A New Zealander In Sydney Town

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 675, 29 May 1929, Page 9

A New Zealander In Sydney Town

SYDNEY, May 24. Sydney is incensed at the ridiculous behaviour of the university students on commemoration night, when they look charge of the Tivoli Theatre and prevented the ordinary patrons from obtaining the entertainment for which fhey had paid, and provided them with a fare, which though liberal, was not precisely to their liking. r.enotapb Deaecrated Not content with that, they careered down Martin Place, much to the gnnoyance of the pavement habitues w bo frequent that part of the city, an d ended up by throwing several wreaths from the Cenotaph. No more, of course, than a senseless prank; but when the rights and privilfges of the public at large are interfered with, and what is regarded as a shrine of sacred memories, is desperated, it is a matter tor the authorises. There is a distinct absence of sympathy for the students, who have b?en debarred from completing their festivities in public. y/lld Scenes at the Tivoli

The Tivoli Theatre will never again b:> at the disposal of Sydney students a i a result of Tuesday night’s pandemonium. One student dangled the head of a very dead jew-fish from the '‘gods’’ before the faces of those below. A woman in the front stalls mas struck on the back of the head Kith an egg. Arthur Mayes, first turn on the bill, sang two verses and signalled to the conductor that he had had enough. It remained for Jack Baity, the English comedian, to deal with one of these hooligans. A rotten tomato struck him in the eye. Another landed on his shoulder, bespattering his suit (for which, he says, the university must pay). He leapt from the stage across the orchestra pit. into the centre aisle. The fist of a distinguished English comedian landed on the nose of an undergraduate. Barty returned to the stage, and disappeared behind the curtain. It was hopeless for any other performer to expect a hearing. Several tried. The vice-chancellor, Sir Mungo McCallum,was howled down. So was the president of the students’ own association. Backstage, the artiste removed their grease paint, and resumed their street clothes. The Tivoli authorities, as a matter of fact, had great difficulty in securing any performers for the students’ night. What took place was by no means unexpected. They will have considerably more trouble in securing a bill if ever the students obtain the theatre again. But, of course, that will never be. The debris alone, which included rotten fruit and countless rolls of toilet paper, decaying fish, vegetables—it was more than any management would stand. No Gaol for Garden The timber strike leaders, who were lined for participating in an illegal street procession, are not to go to ;aol after all. Appeals have been lodged against their sentences of one month’s hard labour in the event of l heir fines not being paid. The fines rere paid. The policy of “one in gaol, ii 11 in gaol,” was not fpllowed by Messrs. Jock Garden, Charlie Reeves und Mick Ryan. The strikers contend i hat the trio are of more value to ihem out of gaol than behind prison vails. There is some truth in this contention. At the same time it is equally true that the “mans” of the leaders has suffered somewhat —their irestige has been lowered. Gardn s an ex-clergyman, and a militant cue. Perhaps he has suffered most of all by the strike. There is every possibility that his proposed trip to Russia, by way of VJadivostock. will *iot now take place. A delegation of 16 Australian extremists was to go to Germany as well. The extraordinary call upon funds by the timber workers. however, has sounded the death knell to the proposed tour of the leaders. famous Seismologist Dead

The death of Dr. Edward Francis Piggot removes a distinguished scientist, medical man and cleric. For many years he was in charge of the observatory at Riverview College, the Roman Catholic Eton of Australia. He was in his 71st year. Educated for the medical profession at Dublin, Dr. Piggot was always interested in astronomy and was one of a special class of studente who attended the lectures of Sir Robert Bell. He practised as a physician in London ior some time, and, after joining the Jesuit Order, came to Australia in 1882. He was at Riverview until 1899, when he was sent to China as a missionary. There Dr. Piggot perlormed valuable work at the observatories at Ze-kal-wai and Zo-se, near Shanghai. He returned to Australia is 1905, and was associated with Riverview until his death. One of the best known men in Sydney and famous for his pronouncements, his heath is a distinct loss to the world of science. Pavlova for New Zealand?

The powers that be at the J.C.W. head office are at the moment considering whether Pavlova and “tier ballet shall again visit the Dominion. I taw the great dancer the other evening in some Mexican dances which hitherto she had not presented in Sydney. The music was by Castro Padilla. The prelude opened with pompous passages for the brass, succeeded by some exquisite melodies for the upper tones of the violins. The willowy Efrem Kurtz conducted. The rising of the curtain disclosed a simple but effective setting designed by Adolpho Best, colourful and bizarre. Two flower girls with baskets of Mexican blooms scorned the Proffered gold of equally gorgeously ai tired toreadors. They danced. Then by way of climax, Pavlova herself tripped her way on tiptoes across the stage, circumventing the brim of a large Mexican sombrero, and danced the same passages. It almost seemed aB if she did it to show how it should be done. ERIC RAMSDEN.