DEAF CLUB AT DINNER

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14327, 12 April 1912, Page 7

DEAF CLUB AT DINNER

In strange silence, seldom broken I except by the mild clatter of knives nntl forks, a party of oyer a hundred men and women dined at the ConJ naught Rooms. London, recently. They vr r< ? £! 10 members of thc National Beat Club aud their friends. It. was «- least of silence. Toasts wero pro--1 wed and responded to silently, though •loquently, in the finger-sign and lipmovement language ot tho deaf and dumb. Conversation. which never flagged, was carried on in the same Every subject of topical interest whs discussed in unspoken words. New plays, new hooks, the coal crisis. Parliamentary and sporting news were debated with eager interest. Jokes were passed with exhilarating frequency, amusing stories Provoked ..miles and gestures of de""tit. .\ luippier and more contented l ir »rty never n.-sembled anywhere. The v, "ry silence itself seemed full of clomicnce ,-md animation. A happy little speech was made in finger language by Mr A. J. Wilson, the president of'th? club, who has been deaf ynee he was twelve. For thc benefit of thoso not conversant with this Method, his .speech was interpreted in •no oral system hv tho club's chairman,. Mr M. S. Fry. Amid applause from the company. Mr "Wilson conveyed to them his pleasure that women had been invited to the dinner and the club had decided to form a ""■omen's section. The National Deaf Club, which was formed six years ago, J s confined entirely to deaf persons, even the managing* officials being deat.

MAIMING NON-UNIONISTS. At the criminal sitting:* of the District Court at Brisbane Inst week' James Munro was arraigned on a charge that on February 2bt last, he attempted to procure certain persons to do grievous bodily harm to non-unionists and special constable, and with havine rondo use 0 f scditiour, language. Acting Sergeant O'Suilivan deposed to having attended a meet tno on th" evening of February 21st in tho Valley. Dctondant in the course of a speech -said: --"As organiser for the A.M.A., J have been through the north. 1 tell you as unionists you are justified in forcing non-unionists to join your unions. "When in Broken Hill 1 asked old miners how it wpr ov-ryon? there belonged to a union. 'Boy.' said an old man. 'if « man rofu.=es to join, nnd we exhaust all moral suasion, and he still '.eelinps to join, ho meets with an accident.' In Sydney I put » similar question to a whan'-bibcurer. The wharflabourer scud:--We ask a man to join the union. If be persists in declining to join, then something hai-roii.- bint. Something seems to fall on bin:, or he gets pushed overbo-rd." " Tho defendant continued :--•'[ say if a mnn will not join a union, we ~r e 'notified in dealing w'th hi«t ns the Broke.. Hill r-ine-s and the .'<vd.ncy whnrf-lnbou-f-s do—drop romethimr on },jm. give bi m a rokc. or nnsh him ov-rboard. If a girl ro?u.v\s to join a onion, put something in her way so that she w>'| fall over it and break her neck. If you .mopon to be workiiv. alongside a m'-n who has been n vr>eci:-i constable, don't forge* to treat bint ns the Sydney wh..H'-.,.ho!iic'.-..- treated the non-union-ists'.."