SAN FRANCISCO NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1915, Page 6

SAN FRANCISCO NOTES.

KTEENATIONAI PBESS CONGRESS. (By Geo, P. Armstrong). A congress of over one thousand men and women connected with the Press was held at the Exposition from July •5 to Id, at which 20 nations were represented, and those from foreign lands expressed themselves in English, One of the first speakers of note was Mr. W. J. Bryan (who recently resigned from the Cabinet), editor of "The Commoner," Nebraska. He favored signed articles, and also said that where an editorial appeared in connection with railroads or municipal matters the writer should state what interest he or the proprietor had in It. Mr. Mark Cohen, of the Evening Star, Dunedin, was amongst the leading speakers, and in his address stated that he had been on one paper for fifty years. As the chairman of the delegation from the most distant outpost of the Britisb Empire, he hoped to learn much, and return stored with useful information and a high conception of ideals for the betterment of-mankind. Referring to the duty that New Zealand ha'd dene in the war, lie said that the people were grateful for the help that America had given to the Belgian sufferers, and also expected that the States would have done something te try and stop the war. Mr. Robert Bell, of Ashburtan, received the commemorative scroll on behalf of the Press Congress, and he also read the report of the committee, of which he was chairman.

Mr. McCuliough, of the Thames Star, gave a brief address, in which he gave the dalient features of New Zealand as regards climate, laws, etc., also pointin" out the high standing of the Press. Captain J. W. Neisigb, of Sydney, read an interesting paper on "The minimum wage for journalists and its effects upon Australian journalism, explaining how the position of the writers has been improved, which is in marked contrast to the ruling rates of pay in the States. The following are a few sentences taken from the various speeches:— I It is impossible for an editor to match all colors. Iu some places owners of papers arc too poor to hold stocks. Spanish was the first language heard in America. The news of to-day will be the history of to-morrow. There is too much conflicting matter to write editorials, and those who do perplex their readers. It takes courage to risk meat before morals. There is too much cvangelis»tfSn of the dollar.

With a free Press, society will look after itself. If the eyes of the Press are closed society will deteriorate. A Japanese said he understood that editors wield the pen, but when he got to the Congress he disovered that they could wield the tongue. The mission of the old reporter was to know when hell was going to break out, and have a reporter there. The new journalism is to know where heaven is to be found, and have a reporter there to promote it. If your paragraphs do not glow, your fire must have gone out. If there is not much pulse in your writing there is not much life. We do not complain against sensational news; it is the false sensation that we object to. Tile best journalism is a sense of social service, on which the big newspaper of to-morrow will be built. Journalism tends to become a matter of capital. Newspapers' fath«m th« mind of the average man. Some newspapers die of impaired circulation. Newspapers will go on improving, but they may decline in size. When the Bible ceases to supply news it will jo out of print. China's oldest paper is 4000 years old. The revolution in China was started by the Press. Americans don't want the advice: "Have a due conceit of yourself."

Messrs Cohen and Bell were appointed to represent New Zealand at tlie next Congress, which will be. held in Sydney in MS. For the Congress in 1021 an invitation haa been received to go to Athens. Mr. Walter Williams, dean of Hie School of Journalism of the University of Missouri, who organised the Congress, was elected president, and a very able man he is. What might be described as the "lighter side of journalists" was to be seen when the local Press people ente'tained the visitors, which consisted in trips round the Day. afternoon reco'j'Vms, dances, a trip and trolley ride and luncheon at Oakland, and last, but not least, a Press Club stunt, at which the male journalists only we.'e admitted. The evening resembled a night of '4O. in which vaudeville shows, b'g log fires, roulette tables, miners and Chinese wandering about, roast "turkey, ham aud aJe in plenty, aud everyone having a big night out.

A TTMAKU PARSON'S TROUBLE, A CLTARCR Afi.A.IXST NEW ZEALAND. When the Marama arrived the other day there was on board the Rev. James Chappie, his wife and thirteen children. The story he told to the pressmen was that the New Zealand Government refused to aHow him to express his views on the war freely in his sermons, and finally threatened him with arrest, which was his reason for coming to California. The clergyman stated that the police prevented him from delivering his seimon on "New Zealand as a Peace~loving Republic," but that two weeks later he delivered it under a changed title, ''New Zealand Ideals." The cost of the voyage is put down at £3OO. and the names and ages of the children are given. In one of the Sunday papers a photo of the parents and children is given, with the statement that as they had to leave New Zealand they are settling in Berkeley, where he hopes to secure a pastorate and get some farming for his family, Mr. Mark Cohen, editor of the Dunedin Star, denied the statement that nnyone would be driven from Now Zealand on account of religious or political views. ''We allow perfect freedom of speech." said the New Zealand Press delegate, "and if Chappie left the Dominion it was of his own accord. The only regulation on street speaking was the usual traflic ordinance against gathering crowds on busy corners."

