NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 January 1918, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

TRAm AND MOTOR. SMASH ON A LEVEL CROSSING. HAWERA, Jan 6. A serious collision occurred on the South Road railway crossing on Saturday aJternoon between a motor-car driven by Captain Macdiarmid, N.Z. M.C., Fcatherston, formerly of Taihape, and the outgoing train to Wanganui. Mrs Macdiarmid, mother of Captain Macdiarmid, was also in the car. The cowcatcher of the engine struck the car in the centre and carried it along the line for a distance of 30 or 40 yards, throwing pants on to the banks. Mrs Macdiarmid was rendered unconscious, and was taken to a private hospital in the motor-ambulance. No bones are broken, but she is badly bruised. She is progressing favourably. Captain Macdiarmid escaped unhurt. When the driver of the train observed the car ho promptly applied the brakes, but v was not able to avoid a collision It seems that Captain Macdiarmid did not see the train approaching until within a few yards of the crossing, which is a bad one. The car was smashed almost beyond recognition* The occupants had a miraculous escape.

CHILDREN AND THE PICTURES. VIGOROUS CENSORSHIP WANTED WELLINGTON, Jan 6. Picture entertainments were mentioned at a late stage in the proceedings of the New Zealand Educational Institute conference, when -Mr F. A. Garry 1 (Hawke's Bay) moved the followingl motion:—"That this institute views with grave concern the : immoral influence of many of the pic:ture films:-now shown in New'; Zealand, and in the iterests of the young urges thej Government' to*'Set up a more vigorous l 'censorship overjfcbns which glorify crime and animal passions. In doing so, Mr Garry dealt earnestly .with possible grave results to young people by the exhibition or those films, winch Be divided into "trashy" an~d> ''immoral." Miss R. Jy Hodgson (Hawke's Bay), in seebneing the' motion, advocated that 'n'd young person under 16 should be : allowed to see a picture programme unless it had been previously passed by a committee.

Mr W. Eudey (Dunedin) said in regard to "educative" films that they were hardly educative, as they moved so rapidly that a child could not grasp the real meaning. Mr A. J Hall urged that attention migit be given to hoardings outside the picture palaces, which, he said, were the worst of the lot.

The motion was carried unanimous-