LATE LOCALS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1921, Page 3

LATE LOCALS.

- ... • - There was a very large attendance at 1 St Alary’s Club rooms last evening, ? when the parishioners fa rewelled the • Rev Father O’Sullivan. A report of * the proceedings will appear to-morrow. ’ In sending a telegram of instructions . for the suppression of an item of news found to lie erroneous, journalists, tret quently use the conventional word , “kill.” This fact, well-known enough among newspaper correspondents, but not at all known to the Swjss police, recently caused a good deal ol trouble to the representative of an American journal attending the League of Nations Conference at Geneva. The correspondent had sent to his newspaper an item relating to the expected visit of Air Lloyd George, which turned out to he incorrect, and at once cabled “Kill Lloyd George.” Within a couple of hours he was amazed to receive a ouii'iliary visit from the police, with its usual accompaniments rooms tinned upside down, and inside out. inventory of all papers, seizifre of all those thought to be suspicious, seals here, seals there, interrogatories, etc. - in short, all the little attentions oharI aeteristic of the Continental police and judicial authorities on such occasions. Fortunately, the correspondent was well-known to all his colleagues, who were able to assure the police that he was neither a Sinn Feiner nor a- Bolshevik. Explanations followed, and all ended happily. 0 | During ib«- interval at the Chautauqua meeting last night Messrs R. Wild and 1). .1. Evans spoke iu regard to the oiiaraiitce for next year's sessions. In 1922 the Hokitika season will be limited to four clays and nights only. The eon- j traction of the season is clue to the j fact that the New Zealand itinerary as :i whole is to he reduced from three months to two months to enable the j jhanagement to induce lecturers and i entertainers of high repute in America and elsewhere whose time is valuable and cannot participate in the more extended stay involved in a spreading itinerary to come to New Zealand. The local guarantee will he reduced in keeping and stand at £2OO. It is prcqiosed locally to secure guarantors at £2 each . and for this nominal amount there should be no difficulty in fixing next j year’s sessions satisfactorily. The success of the present season is proof that the public delight in the Chautauqua mt'Ortninnients which are invariably ■levating and a power for good.