The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” SATURDAY, JULY 16th, 1921. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” SATURDAY, JULY 16th, 1921. THE WEEK.

Prksidknt Harping has .stirred the world with his proposal for a conference of the Powers on the question of disarmament and he bids fair to earn the gratitude of mankind for his action. , The proposal appears to havp been generally accepted in the right spirit and not . without enthusiasm. The statesmen of to-day find their financial problems ini tonsified by enormous expenditure on armies and navies, and not only is this an economic embarrassment, but also a moral one. They find it extremely difficult fio justify their present policies with the pious resolutions of . the Versailles Conference and with the shftrppttfld! intelligence of the people sharpened through suffering the pangs of war, it must be downing upon the ,difference Ohn pee) Wins Hint djsnntpv

ment cannot much longer he excluded from the domain of practical politics. Very fortunately, Groat Britain is morally fortified as a seconder of President Harding’s proposal, for she has set the example of comparative, modesty in her policy and programme. The American people are likely to respond to their President’s lead if there is manifested a sincere desire among the nations to discuss the subject favourably, dapan’s position is not clear, for Japan is obviously disunited. While amazing creases have been made in that nation’s expenditure upon armaments during the last few years, there has been, and is. a large body of opinion in opposition to the Government’s policy. Tlow large that hod \ of opinion really is the outside world is not permitted to know, since the Government has not Iveeo slow to suppress newspapers whose j litio.il opinions were distnsteiul i J > the rulers of the country. However it is hardly to he supposed that Japan could or would refuse to participate,, in de-

ns to the capacity of his machine, a Sopwith plane with a 375 h.p. Rolls- | Itoyce motr, to keep the air long i enough to give a margin of safety under ( such conditions. The temerity of the. attempt can 'be gauged from the fact chat' while tell United States planes , were safeguarded by naval patrols they were required to keep aloft during only 1300 miles at a time. ' Hawker, with nearly 2000 miles to ne- | gutiate in one bold dash, had no naval j

assistance whatever. It was a desperate attempt, and it was more by good luck than design that it idid not terminate fatally. As it was, after running about 1000 miles the cooling cir- , dilation of the Sopwith plane ceased to function, and th« aviators had to descend in mid-Atlantic. Providence brought th c steamer Mary across their track, and Hawker and Grieve were rescued. In the meantime the whole Empire was ringing with th 0 news of the gallant enterprise, and' consumed with anxiety concerning the fate ot the aviators. 'Hie Government was severely blamed for not baying arranged a naval patrol to put the Britishers oil hs : S afo a footing as their American competitors. It is seldom that the sorne--1 what phlegmatic imagination of the ' British race lias been so deeply stir- ' ,ed. In the outcome, despite Hawker’s ; spectacular failure, the honour for which he strove was won 'for Britain. The Americans put one of their planes ’ across the Atlantic by stages, in the , May attempt, but in the following month Brown and Aloock succeede< ’ where Hawker bad failed and drove si ' Vickers-Vimv from St John’s, Newfoundland. to the const of Ireland without mishap. It is the tragedy of Haw- ; kcr’s career that lie goes to Ins grave with no great completed flight to his ' ■ credit, and without the honours which ! more fortunate men have won m similar endeavours. But his name will not be forgotten. It will go down in history for all time as that of the mail who bore a leading share in the first , attempt to bridge the Atlantic m “one K long skip.” The measure of his failure I is the measure of tli,, greatness of his . attempt.

liberations in favour of reducing armaments. for Midi a refusal would ensure unanimous disapproval and invito more sunnily than Japan would care to encounter. There was during the Great War a great deal of talk among Allied statesmen as to how the harden of armaments would be enormously reduced after the war. No doilht these predictions were sincere it they had no other warrant; bnt the fact that they were made establishes a strong ■eason why an attempt should be made to realise those predictions. President Harding will, we may hope, at the very least create an atmosphere in favour of reduced armaments, and if the people’s of the nations concerned are sufficiently in favour of this giant stride in the progress of civilisation a large measure of disarmament will in time be broug.it about.

Tun ICnglish speaking raw is a K reat sport, loving one, and the various national games in full swing have theii many votaries who follow in their thousands and thousands the course of the sport, be it racing, cricket, tennis or football. At Home, the progress of the Australian cricket team is being followed with world-wide interest, and tlio marvellous performances of the elect of Australia are the themes of much comment. Racing, tennis and other sports have their votaries, but in New Zealand at the moment, the national game of football has more than usual interest t<> its many followers by the visit of the Pout'll African team of Rugby footballers. wlw opened their New Zealand ..tour at Wanganui on Wednesday last. The Springboks, though they managed to score a win, had only a five points

