AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1927, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

FAAIIILY ENDOWMENT. NEAV SOUTH WALKS SCHEME. SYDNEY. Feb. 24. It looks as though the family endowment scheme, assuming that the Upper House does liot throw it out or materially amend it, will benefit materially only a comparatively small section of tile community after all. It is estimated that of the 330.000 heads of households iu the State, 125.000, although married have no children. They are definitely outside the scope of the Bill. There are 58,300 who have only one child, which nTeans that they will get an extra 5s a week, if the child happens to he under 14, and the bread-winner is earning less than £304 a year. Those who have five dependent children and over constitute only about 6 per cent of the total number of householders. The Government's volte lace over the Bill, at the lasi minute, shocked the Opposition into a bitter hilt fruitless attack. The Bill, in its original form, definitely excluded children who are the inmates of charitable institutions. Now it is seeking to bring them within the scheme. The attitude of the Opposition is that it is merely •1 sinister move bv the Government, to embody in the Statute Book, as an obligation by law, the principle ot ,State an! to certain denominational institutions. That the Upper House will reject at least this proposal, is net at If 11 improbable since these children nro already provided lor, not by Act of Parliament, however, hut under the Estimates.

SYDNEY’S LATEST PICTURE THEATRE. SYDNEY, Feb. 24

Looking round Sydney, one Atoukl imagine that it had ample picture shows to meet the tastes and the needs of lovers of the "movies.” But apparenlly there is room for yet another one, and one that promises t 1 he the most imposing of them all. It is L> cost more than £400,000 to build and equip, and will be the first of a chain of "super theatres” to he built in the Australian capital cities at ail outlay of more than €2,00(1,OOP. The fact that it- is to he known, as the State Theatre may ho against it, fur the public may instinctively associate it with some form of Government enterprise, and State ventures, at least in some of the States, have not earned the best of reputations for the Governments which have supported them. The conception of this new “movie” mansion is to he formed upon the styles of the Louis XIA T . and Lotti-s NA’I. periods of architecture. Internally, the theatre will he treated in the French Renaissance spirit. The accommodation for more than 4000 people will include 1000 lounge seats. Even those whose pecuniary circumstances compel them to go up into the "gods” will he luxuriously sealed. Even another Richmond in the field is not likely to interfere seriously with the takings of the existing picture shows, for they are crowded day and night;-. The' spectacle of people waiting outside ill esc shows in a- queue at an early hour of the morning, in order to make sure of a seat at night, is not uncommon .