That comes mainly from a men--and I am one of thema name famous throughout the

world

They have syndicate of wealthy bual believe that in the family busi

for glass. noss will be found a sense of personal responsibility that is consolidated their position as the biggest family concern in often lacking in these days of Britain by completing the take On to the board of Waring professional managers running over of Chance Brothers, a firm businesses they do not own, almost as long-established In

the

industry as them- glash when, as Efficiency can suffer,

selves. one commentator has said, "the flock is replaced owner of the by the hireling thepherd."

For the workers too

and Gilow goes a young City Anancier, the clegant but sh Slegmund Warburg. He is the head of a group which hos now obtained control of this famous ald furniture manufacturing and selailing business.

Owed much

ND in the chilly economic climate of the postwer world, Britain too must do the how much came.. No

ona knows Pilkington's are worth though 31s conjectured that the gure

Britain

mitch owes

to the It' the must be well in excess of family concerns. But also

much to the new mèn. Then there is Mr Leonard family business; has many ad- £20,000,000, Jackson, dapper chief of a wide vantages over the Impersonally

GALO

who, in each generation, come ranging drapery chain, who managed corporation. 1 know All that is known for a fact forward to impart new vitality seeks shareholders' support to firms which are proud to have is that it is owned and run by and fresh vision to industry. become the power behind the the great-grandsong of men i directors, of whom all but Don't sucer at them.

R

In the last act, where that the honour was worth the

also as Verdi, renamed loss. She complained

of Violetta,

the choren dato in November; sumption, the gay Venetians lost all remnants of credulity in London, Before I had been and the curtain fell amid out in London 24 hours I had bursts of unrestrained laughter. swallowed more fog than during Traviata,-last-night, was athe rest of my life." Although fasco. Is the fault mine or of it was a Saturday she found the only half-Alled, but the singers? Time will show," theatre

Verdi, wrote

next morning. recorded proudly 'that her par- And when Varesi tendered his formance sont guests rushing to condolences, he replied grudly gather their friends, so that, by and the end of the evening, a "Offer them to yourself

house enjoyed her your companions, who have packed

portrayal. not understood my music."

But

musicians con- Hupply those even

who, become

famous demned the opera and, in the aspiro

concentrate on Aner following month, The Musical Violettas Times awarded it.anty Ave not vocal technique and fewer stage very accurate lines: "Verdi's jewels, It must not be forgot- new opera 15 admittedly ten, though, that this 'great failure, and none seems better operatic character study. acquainted with its non-success mands also a brilliant actress, than the composer himself; he. if she is to capture not only frankly avows the fact in a Verdi's Violetta but Dumas's lotter which has just appeared Lady of the Camellas.

10

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