AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SCHOOL MEDICAL EXAMINATION. Sycinoy, Juno 13. &m© complaint 'lias been mado regarding the medical examination of children a/tteJidiug t3io Sydney public schools. As explained by tho Department, it may be mentioned tlliat only quite recently tic system was instituted, and from what has been observed of its working, the system is resulting in mucin benefit to tho childron. In.tho metropolitan division tfie.ro a.ro two medical persons employed, ono boing a lady doctor, while tho services of a lady doctor aro also utilised in tho Newoasfclo district for a similar purpose. These doctors mako a regular inspection of the schools, and roport upon t'bo light, ventilation, and drainage. They also medically examino children for montal or physical defects. The instructions in regard to tho duties of tho doctor with respect to tho examination of tho children are explicit. Tlioy aro not examined indiscriminately, but tho teacher makes a note of any apparent defect in. the child in speaking or seeing or in other ways, and prepares a list of such cMdron fox submission to tho doctor on arrival. Before, however, amy child's name is'placed on tho list, the consent of tho parent or guardian has to bo obtained to the examination. If tho child is suffering from any defect such as a growth in the nose, near-sightedness, and so forth, t'bo result of the examination is noted on a form printed by the Department for tho purpose, which is enclosed in an envelope,' and given to the child' to take to its parents. Thus tho scholar need not know about any defect unless the parent chooses toinfonu tho boy or girl and take action on bhe report of tho doctor. As a consequence of these examinations, defects, when dealt with in time, aro readily remedied, and many children aro thus likely to be saved from serious inconvenience and trouble later in life. •• • ' ■" Football Riots, A junior football match at Elsternwick, bctweon teams from "vVilliamstown and Elsternwick, proved exceptionally animated. A visiting player was trampled upon, and otherwise 'hurt, to such an extent that he had to bo carried off tho field. After a rubbing down, and some other attention, ho seized a couplo of goal umpires' nags, tore off tho bunting, and flourishing tho sticks, called upon WiUiamstown to charge in a body and "go for" tho . Elsternwickors. \\hilo his comrades were holdiug him back, ho suddenly collapsed, and later had to be taken to. tho Alfred Hospital. After this incident, tho game was resumed, Williamstown playing in a particularly rough way, until tho umpire, .finding that tho rules wore consistently infringed, and that he could not regulate proceedings, stopped the match and awarded it to Elsternwick. A disgraceful disturbance also occurred at tho finish of a football match between Norths and Souths on tho Alma Oval. Norths were leading by 10 points, and thoro were three minutes to play, when ono of tho North men was given a severe fall. The crowd rushed tho ground, and a melee appeared imminent. Ono man was arrested for using bad language. Tho game had to be abandoned.

"The Right Thing." | Referring recently to tho offor mado by the Commonwealth Government to the Imperial Pnmo Minister of a Dreadnought, or the equivalent, Mr. Fvillor, Minister for Home Affairs, said: "Tho Government has, I think, dono the right thing, and practically-tbo only thing, rt could do." Mr. Fuller indicated that it was believed that at the forthcoming Defence Conference at which the Commonwealth will ho represented, consideration will bo given to the-.form in which the offer made on bohalf of the Commonwealth could most conveniently be accepted by tho Imperial authorities. • Mr. Joseph Cook,, Minister for Defonco, added, when asked whero' the money was to come from, that that was a matterwhich would receive' the consideration' of Cabinet, . . ■<.. ■''.-. .;'. A Wild Man. A wild-looking man; has been roaming through the bush in thb.jftoighboiirhood of Little Bendigo recently..' It was at.first thought that the man was Paddy O'Farroll, "The King 1 of the Wallabies',' in.Buhgaroo, who bad rotrred into solitude in" order to do penanco for his sins. The wild man, howovor' is, according to the statoment of tho police, much smaller than "Tho King of tho Wallabies." , He is a low-sized individual of wiry build. It is said ho hops about like a sparrow. Ho carries a large • bundle of rags strung over his shoulder, and "is armed with a stout cudgel. :He has greatly alarmed many persons whom ho has encountered in the bush. A fossicker' stated to the police that the man hopped up to him as ho was cradling dirt in a gully, and, after, going through a kind of gymnastic performance, sat on a mound of earth and, filling a pipo with reef, ho applied a,lighted match to it and ; endeavoured to smoke. On leaving the fossicker tbo wild man descended an abandoned shaft of shallow depth. Ho remained several hours, and on returning to tho surfaco disappeared in the scrub. A constable got on' tho track of tho man some days ago, and located him at a cavo in a hDI-sido. A trap was laid for him at tho mouth of tho cavo, and tbo constable entered the hole to drive him out, but the man managed to evade the'.trap and again got clear away. ' '"', •"'••■ Lord Kitchener. Tho Minister for Defence proposes, if Lord Krtdhonor should visit' Australia, to utilise him, if possible, in an advisory capacity. "It would bo to tho advantage of Australia," he says, '!to have'tho advice of any front-rank rruAitary man regarding our defences. Lord KMianec ha 6 soon, active service in Egypt, I India, and' South Africa, and his advice would bo especially valuable. I moan that ho should bo placed in command of-' auy troops, but thai wo should seek the'benefit of his oxperioiico as a distinguished expert in military, matters." , , cinquevalll Joined Him. Cinquov&lli employs a comedian to assist him mills juggling turn at the TivoU Theatre-. Un a rocuit ,mgat (.says tho "Daily Telegraph"), ho had iwo. One sat iu the front stalls, and iucidentaify it may bo mentioned lie was not on tho stall. Jliarly iu the perlorinanco ho showed his pleasure by interjecting "Bravo," "Good hoy," and other lerms of approbation as each feat was performed, 'ihen when the juggler proceeded to swing a pyramid triangle round with a hiiliard cue without spilling the liquid in a glass placod on tho base ot the triangle, the tront stalls' occupant becanio anxious. "What havo you got iu that glass?" ho inquired concernedly. "Water," replied &aquovsJli. "No good," was the reply; with conviction,. "I'vo got a drop of the right stuff hero.", Tho juggler was prompt. "Give me some," he said. A flask was immediately produced, and the glass was filled, to .the brim. Cinqucvalli concluded his task, I instead of pouring the liquid back into a jug, as is bis usual custom, drank it off, with tho observation, "Your good health."* His guest was equal to tho occasion, and to tho accompaniment of roars of laughter from tho rest of too oudionco rose and with solemnity returned "And yours, too," and drained tho flask. ' About Griokot and Kanakas. • Lord Chelmsford, speaking at a meeting in connection with' tho MeJanosioii Mission, said: Whon a boy in England he used to follow the' cricket news, and ho remembered once being struck by tho advent of a new cricketer. This player was a young clergyman, playing for 'Kent, his native county. He watched this cricketer's career from the timo he played against an Australian team and compiled something over 50 runs in each innings. His natno was Cecil Wilson, now the Bishop of Melanesia. {Applause-.) Ho did not know whether tho bishop kept up his crickot, but for 15 years Cecil Wilson had kept up his end, and was still not out. While Governor of Queensland ho bad 'watched closelyHlio deportation of thc-Jtana-kas to their homes in tho islands. There wore very gloomy prognostications as to the reception of these kanakas in their native country. Ho had watched tho deportation with vory groat aimoty and hitcrcst, and ho was thankful that tho deportation of somo good natives had been accomplished so smoothly. Ho thought that probably a largo measure of credit was duo to tho Mclanesian Mission for tbo way in which tho kanakas were received back to thoir island homos. (Cheers.) No ono who read tho annual report could fail to sco that the difficulties of tho mission had been increased by tho return of these i nativos. . > '