MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1926, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

[Australian & N.Z. Calle Association.] GEELONG SINGER. LONDON, Juno 24. Mr John Brownlie, of Geelong, Australia made a striking success as “Marcello” in the porformpnee of “La Boheme.”' at Covent, Garden Theatre to-night, though he was the only non-Italian in the east and had never played previously in that language. nor had he played in a full performance. He sang beautifully, and acted the artist with delightful gaiety. A Ihrge house warmly acclaimed his performance. AN ITALIAN- CAMPAIGN. ROME, June 24. K is debatable if the policeman’s lot will become happier under a proposal of the Anti-Blasphemy League that the police shal be given authority to collect small fines from anybody heard swearing in the street. Royalty, tltto Pope and Mussolini are all supporting the campaign ' against blasphemy. It is expected that a Bill, on these ' lines " ill shortly he introduced.

THE REFERENDUM. MELBOURNE, June 20. The Commonwealth Council ol Federated Unions , agreed to support the referendum proposals. The Australian Workers’ Union has Taken a lead in the anti-referendum-campaign anti has prepared voluminous pamphlets which are being distributed. NEW COMPENSATION ACT. SYDNEY. June 20. The new Workers Compensation Act is viewed with alarm by sawmillers and timber operators generally. There is a’ probability a- majority will cease operations on Wednesday next when the Act comes into forc-o, thus causing serious unemployment. The most serious aspect is the liability of millers for teamsters and other bush workers, who arc contractors and arc therefore beyond the millers supervision or control. One suv. miller in Bellinger district- who employs twenty-two men •and makes Approximately six hundred •sterling from the industry decided to r-lose down, as ho finds alter paying the new insurance premiums amounting. to over '£4oo sterling he will na'e practically no profits at all. Other millers will ho similarly effected. The Retailors Trades Association have registered its own insurance coy. with a capital of one hundred thousand. The. manager of the company formed by the chamber cf manufacturers states his company has resolved to reduce the disease rate from 40s per cent decided upon by the Underwriters Association to 20s and v, ill review the position at tile end of six months, with a view to seeing il Luther reduction of rates is possible.

A COURT SENSATION. AUCKLAND, June 2o

There w'as a sensation at the Police court when Mr Singer, appearing for a woman charged for assaulting John Henry Hannan, asked Air Poynton, S.AL, to vacate the bench •.uid to let one of the other three Magistrates take the ease.

“In conseC|euncc of some remarks passed by Your Worship,” said counsel, “it seems that you have some leaning; T will not say to what side.” Mr Poynton interrupted, saying that he had no leaning toward anyone.

Mr Singer said he bad a feeling that Air Poynton might he wTiat might he called biassed.

Air Poynton : “If T am biassed before a. case is heard, I am unfit- to be a Afagistrate.” He added that he was a friend of Hannan’s, and admired him in many ways, hut lie had given judgment against him, and .would do so agai n, if necessary.

Aft:r nrolonged argument, the ease was taken by Air I’oynton.

After the scene between Air Singer and Mr Poynton. the .Magistrate ordered the case to proceed, and, after hearing evidence, c-nnvieted Alarngert Denver cf assaulting Hannan.

At the request of Air Singer, the Magistrate ii|ide the fine Co Is, to allow of all appeal.

A UCKLA X!) T, OTTERTES. A r'f'Kr. A XD. .T«iift 25. At tin' Police ('curt, AA'il fml Henry Skoalcs was charged that he hail posed of personal property, a fancy necklet, lo Detective White hy elmnee. and hy the sale of a packet con la injur; a ticket, whirl) was taken from a number of packets. Detective JT) immond said that the • town was literally swamped with these lotteries during the past few weeks. Counsel for defendant said that lour other traders had disposed of stock iu this way before Skeates adopted the idea, And yet no exception had been taken. Detective Hammond said that there was one other scheme before that of SkentcsV, in which the Y.AY.C.A. was interested. Defendant was lined £lO and costs. Alfred Henry Bur ridge was cl urged with selling a “surprise packet,” and Robert Barns with disposing of toilet soap by chance and by the sale of a packet. Counsel for the defence did not deny that the scheme was a lottery or that a ticket was sold hy Burrige, who was one of a syndicate of John Burns and Coy’s employees, assisting in a good cause. Ho admitted that "Robert Burns, (is Managing Director, was responsible, Xo one hind received any personal benefit, the whole oi the proceeds being appropriated hy the Y.W.C.A. .Mr Boynton dismissed the charge against Burns under Section 92 of the Justices of the Peace Act. The Magistrate fined Burrige £1 and costs. He said that these causes .vere becoming a great shelter for such lotteries. The principle was a vicious one.. In future people who ran these lotteries must be punished more severely.

MEDICAL RESEARCH. WELLINGTON. June 2d. \ In reply to the Premier’s request for reasons for a medical research institute and how the money will he expended, the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association has forwarded a reply, ft urges a wait and see policy, to escape the cost of investigation on our own account is selfish and unsound, as no country would make advances if it left the work to others. New Zealand has problems of its own 1 to solve, some peculiar to this country ! and the Pacific. It is pointed out for ■ instance that 87-per cent of the school ; children have been found to have a deI feet of some kind and that during the war only 411 of every hundred men ox--1 ami lied could be accepted. In the J opinion of the Association this alone is I enough to confirm the demand for an institute of/preventive medicine, hut ! there are others. A list- of 18 directions is given in which research should , be made. Among them are diphtheria. | which has lately become epidemic in ' New Zealand, the food problem, goitre, j tuberculosis, diabetes, child welfare, | maternal mortality disorders and canct*r. ! . ‘ SOLDIER SETTLER’S MISFORTUNE , MASTERTON. June 25. A four-roomed house on Tewhiti Soldier Settlement, owned and occupied by H D Thorpe, was. totally destroyed bv /fin. last night. Thorpe, with his wife and two children, left home early in the evening to scrub out an-

other house, to which they contemplated moving, and while there, they observed their home in flames. Nothing could then be done to check the progress of the fire, and everything perished, the Thorpes being left with only the clothes they stood up in. The house and contents were insured, but the amounts are unknown. A dance was being held in a nearby County Hall, and the dancers subscribed ten pounds for the distressed family.

LYYTELTON BALLOT. CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 25

As the result of a stop-work meeting held at. Lyttelton on AVednsday, which was addressed by Air J. Glover and Air J. Roberts, of the N.Z. Watersiders Federation, a ballot is to be taken next week as to whether the offer of the- employers of lid per hour increase, provided the men consent, to work on Saturday afternoons, shall bo accepted. A previous ballot resulted in tho offer being declined although ll was accepted at all the other ports. WIRELESS. AUCKLAND, June 20. Following experiments carried out v the Marino Department two or three years ago wireless set- and direction finding apparatus will lie installed at Cape Maria Van Diemen on an official visit of the steamer Tutanekai to northern lighthouses in about a fortnight. in view of a dangerous nature of the coast- line in the vicinity. Tho apparatus should prove of great benefit to vesels which will be able to gauge their correct whereabouts during heavyfogs or storms.

NORFOLK ISLAND. AUCKLAND, Juno 26. The increasing popularity of Norfolk Island as a- tourist resort is indicated by the fact that the Hineinoa, which left Auckland yesterday, carried a record number of passengers totalling 39. Tho vessel in normal circumstances is capable of accommodating only- 35 persons, but since her arrival from Niue Island earlier in the week extensive additions have been carried out and cabins erected on deck in addition to those already in use. The hookings for the. July trip are already heavy and it is anticipated accommodation will again he taxed to the utmost.