LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 16716, 24 April 1918, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There was an even larger gathering of public school children at the Octagon Theatre yesterday afternoon than on .Monday, in response to the Navy League s invitation, to sec tho Battle of Arras, some Canadian and American war pictures, and the most telling story of England s menace. Air W. iiudey, of boroury School, spoke a few introductory remarks. Tho children were quiet and interested throughout, and the singing of the National 'Anthem by 1,200 young people constituted a feature of tho proceedings. A request was made by tho lather of a muiu body soldier to the Provincial Executive of tho Aiickkmi Farmers’ Union that the union should, uso xhoi? influence in the direction of getting tho soldier brought, homo. The reason given was that the soldier’s mother was ill, and would not bo belter unless the worry she bud experienced as tho result of tho sons absence was removed. Tho union decided to reply to the effect that, while sympathising with all soldier's’ mothers, it was imposriblo to ask for tho return of a single able-bodied soldier at tho present time of crisis.

rjiTeo of admission to picture theatres on account of the Largely increased cost involved in the production of films, was rlntcd at to an Auckland ‘Herald’ color ter last, week by -Mr H. Hayward, managing director of the Now Zealand Picture supplies, Limited! Mr Hayward lias just returned from a visit to America and Aus.ri’.lia, making con tracts for the supply of Unis. Ho stated that the public have no ’oalisation of the huge increase in the coat A films, especially since tho war commenced. Tho advances have been emtsed, 0 some extent, by the high salaries paid to irtists, and arc also due to tho luxurious settings demanded. A year or two ago me art director only was needed to produce 1 picture : now every thing is spiviabsed. ?ive years ago £SCO was considered to be i high price far a. feature film ; now frepinitly £2,C00 is paid, Mr Hayward stated" that not only had tho cost of films -,v| ],y ;; 1. I-:-:;-; 100 per cent., but ivory thinq connected with tho exhibition if " pi., turcs hud advanced in juice. Jithc-rto tho expansion of the picture •hoc,tie buslnc.eß bad to seme extent met he increased cost, but the limit of expandon had now practically been reached in ‘sew Zealand, Tho Dominion was well situated as regards film supply, for the •cxsoii that, (he world's weekly protection of picture programme? was 50 to 15, and tho Dominion required only sever; >r eight now programmes each week. \ew Zealand, therefore, secured the best >f the world’s productions. Tho prico of ,d mission to picture theatres in New Zoaand was as low as anywhere in tho world. I'he time had arrived when a higher pr.ee, % ill have to be charged. The matter ■ested with tho public. If tho people van ted tho best- subjects—some of which oft from £IOO,OOO to £200,000 to produce -they must pay for them. Mr Hayward add he anticipated the public would da so . ■hcerfnllv if they secured the best aricle. An unusual case was dealt with in tho Auckland Police Court last week. Edward | з. Gray, a warder at Mount Eden Gaol, i vas charged that on Ist February he eon- I .’eyed out. of prison two carved fable tops ‘ nid two carved boxes ; that on 9th March le convoyed drib of meat from tho prison, j ind that on 10th March ho delivered to a I jrisoner a cake, two packets of tobacco. 1 ind two packets of chocolate. Accused headed guilty to all charges. Chiefletective. M’Mahon said that Gray, who ; md not been long in tho prison service, i _ lecame very friendly with a prisoner t Irving a long term, and took the cake, I .obacco, and chocolate to him in tho irison. Tho accused was suspected of lealing with other properly, and when ■is home was searched the table tops and mxes were found. When questioned, he idmittcd that the prisoner had given him I ionic nm-it, which he and his family bad j lonsumcd. Gray’s previous character was i jood. Mr Cotton, S.M., sa id it would I io a. terrible punishment to send Gray >ack as a prisoner to the gaol where ho и. been an officer. Ho did not feel indined to do that. Tho accused, who was ;ot in a position to pay a heavy fine, would bo fined £5 on the first- charge, in default 14 days’ imprisonment. On the jUio-r charge iic would be convicted and 3rd ere i to pay 21s costs. Lord Montagu, who was rescued from 1 .ho torpedoed ship Persia in the AL'-cliter-•anoa-n, and is now in India as mechanical war faro expert for the Government of India, is one of the motorists in l-lngdand. Ho is also one of tho foremost- 1 xperis of aerial warfare in tho British Army, and a member of the House of Lords. He is a most democratic type of rua-n. and fond of introducing new-made | •equaintances to his varied activities, as 1 shopkeeper, legislator, and landed proprietor. For be keeps a shop in Pall Mall. Loudon, where lie sells motor-car literature and edits tho ‘ Car,’ and he has a magnificent estate in tho Now Forest at Beaulieu, which, by the way, is Tironounccd Bc-wlv. Here hi? study is the huge refectory "of the former abbey. The following letter received by the secretary of the Labor Representation Corn.: mittce from Private P. C. V. ebb, who is a I Kaingawa Prison, is published by the Greymoi.ijh ‘Star’;—“l will never b- abb' to find words to adequately express my deep sense of appreciation and thanks to the electors of Grey, and the Labor organisations in particular, for the whole-hearted and indeed loved way in which they have supported me through my many trials as their member. That my recent action will not meet with all my friends’ and supporters’ approval I am fully aware, hut f could not act otherwise. For my action I have not the slightest regret, nnd_ I feel posit eve tVirrb toe da.” will coclc io tills country when the people will regret not having returned a majority of men to Parliament to uphold the cause of Labor, and to protect the small liberties that tno workers won through tho age? of darkness and. oppression, and handed down to us as a. tear and blond stained legacy. I can only write one letter n week, so my friends will understand that I cannot write to them nil. but they can write to mo and keep ms informed how things are going. Add letter:: addressed to me are delivered alter passing through tho gaoler’s hands. —Pith kindest regards to all friends, Paddy Weba..' In November, 1917, Sergeant ,f. Kmgi. of the Pioneer Regiment, was reported killed in action, and has since been mourned as dead by relatives and friends in tho Tuahiwi (Canterbury) district. On Thursday last, however, a k-Uer was received from the soldier, da-tor February 2, stating that he had then reached a convalescent stage in Codiord Hospital. Investigations are at present being made by the Common weak hj Government into the reason for the return to Australia of yte least IC,COO members cf the A.1.1 , who have never reached the scone or active operations. The majority of the men .have been welded out by tho Australian Army medical authorities abroad as physically unlit for service. It has been contended that manv of those men should never have boon sent back to Australia, and that the medical authorities in England have been insisting upon a needle-sly Inga standard of physical efficiency. On the oilier hand, the Army medical authorities abroad claim that the men should never have been passed as fit and enlisted for cwvice. The 10.000 men returned to Australia without ever having been to the front represent at least, it is estimated, a dead loss of £1,000,000. Thu total births in tho four metropolitan areas during March amounted to 653, as against 626 in February—an increase ot 27. Tho deaths in March were 203, a decrease of 10 as compared with tho previous month. Of the total deaths, males contributed 132, females 150. Fifty of the deaths were children under five years of age, being 19.08 per cent, of the whole number. Forty of these were under one year of age. The vital statistics for Christchurch City for March show that 162 births and 56 death? were registered, a proportion of births of 1.75 per 1,000 of population and of deaths of 0.60 per 1,000. The death rate is the lowest of arty at the i.tir cities, while the birth rate is second highest, bo mg exceeded by Auckland, with a rate of 1.77 per 1,000. The general order forbidding commissioned officers to drink in public bars of hotels has been amended, and the following substituted •“ Drinking by_ commissioned officers in hotel bars, being detrimental to discipline, is strictly forbidden.”