AUCKLAND NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1932, Page 6

AUCKLAND NOTES

(From our own Correspondent)

. The Williamson Imperial* Grand Opera Company have ha-d a very suc/Cvtgful seaijon here; go successful that I understand a return visit is to be made: Before the close of* the season' it was stated there had been 30,000 people present at the performances. Evidently there /is still some money about. To ' meet the times, however, the management had arranged r-.pecink price copee-ssion-s, and those who were prepared; to put up- with a certain amount ’of discomfort—standing, in queues, etc- —were enabled to jjsteri to first-biafs. music, and witness resilistn arid’o'ifagic acting for a very' modest ** * «

The Reimiera - got' away, yesterdayafter, .five days’ detention owing to the strikesn—'with a- full cargo of butter, .cheese, frozen meat, etc. The position regarding the- -‘-.‘strikes” is somewhat obscure; The riaflgjitermen having, ire.fured the .employers'; terms' a call for. labour was made and met with prompt response,, s-o tho stoppage so far . s-s the freezing works were concerned -wo: of short duration, -The waterside workers then stepped in and dec! ned to handle -the cargo. This attitude they almost immediately abandoned, however, ' and loading operations proceeded. Whether any of the unionists- wht went -pm strike i- are now working.-I don’t know., but officially t,he Slaughternjen’s Union appears to still • declare the strike, on, and states it is- not prepared to accept the employers’ conditions. What the eventual developmeats will •be it is hard .to say, But there is; a feeling that -wiser • counue will prevail, and that the fact that

-ere are some 70,000 unemployed nner. who are just able to exist on the bare isu-stgiance which the Employment Bbard is -able to- provide’, -may- have a sphering effect on those irresponsible ’ hotheads ' w,ho, if' they had their way would- involve the country in industrial turmoil. ■; . ... - ( ■

■At the annual- meeting rif the Auckland Provincial Employers' Association hold this week, the annua! report showed that -during the yoar. nearly .£ hundred firms. of employers belonging to ( the:!Association had gone- out, of business. The President ;(Mr Spence) said'the system- of wage fixing by.. Am bit ration Court, awards: had proved quite inadequate- • fa. meet the.f rapid -.- changg

in conditions ibro.ught about by the practical, cojilap&e of prices received from primary. products, and the. consequent reduction in the earning power of ; labour. . :The only fcppef vrcn for employers and . workers to get together arid pome to -some ..-mutual ...understanding regarding wages, and .working com ditions. The parties to a dispute would now be bound 1 by a bargain, m-ade he-. tween . themselves, and not an awayd imposed < hy r /,Kanr authority-.' Workers would have to. realise,- however, that, those who paid tjie wages must necessarily decide what wages ..the industry .could afford ,to pay; ,q.nd. also whom they would or. would : not- employ. Mr Dawes (vice-President). -saic 1 he believed ,it ■ was not ..the wish of employers generally - that 1 awards shoilh; be, cancelled.’ Common sense, however, demanded that; all awards should ..be ’■plfmfe-d- on an economically sound basis - ; that is that they should provide only for wages which the employers could

afford to; pay, and, reasonable restrictions which should not, as at present jso seriously handicap responsible employers as to leave them helpless ii face of the competition of tho-e not

employing labour, and. therefore u.Oi restricted in any way. It was decided that, the 'Employers' Federation be asked to take steps to obtain an authoritative pronouncement in • regal'd tc a new basic wage. t - , •

. the Department, of Agriculture cong(ders there is a possibility of building up. a- lucrative export trade in certified New Zealand seeds—rye gra"6, white clover and cocksfoot as there is growing' inquiry from overseas.

Ther© is considerable excitement just now in Auckland over the Dalhmore faith-healing mission. It appears that for some considerable time 'Mr Daliimore ha,s been allegedly affecting cure", by faith and the laying on of hands, ft °cems to have been something in the form of a religous revival, but: it is qn.b lately that it has grown .to .such ■dimensions that the Town Hall is crowded several nights a. week. The . service appears to consist <?f ..hymn* and prayers and" .an address and the reading of testimonials by the “beak At the close of . the service anyone afflicted with any ailment is. inviteu to come on the platform. Mr Dallimore then passes down the line,: touches each one, calling on Jesus to cure,,the ; sufferer. In some cases, the effect E that the mail, woman or. child as the qnki) may be immediately falls like a log on the stage,, sometimes twitching, groaning or muttering, but sometimes lying perfectly still, and apparent, y quite unconscious. After some . little time they regain eoiv s cidusness and. . mgk.e their way off the stage. Many asisert they have been miraculously cured of their ailments. The spectacle is certainly weird and. uncanny,; .Attendants are present for 'the purpose of catching those who fall, but. sometimes two or three will fall together .striking their heads heavily on the stage. The 'extraordinary phenomena cannot be questionedbut there E considerable scepticism as to whether .it is a manifestation. of Divine .power of heeling—or,, whether it is- simply hypnotjsm. . #

Mo* Dallimone declares it is a di: jot answer to pi'ayor,, and. .claims that he has by this moans, qnd .the poiycr of. faith, cured a cow which was par-

alySE'd in the hind; quarto,is, rondwured a sick rooster. A committee has been set up to make full; enquiry into tlie-,-.cares reported and from present indications ip would appear a, long and-,, somewhat heated controversy is likely to .develop. • The fact that some oonsbns arpea.r to le quit© unaffected by the gofi’er exercised by-—ow throm/h —Alr.Dallimore rather (strengthens the belief that it is .a .form of hypotism. The committee of enquiry consists of representatives of religions, medical and legal men. The leg‘>l aspect rf course is.whether any of thoee who might suffer injury, through a heavy fill 1 on .the stage or otherwise when going down under ‘‘the power.” would have?; a .(‘sse for damages against The person through, or by whom the “power” was exercised. T hp, is, .financed by.- voluntary , contributions.