OOXWDE'XCK MEN IN TRISCO. 'HVO OTAOO MEX'S V.S.PE RIEXCKS. It is not an umisu.il iliing for fanners to 1)0 the victims of men who live on their wits, and nlthnujyh tlie two Otajro squatters lost nothing in tueir recent acquaintance with three sharpers, their experieaea will not bo aopn forg'oV

ten, and may serve as a lesson to other» to beware of strangers when they commence to talk about money and rich relations who have died. On the last trip of the Niagara Jamos and Thomas Howell, sheep farmers, of Waipiata and Lea Stream respectively (Dunedin), arrived in Vancouver, and after putting in a few weeks in Netv York and ether places, arrived in San Francisco to sec the greatest show on IW3 earth. On July 10 they visited Cook's tourist office in Market street, and while waiting to receive attention fell into conversation with a stranger, who said that he came from Auckland. The stranger eompkuned about his hotel accommodation, and a iter ascertaining from Howclls where they were living, decided to go there, and occupied a room next to them. Tliey were about together on Sunday, and on Monday morning they went to Jefferson Park, as the stranger said he was getting a trotting horse to take back to New Zealand, and wanted tiiem to have a look over the horse. Whilst walking in the park a man in front of them dropped a letter, and Jas, Howell picked it up and gave it to him, for which he profussly thanked Howell. This stranger also got into conversation, and said his name wast Pat O'Connor, claiming to have been left .1 fortune of £300,000 by an uncle in England. O'Connor stated that in

the will there was a clause that &60.000 was to be spent among the poor. He had already paid away large sums in Wales for the poor colliers, and as some of the fortune was made in New Zealand he would like some of it spent there. O'Connor produced a newspaper to show that a law suit had. been held in which , a negress claimed to be his uncle's wife and wanted the fortune, hut that the court ruled it out, and the money thus came to Pat. ; JJrank. Thomas, the first stranger, agreed fhaV some of the money should go to New" Zealand, whereupon O'Connor asked the Howells if they would undertake to distribute it. James agreed, but his brother declined, and as O'Connor wanted two men, Thomas offered to act ,as one. In order to show that these two men

Were worth trusting, O'Connor wanted them to show a guarantee of £5060 each. Thomas said lie would eahle to New Zealand for the money, and after ' being away for a few minutes returned, as he said, from the telegraph office. Howell then said lie would cable also, and Thomas was kind enough to draft the cable for him te sign, and paid £2 for it. When the Howells retired to their room that nijht they became suspicious and told a detective, who at once said they were in the hands of "confidence'' men. About 11 that night Howell set out for the telegraph office *to tell his bankers in Dunedin not to

send the money, when he was met on the stairs by the detective, with a man', whom he wanted identified. It turned out to be Thomas. The next morning Detective O'Connell asked the Howells to go into the street to look at a man who was watching their hotel. The detective and the Howells boarded a car and went to Jefferson Park, and when they got off the third Btrangcr (F. Stewart) also got off, and from his attitude the detective arrested him. Being disguised as a tramp, the detective lay about the park, and noticing a man cutting up a magazine into sizes of bank-notes, asked him what ue was> doing, to which he repled: "Oh, I saw some German war news, and I am cuttil g the Masted thing out." Alongside of him was a bag containing some forged notes, amounting to £SO. This was enough for the detective, and he arrested the man, who turned out to be "Pat O'Connor," who is known to tho police as "Lord Gordon." The three arrested men were eventually got to admit that they knew eacli other. They were brought before the Court and committed for trial. It is understood that when the swindlers see a man with money they work the game so veil that they relieve the confiding man of his cash. In this case Howell was not going to handle the money, but intended to prove his worth through the bank. Howell received a cable from his bankers saying that the money would be sent on proper identification.