PUBLIC OPINION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2449, 13 March 1909, Page 2

PUBLIC OPINION.

AUCKLAND, LICENSING ELECTION. .The '.result .' of the polling for the election of a Licensing Committee in the City of Auckland is an unmistakable pronouncement on the part of the -electors that reduction shall be applied in a judicial spirit, without vindictiveness and without disregard for tho character of the hotels ■ involved. This will disappoint many enthusiasti: reformers who, in the sincere belief thai tho .closing of as many hotels as possible is to the public advantage, strove to secure flic enforcement of the maximum reduction. But it has been 'made plain that this is not supported by tho majority of our citi'zc-ns, who have placed a- different interpretation upon the November decision by electing tho Citizens’ League candidates. We do not doubt that the elected committeemen, who are without exception . respected and reputable citizens, will work cordially and loyally together in all licensing matters, and will do their utmost to eliminate and prevent evils which- inevitably excite ebullitions of public feeling. For there are undoubtedly two ways of managing hotels,'and it is the duty and the business of licensing committees to protect honest' and competent management, and to assert "the law, without rear and without favor, who never the law is evaded ®r defied.—’Auckland" “Herald.” THE ADDINGTON WORKSHOPS INQUIRY. The one clear fact is that . the men desired that Mr. T. E. Taylor. M'.ik, should appear on their behalf, a desire that the Minister , flatly refused to lisi ten to, with the result that the inj cjuiry will go forward with the men unrepresented.. That this is a highly unj desirable position will ,be universally j admitted., The public has been ..expcctJmg that the inquiry would , result in i the .settlement of certain-questions afi reciting the whole system of railway administration. They know that nothing' but gross, mismanagement is responsible : for the, , large annual loss on the rail- ; ways, and they are anxious tha t reform ! should he brought about. They havo 1 reason to suspect that the vices which must he eradicated have been rampant .at Addington, and,they want to know the whole truth of the matter. They want to know whether the Addington shops are suffering from incompetence, laziness, and laxity of discipline amongst the men, or from bungling amongst- the higher officials.'or from .both, in a large, measure, we have all been led to understand, the inquiry would be a trial with tho Department and the men .as., can tending parties. It is apparent, therefore,- that unless; the men r are represented by. an advocate of come «cjnd the evidence called will be-| imperfect, and .will therefore lead to i an imperfect finding by the Commission. In other words, the public will ; probably make up its mind that the inquiry,' which v> as to get to .-the bottom .of a questionable state, of affairs, may bo of little value.— "Dominion.''', WIRELE33 TELEGRAPHY, The development or wireless telegraphy is proceeding at such a pace That, according to tlie cable messages,-Ameri-can trains have been equipped with in-

struments, by which constant comimuii-

cation_ is maintained with ..the., various stations and with one another.. This advance, which points to the possibility of. easy communication with simple instruments between -any- points not too distant from each other, should remove any difficulty in the way. of the;''.equipment of sea-going vessels. Even such disasters, a* that of the ..Penguin might be avoided by the general insi allatum of wireless tgfegr.ap.hv on sea and shore-, for the direction -of- invisible/stations would be noticeable, .and a safe.scour so be- open in all weathers to competentcaptains'. Auckland “Herald.” PRISON 'REFORM. , 7 The man or woman who infringes t!ic laws lias to bind Ills or her back to tho consequences, and the fact that restraint is a .punishment, is, a strong deterrent to crime. If, however, gaols are made palaces of Versailles, or places where every comfort and convenience is assured to the patrons of the Justice Department, ikon the Tush for ; our gaols in dull times might be. as*great as that to tlie .Klondyke, but with infinitelv. more-of the comforts of life at the end of the journey. - AVitli Dr. Finer • lay’s attempts to'bring*the prisoners to a realisation of the. foolishness and wickedness of crime few will disagree, but the line.must be drawn when he attempts,to transform ‘punishmentii to pleasure, and six months’ hard labor into six months’ recreation. The t;.‘ mr gaol life is made for .the majority of thorn who have- taken, to crime •; .s a' means of living the of tenor v -'ill I’ n y want to interview : a'- magistrate or Judge.—-“Nortli Otago Times.” i THE SILVER LINING. j ' Wo are not'-advocating a rash* pokey of increased borrowing, we are far from asking for a plunging policy, we by no means even look in any direction away from safe investment, and prudent finance, public and private. On the other hand, we cannot be blind to the resources of the country, and what those resources will .bo sure to accomplish in the near future. Nor can ask that the duties imposed upon us by the great developments tliat are at hand shall be shirked in any •particular. Our die object at present is to-show that f the fall in the aggregate of our expoits is I large, even three .millions of ste.'i ng ! value, tiie prospects of the country are •such as to reduee tha t sum, con net: •able as it- is, to the dmioiusJ-:W« o i »■> > ordinary fluctuation. The country must advance, whether there are le ni 'f a*® .in between the fat ones or whether there are not. Tlie lean years x J! i-as■*~ caving no mark-; flu—fat one-?,- on. the other hand, will .build r.p the 'national prosperity- on -.'solid .."fouudatioivs. ilcoognising this fact, the people must bo •prepared to face tlie position always -with equanimity. - enter pi isc, and the fjvrit of. courageous hope.-—Southland “News.” DOMESTIC SERVICE. The young- woman in domestic service, whatever her i ducat ion or person-