Tin; eyes of the British-speaking world are turned to London, with more than usual interest at the present time in view of the momentous conference to he held between H*n. Lloyd George and .Mr de Valera, to discuss a possible settlement that will end the present disastrous conditions in Ireland. Whatever the view Mr Lloyd George and his colleagues may hold of the ethics and justice of the Irish case, they have

victory, but they liavo bad a lot ot travelling, and could hardly bo expected to have put up their best performance. Th„ games of: the next few weeks will see them pitted against the nick of New Zealand, and the team will have to be a. strong one that will be able to lower the coirs of New Zealand’s best, the standard of play in the main centres of the Dominion during the present season being generally recognised as being a very high one.

now come to a stage at which they that the continuance of the embroglio across the Bristol Channel is affording a convenient handle to every Anglophobe in America and on the continent. and is doing a vast amount of damage to Britsh prestige and reputation for firm and just government. The reprobation b.v honest Englishmen at home and overseas of certain unsavoury phases of the attempt to change Ireland's opinions by force did not apparently cause the Coalition many qualms, but foreign opinion is another matter. Not only this, hut the Irish situation is proving both expensive and disturbing at a time when the nation demands economy and the interests of the Coalition call for a quieter domestic outlook. It ma v be taken therefore, that Ireland will get any settlement within the hounds of reason upon whileh [lister and the South can agree, dot because the Government thinks she deserves it, but because everyone is tired of the conflict. The Irish question has arrived at a point where an answer must be found because present conditions are intolerable. If Ireland can suggest a method for her self-govern-ment which will not upset the British Constitution or outrage the rest of the Empire the details need not lie too closely criticised. Tnk tragic and untimely death of Mr Harry Hawker at the age of .‘ll years is a great loss to the world of aviation. in which the young Australian was a famous and brilliant figure. Hawker was horn in Victoria in 1890. and after leaving school became a motor mechanic. Tn 1911 he went to England where he attracted the notice of Air T. Sopwith, the wen-Known designer and builder of aeroplanes, who gave the young Australian an appointment in his factory. A year later Hawker lento fly, and three months after gainim his pilot's certificate he established the British duration record with a fli'dtf of 8 hours 28 minutes. Tn 1918 his name first came into great prominence in connection with nn attempt to entirely circumnavigate the British Tsles by air. Hawker completed 1040 miles of his journey, and then came down in the sea, whence he was rescued with some difficulty. Six years later he became the object of world-wide eoncernfor three days owing to the sensational failure of his attempt, in association with Commander Grieve, to make the first non-stop flight of the Atlantic Ocean. The circumstances must be so fresh in the minds of all our renders that onlv a brief recital of them ; nese.ssnPv. The TMiited States naval air branch commenced on May 18th., 1919. n four-barrelled attempt to win tin* honour of the first Atlantic crossing by air. The American programme involved a break of the joomcv at the Azores and another in Spain, before reaching Britain, and Hawker, who had conceived the daring idea of a non-stop flight 'from Newfoundland to the Irish const, was so jealous for his country's reputation that he insist'd on starting the same day as the Americano, despite unfavourable weather conditions find eprpdtjprfibis worn for doiiM

The Westland branch of the Automobile Asaoeiaton meet at the Cou >ty Chambers to-night at 8 o'clock. •‘Mow frequently would you say your husband was drunk?” queried counsel in a maintenance ease at N\ellington. •‘Usually about once a week,” replied the witness. “Oh, surely,” interposed Mr K. K. Hum. S.M., “that’s not out of the way. is it?” “Too often for me,” replied the witness decisively. A salesman pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court (says the “Manawatii Times”) to stealing Cl" los from the firm he represented, and to stealing 20s'from a letter belonging to a convent. Ho was admitted to probation for three years. At the same sitting of the court, a. man who stifle it pair of boots while under the influence of liquor, was sentenced to three months’ h'ard labotit. Some excitement was caused on the Devonport (Auckland) wharf bv a fight between two intoxicated sailors, one receiving a knock-out which sent him reeling against the side guard rail, with the result that lie fell over into the, water. Luckily the tide was dead low at the time, and not being out of bis ( le>ith ho was easily hauled back on to the wharf by means of a lifebuoy. Then the set-to was resumed, but was summarily ended by some comrades intervening before further trouble arose. 'Phe amount of good food that finds its way into the refuse bins of many public institutions is amazing,’ said Professor Helen llawson, of Dunedin, in giving evidence before the Hospitals Commission. “It is due in the first instance to lack of skill in supervising stores and in calculating the amount of food required, but it is also true that care is required to prepare palatable and digestible made-over dishes, and rather than take the extra trouble, the inefficient cook will discard the food the waste is feeing carefully watched. The waste of food, through wrong methods of cooking and the dissatisfaction throughout the institution, when the food is badly cooked are a challenge to the authorities in charge.” She had seen instances where the waste of foodstuffs had been shown to equal the salary of a skilled food supervisor. The greatest sale we over held, tiio greatest bargains w c ever presented to the purchasing public; our great fne salvage sale is a great value giving event. The low prices are possible onlv because we had the ready cash to buy at a discount of 33*% the salvage stocks from Heyward’s big Christchurch five. Do lCftt, pay double the price-: elsewhere. Opportunity knocks, busy now. MoGruer and Co. Hokit: —Advt. The welcome slump in price hns come at last. So while it lasts you will always find our price the lowest. Thou sands of pounds worth are being sacrificed by us, to make room for thousands more bargains already secured from the worlds markets, Visit Schroder jmd Co, It will pay for Children's Ho eking Cottgh, t-renf Vepporminf Tipr,

North Island mails by the Maori connected with the West Coast express at Christchurch this morning.

