GENERAL CABLES.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 January 1928, Page 2

GENERAL CABLES.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.' MELANESIAN MARRIAGE SYSTEM LONDON. Jan. 2. “lake a hint from the Melanesian marriage system.’” was the outstanding proposal of Captain Pitt Rivers, author of various papers on ethnographical, psyeiiilogical and eugenic subjects, in a startling address, “Why Marriages Fail.” Before the Eugenics Society he said despite the supposedly scientific ago many married people were most ignorant of tho elementary facts of biology and psychology. In many parts of Melanesia unmarried girls were free to receive lovers. These; prenuptial intrigues served the appiwiticefehip for marriage.' Sweden had already taken this stop according to the legal recognition of unions which were outside marriage. “Our system might be modified Jf>v the form of concubinage.” He continued, “YVho knows physical training and competitive games are aften advocated as a safeguard against sexual development as though sexual anaesthesia is tho high ideal to he attained. This depreciation and repression of female sexuality is tho root of bankruptcy of Christian manogamous marriages.”

Mrs Hudson urged that emphasis should he laid not on loyalty Jiefore marriage hut on loyalty after marriage. The engagement should he regarded as something to be broken. Dame Catherine Furse said:—“Wo must create a race of parents able to give their children the requisite sex knowledge. The present knowledge should he conveyed by schools as parents were not qualified.” Miss Cole, superintendent of the .Middlesex Hospital infant welfare centre speaking on ideal clothing for babies was almost as revolutionary as Captain Pitt Rivers. She agreed wit'll wool clothing lor babies in winter time, hut in the summer it would be better to emulate the Indians. Here Miss Cole hold up a string of beads.

VICTIM TO DISEASE. LONDON. Jan. 2. Henry Head, a famous physician, is now a victim of Parkinson’s disease, a form of creeping paralysis, of which he made a lifelong study. When the symptoms appeared eighteen months ago, he retired to Donchester. He cannot write although doctors throughout the world still consult him on obst.ruso problems in neurology. Head dictates the replies to bis wife. Twenty years ago Head deliberately risked contracting paralysis by severing the nerves of his left arm near the elbow for the purpose of studying the problems of deep sensibility. He profa 'ed this experiment by a life of rigorous soil-denial. His arm healed perfectly and the present complaint is apparently due to later overwork. Head used to tell his patients they must resign themselves to sleeplessness. He says: “I am sorry now I did not quite appreciate how hard lile was for them.”

RUSSIAN TALK' OF WAR. MOSCOW, Dec. 31. The Soviet is issuing a three years’ internal loan of £10,000,000 to meet the needs of rural economy. Soviet newspaiiers, reviewing tho vear 1927. declare that the Viennese revolt and strikes generally prove that class war and the revolutionary movement outside Russia are increasing despite the treacherous feociftl Democrats. The review adds that: “Britain is preparing for war against, thd Soviet, the motherland of the world’s proletariat.”

BURIAL OF GLASGOW FIREMEN. LONDON. Dee. 31. The funeral ol the tour firemen who were killed in a tenement tiro on Christmas night was passing a Glasgow fire station when the bells rang. The sound seemed like a tribute to the dead, but the guard of honor rushed inside. The funeral procession, including hundreds of firemen, police and public representatives, halted while the engines turned out to the fire. While the bodies were being lowered into, the grave a second alarm compelled the firemen hurriedly to deposit their wreaths and rush off to duty. .MISS HOYDEN’S TOUR. NEW YORK. Jan. I. Tt is announced that the Chicago ami Boston branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church Women’s Home Missionary Society have cancelled their engagements with Miss Maude lloyden. the famous woman preacher, on the ground that she smokes and advocates companionate marriage. Miss Hoyden arrived recently for an extensive lecture tour.

The Chicago ladies pointed out “that smoking is not the general practice in this country, and is not-done at all b .* women of our churches.” Miss Royden replied: “ I do not care a button whether 1 smoke while in America, but certainly I do not concede that it is a matter of religious importance.” The tour, however, is otherwise popular. 350 applications from various religious organisations to hear Miss Royden having to he declined for lack of time.

FOUR CHILDREN KILLED. LONDON, Jan. 2. Four children aged from four years to seventeen were killed in a fire near Huddersfield when a cottage occupied by a man named Haigh, a nightwatehman, caught fire, apparently through an accident to an oil stove. The mother awoke and noticed a smell of burning. She ran- into a bedroom and awoke the eldest girl Elsie. While the mother was calling to neighbours Elsie ran back into the cottage to save her brother and sisters. Later four charred bodies were found huddled together. They had fallen from an upper room when the floor collapsed. Mrs Haigh was found wandering in the snow in a distracted condition, clad only in her niglit tire. She was badly burned and was in a state of collapse. 4 TROOPS REVOLT. PARIS. Jan. I. Shouting oaths and singing revolutionary songs, forty-seven soldiers under detention m Calvi. Corsica, revolted and barricaded themselves in their quarters. Troops and police, have surrounded the barracks. INDIAN RIOTING. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) DELHI. Jan. 3. • There is serious rioting in the Pnungde Prome District, Burma, as a sequel to a seditious movement, urging the non-payment of taxes. In defiance of the Government secret societies are forming. The police going to arrest the •seditionists were attacked by villagers. The former fired killing many. Women armed with daggers and axes took part. Police and troops are being sent to the affected area.