a-1 qualifications, is liable to be made to . feel in various ways that'she .i,s esteemed as a social inferior,, .and hcrssclf-re-jpcct is wounded h. With ailysympathy for the ladies who bare .willing:;..to pay. liberally for domestic help, we fear that they are expecting too much from immigration. The Department, no doubt, will do all it can in reason, but those wlio ask for “free immigration” ishou'hl • be- prepared to find at least part of the cost.—Wellington “Post.” RIFLE SHOOTING. By the encouragement of rifle Hiooting'.'a...great many men’are .brought under discipline, and unconcciously: learn something of the meaning of- individual responsibility to the State. Rifle shoots ing will not yet awhile have the vogue of football, for instance. Some grave national calamity would be necessary to make that change in public sentiment, but the existing -enthusiasm it generates among so many civilians gives reason for hope that it will one day, when military training shall be a | welcome obligation to all citizens, take • first place among the recreations of ; our youth.—Wellington - “Times, THE ADDINGTON INQUIRY. If the people themselves, are ready sincere in their desire for railway reform, they will need no Addington inquiry as a preliminary, though a thorough questioning down there would be a great aid to gain a benefit in the near future. Many people in New Zealand must he prepared for a little .self-denial in the present, iust- as a businessman pressed by creditors should be disposed to shorten on champagne. Are the- pco-. #plo ready for the salutary reform? — Wellington - -“Post.” •• THE CONCILIATION COUNCIL. -But even if the . labor organisations had far stronger reasons than any we have yet .heard for .objecting to Mr Harlo Giles, Mr Long’s, conduct would have, been still unjustifiable. To obstruct the proceedings of a public tribunal by calling upon the presiding rep re-.. ; sentative of the State to withdraw, to* denounce the tribunal itself as futile i and useless, t-o insinuate dishonest and i unworthy motives-against the Court for granting an adjournment —all this seems to in to reveal an astonishing and ■ deplorable lack of responsibility and a lamentable want- of judgment- on the part of the offender.—Auckland ‘Star,’ . RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. Auckland ought to bo repenting 'by this time of its outcry agahist the appointment of the Lion. It. M’lvenzie to the Ministry. The new Minister cf Public Works has been making a thorough. investigation of the needs of Abe northern province and lift* now announced that £300.0C9 will not he a (too largo expenditure upon. its railway j requirements next ye ar. This probably will mean quite half the vote for conj. siruction work, and Auckland anight to. ’ be satisfied. —“Star.” THE OHINEMURI NO-LICENSE -- CASE. Tliie- case, has established a. record as being the most important and '.meist strenuously-contested petition which l as vet been heard in Now Zealand >n or nr.ect'ion with tlie licensing laves. It created a very considerable an mint of Interest throughout the Dominion.- and in the Auckland provincial district the interest was very keen. The court was crowded with residents from day to day during:' the whole, of the-shearing. • The I Ohinomuri district lies to the south cf the Thames,-antLcontains several townships and one important town —Wadii. W-aihi h?.s a population of some-7.C00. .and tlie, men are almost entirely cm- .. ployed in deep-level mining. Here, light in the heart of the town, is -s.it.united the Great- Wadii. .' Company’s Afar the.--.mine, fi cm, which and its allied working', dose on £6OO COO e! bullion is extracted yearly; and here, a ho. is tho Grand Junction mine, with a plant on tlie surface worth something like £230,000 and extensive w orkings underground, and other ventures only beginning. but looking towards great possi- • bHitier. in tlie future. The Martha mum 1 alone has over fifty miles of tunnels opened up in its underground workings. Some. of. the. reefs now being worked ore DOOft below , the surface level, and the mine is known as one of tlie riche?.t in , the world. " A ""feature of the No-b----cense-vole is .that in the principal booth at Waihi, where the voters were largely men. the majority for -No-license w.vs about three'to one (1.575 out- cf a .total : of 2,183). In 1893 the town voted - j three-fifths for-No-license, -and has ever - since- given a strong vote in that tli- ; rection. -It is. an ,interesting raef, in view of. the?prevalent idea that the wo- L men voters are the main support of the No-license movement, that in this eketorate, where the men largely, prepon- , derate,; such a solid a‘nd consistent vote ' Vihoukihaye been east for No-license. At j Kaitangat-a. a similarly large- vote' wascast at tlie last” poll. The No-license ■experiment will he carried out at Waihi under conditions which ought tbAupply a crucial test of its value. If ' it- can c succeed amongst a. mining population and under such conditions, that success will be a demonstrative, of its practica- • = bility which cannot be ignored, and this c fact explains tlie keenness of the con- A test on. the ..'hearing of the petition. It- , is recognised by both parties that the : result of No-license in Ohinemuri will , affect the " “tracle” throughout the * whole provincial district of Auckland at * the next Local Option poll in 1911 . „