NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 602, 2 September 1909, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Me, Hornblow, one.of .the Government supporters contesting the- Bangitikci election, appears to be a very ■ typical Government supporter. Like all the Ministerialists, ho lays great stress on the good deeds of Liberalism in the ancient past. From the Government organ in VPanganui we learn that at Fordell s a great many of the Sedpon Government's achievements w.ere "touched on in a 'forcible manner." But of the future of Liberalism Me. Hornblow has nothing to say. How should he have anything to say when the Government itself has not yet produced the policy for which its friends were vainly clamouring in February 1908? But even Mn. Hornblow is not utterly blind to the. desperateness of the Government's case. Hβ is.thus reported in the Wanganui paper referred to: "That our present Government was not so popular in the eyes of many electors of this Dominion, ho would not deny. But 1,. ; '-.■'. ANHONEST -ATTEMPT was being .made by the Government to improyo matters, and tho country should ;not thwart their efforts until they failed. Ho said ho would not be so foolish as to attempt to deceive the electors by telling them the Government was perfect, when he knew-true Liberalism waa 'gradually becoming a creed of the past." ■ ■ We do' not know whether the line in capitals means that Mb. Hornblow shouted there or whether it ■ represents the nowspaper'a anxioty to "star" the chief plank of the Government's policy. In any case Mit. Hornblow seems a little unfortunate in his summary of the position, -■■■■'"!.•■■ •

It now. appears that the Hon. , Geokoe FowLPS has explained to our evening contemporary, which not infrequently takes on itself the role of Government apologist, that ho was only joking when ho insinuated that Mr. Massey in his criticism of tho now naval arrangement was beginning to dovolop Gorman sympathies. Perhaps bo. Our contemporary, wo aro well aware, has a quite unique sense of humour, and its daily jests on topical events quite entitle it to speak as an authority on such humour as lice concealed in the scintillating witticism of the Acting-Minister for Defence. . But it might bo as well to" remind this Ministerialist apologist that it is quite as easy and quite as indefensible to unjustifiably injure the reputation of an opponent by a jibe and a,sneer us-by formal and deliberate epecch. There is no doubt that this . Ministerial "joke" was intended to cast n slur on tho Leader of tho Opposition, and if'the insinuation had not Dcen roßnnted mid repudiated a certain close oj people would bo oalv too vcadv w re-

mark that "silence gave consent." Mr. Fowlds is neither a Sydney Siirnt nor a Mark Twain, and unless his idea of humour undergoes a very radical change ho had better leave the funny part of Ministerial political controversy to'-some-one a little more expert at tho business. The method of imputing unpatriotic motives to their, critics has, we regret to say, become a recognised procedure in Ministerial circles.' To say that Mr. Fowlds's insinuation of pro-German sympathies on the part of Mr. Massey was only a joke is quite as. lame an excuse as that of the Fellow of Oriel who had behaved rather rudely at a dinner at which the Rev. Charles Marriott was present. Next morning the transgressor apologised by saying, "I'm. afraid I made rather a fool of myself last night"; to which Marriott quietly replied: "My dear fellow, I assure you I observed nothing unusual." Perhaps it was unnecessary to_ take the Acting-Minister for Defence seriously.

Our readers will have noted a pro'secution instituted last week by .the Government against the New Zealand Dairy Association, at Auckland in reference to certain butter alleged to have contained too much moisture. At the hearing on the first day ovidence was led by the Grown in support of thoir case, with the natural and unavoidable result that until tho defence could bo heard the defendants must rest under tho serious imputation of having wilfully sought to. eell inferior butter to some of their customers.. On Monday last, when the case should have been resumed, counsel for the Crown informed the Court that he wae instructed- 1 to withdraw the information. Pressed' by the magistrate, he produced his instructions, which were telegraphic and terse, for they were contained in the words, "Please withdraw caso against New Zealand Dairy Association; latter to pay all costa." Now, it is a wellknown rule of criminal and quasi-crim-inal practice that a prosecution once instituted cannot be withdrawn without the consent of the Court on good cause shown. But, apparently, the Government are not to Dβ bound by the law and practice that applies to tho rest of tho community. They curtly attempt to ignore a very old and proper rule, and, indeprive the defendants of.all opportunity of rebutting the case against them. They go a step further even than this, for in that same telegram, they, in offoct, dictate to tho magistrate not only how he-is to award costs, but they direct him to give them in favour of the unsuccessful party. It may, and probably will, be paid that the Secretary for Agriculture is'the sole culprit in this matter. Whether this is so or not we cannot pretend to say, nor have we any knowledge of-the merits of the case. But it must be plain to all that tho matter cannot be allowed to drop in this off-hand way. An explanation of the "conduct of the Department is imperatively necessary.

It would seem that the medium Bailey, of Melbourne, who, with the aid of his "controls," has been producing "apports" here for the past two or threo weeks to the mystification of the sceptics, is to be very thoroughly tested before ho leaves Wellington. Most people regard Bailey as a, very clever conjurer, and discredit altogether the claim that he is assisted in his production of "phenomena" by spirit controls. They claim that ho performs his feats undor conditions which permit of trickery, and that he does' not do the. things, which would remove all euspicidn of trickery, such as producing a copy of an Australian or London newspaper of the same date-, as that on which the seance is being held. Some days ago a well-known conjurer,. I'ItoFESSOB Driver, issued a challenge to tho' medium and offered to risk £100 'on the result. This challenge was taken up by Mr. 'W. M'Lban, President of the local Society of Spiritualists, and after some disputation as..'to- the test conditions to which the medium was to bo subjected an agreement was arrived at yesterday aftornodn. Briefly'put, the conditions provide—(l) That the medium shall be stripped and examined by Mr, Driver and two medical-men, one to bo nomi- , nated by Mr. Driver,, the other, by Mr. M'Lean. (2) The medium then to'bo reclothed in his own underclothing, but his outer garments to be provided by Mr. Driver. (3) The medium to be completely enclosed in a. coverings sackshaped, to be provided by Mr.'Driver; only his hande to be outside, and the sleeves to be tied and, sealed a£ the wrists.. (4) The medium to be placed in a gauzo-covbred cage to be provided by Mr. Driver, and there to produce the "apports." Precautions are to be taken to prevent any communication with the , medium from the time of the search until ho leaves the cage. One would imagine that if Bailey can produce "apports" under theso. conditions he must be clever indeed. '...■■• (