AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1923, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. N.S.W. MINERS. SYDNEY, June 23. The conference of the miners and the coal owners to settle the Northern coal dispute lias opened in camera. The miners at Redhead Colliery, at Newcastle, numbering four hundred, ceased work to-day over a dispute concerning the rates of pay. POVERTY IN M ELBOFRNE. SYDNEY. June 1 t. One of the policewomen on did v in the Melbourne slums went into the pulpit of one of tlie suburban churches, and, with impressive earnestness, made a poignant appeal for the poor. She told of the squalor, poverty, and brave lights against fearful odds hv unfortunate people who had fallen by the wayside. "People who say there is no poverty in Melbourne, do not look for it,” she stated. fn many suburbs sic had found whole families living ill single rooms, forced by circumstances to eke out a miserable existence ill dirt mid squalor. The children suffered most. In some homes she had visited there was no food, excem hits of broken bread, and she bad seen a woman weeping because neither site nor her children had eaten for two days. She laid particular stress upon eases of destitution following upon the illness of the breadwinner. One soldier; too weak to work, too proud to bog, had drifted into utter penury. Pleading for assistance for such unfortunate families, the policewoman gave the assurance that the gifts would not be distributed ill a haphazard manner. And. incidentally, she gave an unexpected sidelight on the generosity of the male members of the police force, fn urgent eases, she had had often to appeal to the constables for help—never once had monetary aid been withheld. Money is now pouring in [Tom people whose hearts have been touched bv the policewoman’s simple story—an appeal more effective than many of the efforts of “organised” charity. SUPPLANTING THE SERMON. SYDNEY. June 13. The recent innovation of the cinematograph in Melbourne by a clergyman of an Anglican Church is being boldly emulated by one of his Congregational brethren. The minister - the Rev. C. Watts, of the Carlt: n Congregation,al Church -has started with week-night cinema tog! null d’spkiys and community singing in his church, and the first of these last Friday night attracted a large gathering, which lifted up its voices “"Who’ll Conic a Waltzing with Matilda- titul Me?' v The “Torchv” picture, "The Good Provider’’, was screened, and there was a programme of songs, ini] ersiuiations and violin s Jos. all by professional artists.

“What we want.” said Mr Watts, “is to give people good stuff niui to make them dissntisiiod when they got poor stud' elsewhere. There is nothing religious about the show, and no collection for church funds or anything else—nothing but sixpence admission, and that simply pays the artists’ lees. People in this country do not care for sermons: we are going to give them matures instead— good pictures, too; but with a moral in them. Religion is not for Sundays only. It by music and pictures we can influence people during I consider that wo are doing our duty, tin Tuesdays there are to be children's comerts, and on one Sunday a month the sermon will lie illustrated by moving pictures.”