RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 16

RANDOM REMINDER

PEACE AND QUIET

Avid readers of the cable news must sometimes think life in Christchurch, or indeed all New Zealand, extremely peaceful to the point of being dull, compared with life overseas. There has not been a coup d’etat, a revolution (even a palace one), an assassination plot, in Christchurch now for many years. We don’t even provide the Mayor w’th an armoured car, our local branch of MIS seems to keep far out of the news, and nothing ever seems to cause such a fuss that it would make overseas headlines in a big way. It can be stated as definite that the movement for home rule for the South Island (while not yet extinguished—wait until | the All Blacks are

selected, although we did all right in the cricket team) has lost its revolutionary fervour. The plans to seize 3 YA, while the staff are at morning tea, and announce that the South Island, following its policy of selfdetermination, is now independent, are temporarily under wraps and the salesmen for homemade bombs and cheap army surplus rifles for supply to the revolutionaries are not making much by way of commission at the moment. That, at least, is how it appears on the surface. But some day, who knows, the tremendous revolutionary fervour may find its way to the top, and a guillotine may be erected in Cathedral square (if they ever settle the controversy on just where to put it) and,

as the saying goes, heads will roll. The issues are all there. Sometimes it has taken tremendous restraint to keep the protagonists of various Town Hall sites from raising their banners; and Drainage Board delays in providing essential services have caused tremendous mutterings which must have given the security police much cause for concern. Just because Christchurch seems to be quiet is no reason for complacency. But at the same time it can be quoted officially from Hereford street that premium rates for insurance against internal revolution have never been lower. Can’t somebody start something? The best we’ve done lately is a demonstration at Addington.