AUSTRALIAN.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1922, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. THEOSOPHY OR VICE. SYDNEY May 20. Mr Piddington K.C., replying to Aires' Besant, reviews the whole position regarding the allegations against Leadbeater. He says she must meet the real question as to how can she, a professed priestess of truth and inspired leader of morals, shield by her personal influence a colleague, Leadbeatcr who fias admitted teaching youth a certain vice. After dealing with evidence when the case was before the Madras Court in 1906, and traversing her previous letter, Mr Piddington concludes:—Mrs Besant’s chief colleagues here stated as late as 1913 in open Court that he still believed in teaching a detestable vice to' boys, which he had previously taught them. An English judge for this reason declared him an immoral person. Leadbeatcr is still alleged to be what an English judge said of him. Mrs. Besant has shielded leadbeatcr from enquiry, and finally Leadbeater says nothing.

Acting under Ministerial instructions the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the fullest enquiries to he made into allegations Concerning the persons connected with the Theosophical Society. Several boys have been taken to the police headquarters, and interrogated.

MEN TRY FOR SETTLEMENT MELBOURNE, May 20

Application was made by the Australian Workers’ Union to Justice Pow. ers, to defer the signing of the shearers new award until Tuesday next, to give the Australian Workers’ Union a chance to submit amendments.

WESTRA LI AN TRAGEDY. PERTH, May 25

There has been another double tragedy. Frederick French, employed bv a farmer, Andrew .Podosta. shot tile latter dead. French then took poison, and died under arrest. Ho left a statement alleging lie shot Podosta because be refused to pay money he owed him. HELP FOR RUSSIA. LONDQN, May 25. The directorate of the Russian relief notified Sir .1. Cook that Australia’s £50.000 worth of meat, gifted in .January, has reached the relief centres at Saratov, . and Butmluk four waggon loads were lost.

N.S.W. GOVERNMENT. SYDNEY. May 20

The .Minister of Works announces he is prohibiting enterprises run by the State from soliciting any business by an advertisement or by canvassing competition with private enterprise.

COMPULSORY ARBITRATION. < Received this day at 9.50 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 27

Following the lead of Melbourne, a movement is being laumhed by Sydney business men to secure a revision of the compulsory clauses of the Federal and State industrial arbitration acts. The promoters contend that before the existence ol the compulsory act masters and men occasionally had a rousing fight but on the whole, the industrial machine worked smoothly and efficiently. Since compulsory arbitration the masters and men had been enemies all the* time. An impassable barrier had Ijool] erected, making a friendly intercourse ami co-operation impossible. The industrial machine had forgotten howto work smoothly and efficiently. Losses in wages exceeded all records and the output of the industry hail diminished by over thirty per cent in the past five years. Unemployment had reached terrifying dimensions and the economic edifice was threatened with collapse. The only way to overcome these evils and make Australia pros pc roil sand happy, is to wipe out the pernicious system of compulsory arbitration.

i DEFENCE REDUCTION. : MELBOURNE, May 27. j It is stated under the new defence I scheme, (-aided on the 15th., that toial j annual cadet training establishment ! will be approximately tliirt.v-one thoui sand of all ranks, a reduction of eighty j thousand in the existing establishment.