Messrs M. Houston and Co. will hold an auction sale of 300 opossum skins at the mart on Wednesday next at 2.30 p.m.

To-night! To-night! At the Supreme Hall the Kiwi Football Club’s dance. Dancing commences at 8 o’clock sharp. Good music. Good floor. Admission Is. Advt.

r l’he funeral of the late Mr Robert McGlone took place to Kumara cemetery on Thursday, ther c being a large attendance of mourners. The Rev. Father Bonetto conduct the service at the graveside. At a meeting of the Buller Hospital Board this week, the balance sheet, rotbrned by the Audit Department was received. There was a “tag” in regard to contributions from Medical Associations being treated as voluntary. The Audi.tor-General wrote on the question and stated the subject was being considered by the Hospitals Commission. The advantages of the Alfa Laval Cream Separator over any other method or separator are so great that every fanner who has cream to separate, be it from one cow or a hundred, it is the machine that will save him money. The West Coast Agents are Harley and Co. Ltd. Oreymouth who sell those popular separators tor cash or on easy terms; also the Anderson oil engines and Fletcher Milking Machines.

'Explaining the non-appearance of the display of meteors which was predicted for the end of last month, Professor K. \V. Segar, writes in the “Herald”—The expected star-shower did not eventuate. It appears from literature recently arrived that it was hardly expected in consequence of later observations and calculations. Thus “Nature” of May 12, says: “Comet T’ons-Winnecke has been deviating from the predicted path with unexpected rapidity, and the following revised orbit has been deduced from observations on April 12, IC, ,u 'd 26. . . Tt will be noticed that, the perihelion point is placed well outside the earth’s orbit, which makes the tccurrence of a meteor shower somewhat doubtful.”

A message was sent to the observatory at Apia, Samoa, a few days ago, asking for a report on the earthquake which shook New Zealand on the morning ot June 29th. The result is a cable message, received by the Government Seismologist (Dr C. E. Adams) on Saturday, stating that the Samoan experts calculnto.l from their records that the disturbance originated approximately 26 degrees south of Apia. A few days alter'the earthquake, it was reported from Sydney that the Riverton Observatory records indicated that, the point of origin was 40 miles southeast of Napier. Whatever the exact position was, it was too close for any reliable deduction to Tie made from the records obtained in New Zealand. An exciting incident occurred on the King’s wharf, Auckland, when two horses, drawing a wagon-load of produce, got beyond control and went over the far side of the wharf, tine of the animal* being drowned. The. vehicle, which was owned by the Farmers’ 1 nion Trading Company, was in charge of Mr 15. Gwynne w ho was backing his team on the wharf,' w' eu the animals suddenly Look iright ami •> ihled over the gunwale against which J e wheels came to a standstill, the horses remaining in mkl air. Meanwhile the driver managed to jump clear and with the assistance of a number of willing hands the harness was cut away from the wagon, which allowed the horses to drop into the harbour. One of them managed to get clear'of the centre pole and its harness, luu the other was not so fortunate, !U „1 was drowned. The free animal swam toward the Northern wharf, and was brought hack to the King’s wharf by Mr B. Bonnycook, who had dived over the wharf after it. A horse box was lowered into the water and after it had been partly submerged the horse was swum into it. and it was hauled on to the wharf. The lost animal was valued at L'liib

Messrs Wilson and Canham, btd.. the well-know firm of exporters draw the attention of fanners and butchers to the fact that they have taken over the business of Mr A. Mathieeon and Co., of Grey month. The new firm are buyers and direct exporters of hides, calfskins, sheepskins, tallow etc., lor which commodities they are prepared to pay cash at highest market rates and they solicit consignments. Messrs Wilson and Canham Ltd., are a Canadian Firm with Headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, and they have a large number of branches throughout Australia and New Zealand. Their advertisement appears in another column. Advt.

For the weekly family wash use six ounces of the pure Golden Rule Cocoanut oil soap with one small packet of “NO RUBBING” Laundry Help. Result will make you fairly skip for joy. —Wm Perry and Co., wholesale agents for “NO RUBBING.” For Coughs and Colds, never fails. Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. The sensation of the season; great fall in Homo prices. Schroder’s ready money having secured enormous concessions, are now able to place thousands of pounds worth of bargains at lower price than any other firm. Inspection invited. Schroder and Co. —Advt.

When baby snuffles or sneezes, sprinkle pillow or nightgown with “NAZOL” Instantly relieves and soothes.