LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 89, 12 October 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The broad issue of a clean-up of cinema films, raised by The Post, has ■given rise—as is shown by correspondence in yesterday's issue—to a narroNver question as to the merits and demerits, of a particular picture, "The End of the Road." We desire to say that when the leading article in Saturday's Post was written and published we had no idea that the conditions of exhibition of this picture were under official reconsideration! We did not know that the question of its continued exhibition on an A certificate (unrestricted) or -of its restriction to a B certificate (segregated audiences) was being officially examined. We also desire to state that .when " The End of the Road " was exhibited in Auckland, the advertisements clearly set forth that it was not shown to children aged under sixteen; so it was not exhibited in Auckland indiscriminately. Mr. Hugh D. Wilson, who wrote in yesterday's issue in' defence of the picture, lias shown us approving extracts of it from English and New Zealand papers, and approving comment by leading Auckland citizens, all of which do not shake The Post's confidence in its own judgment. It is important that the narrower question of the particular case of one picture should not cloud the general issue raised by The Post when it appealed for a clean-up of a certain tyne of_ American production—an appeal which is strongly supported by a number of correspondents.

The. desirability'of vessels which trade on the New Zealand coast having wireless plants installed was mentioned in the House of Representatives last evening by Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs), who gave notice to ask the Government if it would introduce legislation to compel this step to he- taken.

The condition of the Hutt-road between" Ngahauranga and Petone is to be brought under the notice of the Hutt Road* Board. At the meeting of the Petone Council last night, Councillor Churchouse declared that the footpath and cycle track were being destroyed by motor-cars illegally using them.

The vexed question of liability of the Petone Borough Council to house the local ambulance van and provide work for a driver while not driving the van was discussed again by the council last ■evening) and from the opinions expressed it seemed that councillors considered that the council had done enough in offering to provide material for the extension-of the existing shed. It was finally decided to take no further action,

The Minister for Internal Affairs has informed the Petone Borough' Council that the Government is prepared to meet the debit balance incurred on the occasion'of the visit of the Prince of Wales to Petone. .'

In a boxing match at Dargaville on Saturday night between J. Heeney (Gisborne) and Cadraan (Dargaville) for the middle-weight, championship of New Zealand, Heeney (holder) knocked out his opponent in the ninth round.

A small army, principally composed cf housewives, besieged the Petone Municipal Buildings' yesterday to place orders for coal, the council having advertised that orders would be booked. So great was the crowd that many had to wait for two houra before they could get their orders recorded.

The Petone West School Committee has affiliated with the School Committees' Association. The Chairman (Mr. A. G. Wallace) said the association had done very valuable work in the past, and it was encouraging to see a committee coming'in on its own account.

A body lyiown as the Wellington Teachers' Training College Old Students' Association has forwarded to the School Committees' Association a motion protesting against the action of the Education Department in proposing an intensive course of training of three months at the Training College in lieu of the ordinary course, for the purpose of recruiting the profession.—The ietter was reoeived. In the preparation of the new football grounds at Rotorua a "pot" of sulphur, amounting to nearly a cartload, was dug out and placed at the side of the playing area. Some person set fire to the heap, and-the flimes from the burning sulphur were blown over the adjacent kitchen garden, killing a bed of cabbages and cauliflowers, besides a quantity of peas, carrots, and silver beet. Some of the plante affected were nearly one hundred yards distant from the burning sulphur

At a meeting of the committee of the Wellington Boxing Association it was reported that a tentative arrangement had been made for a match between " Digger " Evans and " Ted " Uren. After discussion, it was agreed to confirm the arrangement, and the tournament was set down for the 26th instant. Correspondence was received from the Otago Association, and its request that Evans meet Havilah Uren at Dunedin in November was agreed to.

