NEWS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1920, Page 1

NEWS ITEMS

STAGE UNION KISS. PARIS, Oct. 16. A sequel t 0 the recent refusal of Mine Fontane to join the Actors’ Upion, which nearly led to a general stage strike ,was seen at the Antoine Theatre! on the production of “La Blanche Morte,” by M. Gemier, the actor-man-ager, who took the principal part, that of a Paris apache, and was supported by Mine. Fontane. In on o scene Mine. Fontane lias to be kissed by her grandfather, a part played by M. Carpenticr, a leader of the Actors’ Union. According to the articles of the union, when a unionist addresses a non-unionist on the stago lie must, as far as possible, turn’ bis back, and, in the event of an embrace being ne.ces.sary ,it must be given s 0 as to show that n 0 cordiality lies behind it.

It was apparent to audience and actors alike that M. Garpentier was anxious to make bis stage embrace an opportunity for showing that the Union bore no animosity towards Mine. Fontane, and \the kiss of peace was exchanged with, great cordiality on both sides. Tho incident, slight as it .seems, is taken by the Paris tlieatreal world to mean that for the time at least the non-unionist question will he allowed to rest. —Reuter.

VISCOUNT’S BRIDE. LONDON, Oct. 10

Viscount Melville, of Melville Gastle, Lasswade, Midlothian, who is 78, is to be married to Miss Margaret 1 odd. who is 43, and who until recently was a shop assistant with a firm of perfumers and hairdressers in Pr'inces-street, Edinburgh. Twice . previously married, Viscount Melville is very active for his years and is a keen golfer. In 1869 he entered the Consular Service and held various appointments abroad. He is sixth viscount and succeeded bis brother in 1904.

Miss Todd is a tail, handsome woman with snowy white flair. She was employed by Messrs Edwin Pass and Sons, Edinburgh, and it was there that Viscount Melville first made her qcquain tance. Tlieir friendship is long-stand-ing. Friends in of \ iscount Melvilla understand that the marriage will taka place oil Oct. 29th.

£60,000 THEFT. PARIS, Oct. 10. The French police have just arrested two men and two women who are charged with having stolen in September 1919 hundreds of sacks of German marks, worth £152,000 at the normal rate of exchange, which were piled up in the offices of one of the French Arjny cashiers. With the money it is said the accused persons purchased.a small music-hall at Champigny, near Pans. One of the arrested men, Albert Grandin, was employed at the cashier s office as an orderly. One night, "it i the hell? of his brother and two women, he moved the money and carried ,i a wav without any difficulty. At the present rate of exchange the marks would realise only about £60,000.

SELLING AN EAR. NEW YORK, .October 16Mr Frank S. Ciisada, tbc wealthy Cuban planter whose quest for a left ear lias brought offers from various parts of the world, has encountered an . apparently insurmountable obstacle just at the time when he believed he had found an ear of satisfactory dimensions and colour., Mr Cusada lost his own left ear in a motor-car accidont in Cuba, and came to New York in the hope of finding someone willing to part with an car for a cash consideration. Front hundreds of offiers, at prices ranging as high as £20.000, Mr Cusada selected the ear of one David ginker, a New York workman, as the most suitable for his purpose, and agreed to pay the £6O that Air Sinker wanted. Then a difficulty presented itselt. Mr Cusnda’s lawyers discovered a provision in the criminal law which says, “a person who inflicts upon himself an injury in order to obtain alms or any charitable relief is guilty, of .felony.” In addition to expert surgeons, it now appears that Mr,Cusada requires the .services of some leading lawyers before his ear-grafting experiments are concluded.