"I have not given up hope of receive ing part of our war expenditure from ths Germans," said the Prime Minister, in speaking on finance in the House of Representatives on Friday. "I am not saying that we will get much, and it will not be in cash, probably in bonds bearing interest. At the Peace Conference, I wa6 willing, to say that New Zealand would be satisfied if it received enough to pay war pensions. But to pay two millions of pensions a year would mean a capital payment of. twenty-five millions, and I don't expect to get more than a quarter of that." The following resolution ha* been passed by the Loyal Orange Lodge, No. 47: "That this Loyal Orange Lodge, No. 47, respectfully request the Right Honourable Prime Minister and members of the Honourable House of Parliament to pass into law the amendments to the Marriage Act as recommended by the Legislative Council. While not wishing to curtail the liberty of the Roman Catholic Church in conducting their own marriage ceremonies in their own way, \?e strongly object to them casting any reflection on our Protestant form of marriage ceremony." ' , '

The creditors of Charles E. Mackay, ex-Mayor of Wanganui, met last weet. The bankrupt, who is undergoing a sentence for attempted murder, forwarded a statement in which he assessed his assets as follows :—Goodwill £800, book debt',- (estimated -worth) £1500, cash in hand £20, surplus over securities £75; total £2395. The bankrupt assessed his debts at £2451, the principal creditors being A. Dunn, solicitor, Wellington, £1000; Wanganui Loan Company, £520; Bank of New Zealand, £465; G. Sprig : gens, £220. The remaining debts were all under £50, the majority being small amounts. Secured creditors' wave : F. Mackay £650, F. Spriggenp £150. The bankrupt's trust account amounted' to £1640 17s 10d. The Deputy Official Assignee said the figures presented showed a deficiency of £56. It was a very complicated estate, and a lot of investigation would have to be done. Things- were more or less in a state of chaos, and he proposed to engage trie Crown Solicitor. A creditor stated that bankrupt had assured him that his estate would pay 17s 6d in the pound, and that his trust account was in order. The meeting adjourned without coming to any decision.

A protest was recently made by a Wellington School Committee to the School Committees* Association against the/action of a certain headmaster in taking the children under his charge to a picture show. It was urged by Mr A. G. Wallace, chairman of the association, that the headmneter was under the control of the committee, and it was desirable that the association should take action. The secretary 'said that in 1919 the Education Board had informed^ the association that the practice was for the committee and the headmaster to confer before taking such a course with regard to picture shows. A member of the association expressed the opinion that a headmaster might be expected to appreciate the educational value of a picture, but another member contended that it was not fair to the parents to insist on the children paying the admission fees. If the board wanted the children to see a certain picture they should foot the bill.' Another member of the association urged that before children were sent to a picture 6ome one in authority should see if it was fit for children. Recently the children of a school were sent to see a picture, a portion of which was absolutely disgusting. Eventually the matter was left in the hands of the Executive Committee. The letters (published in The Post's Cricket Notes on Saturday) from Messrs. M. A. Noble and A. A. Bean, supporting the idea of one cricket match only on a ground, are a subject of comment by a correspondent (A. F. Wiren), who states : "Had these gentlemen, been asked the question,'they would have said that there are many grounds in their respective cities on which more than one game, is played; in fact, the number of matches' depends upon the size of the ground." By carrying out such a suggestion, the correspondent, says that the Wellington Association would play one game only at other parks, thereby depriving many cricketers from any games at all, as two junior clubs have enough teams ( to occupy all grounds on that basis. The correspondent' adds: " The Wellington College authorities play three matches each Saturday on their larger ground, and'nowhere in this city has the young player a better chance' of learning the game than at this institution. I maintain that the Basin Reserve is quite large enough to play two club matches.at a time.' No doubt there are advantages irf playing only one game, but if twenty-two players are' sent each Saturday during the season to an inferior ground, to further cripple the resources of that ground, then I say that the advantages do not compensate for the losses.'' Mr. H. H. 'Cornish has written to the School Committees' Association offering to act as honorary solicitor. The, offer lias been accepted with thanks.