NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 632, 8 October 1909, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

It is very.natural that tho Island Bay residents should object very strongly to tho Salvation Army's proposal to establish an industrial homo for ex-convicts at the Bay. The largo meeting of protest held on Wednesday night, and the unanimity of the speakers, show clearly how strong is'the feeling of tho suburban community in this matter, and the Army authorities will bo well-advised to' give careful attention to the protest. There is little dispute as to the wisdom' of any, properly-organised scheme for giving a' home and employment to discharged prisoners, nor is there any community which would stand in the way of any such scheme without having the very strongest reasons for doing so. But it is manifest that a thickly-populated and fastgrowing- suburb is not the place for such an institution as tho Salvation Army has ui contemplation. The.weight of the Island Bay residents' protest was greatly increased by the support lent to it by Mb. Justice Edwards. The Judgo was speaking, of course, as a citizen, but ho is most unlikely to commit himself to any opinion on any public matter without having given that matter tho careful thought that it is his function to give to the subjects that engage, his attention. In this particular instance ho has a peculiar authority in giving his opinion, and for most people he has settled the question by his declaration ■ that tho Army's proposal is a menace to tho security of tho women and children of the suburb. "The pjace." ho said, "would not bo safe, unless the police wero greatly strengthened, or unless the Army.sent outa special brigade to protect tho people." Although a deputation has been appointed to ask,for thi. City Council's intervention, wo cannot see that the Army can bo prevented from carrying out its proposal if it should insist on doing so. But tho Army authorities, we hope, will see that they will act unwisely if they run counter to public opinion. The proper place for their institution is in the country, where the. risks referred to by Mr. Justice Edwards will be reduced to a minimum.

■■■ It is understood that the Government intends to include Mr. Massey in the ten members which it will propose to-day as the members of the Public Accounts Committee. For some years tho non-inclusion of the Leader of the Opposition in this important Committeo has been a.subject of debate, and in 1907 and in 1908, although the Prime Minister declared that he had. no objection to Mr. .Massey s appointment to the Committee,: he never included him in his list. In boththese yean he suggested that cither Mr.' James Allek or Mr. Frasbr, tho only Opposition members nominated, should retire in Mr. Massey's favour, but this ungenerous offer was naturally .rejected. Aa the Government's defence' of it* nomination of only two members of tho Opposition to membership of tho Committee during the last Parliament was based on the contention that this proportion—two in ten—represented the state of parties, the Government must this year admit at least three' members from the other side. Tho obviously proper plan to be pursued in drawing up tho Sessional Committees'is. to ask the Opposition to nominate its oWn members for each Committee. In tho meantime it li to know, that tho .Government has realised, its obligations in the matter by its decision to propose that tlic most important of all .the Sessional Com-, mittecs should have the assistance of the leader.of the party whose chief business it is to keep a watchful eye on the public accounts. f '

TH^facHhafc.the.-TCity-Council and the Gas Company havo at last, after ;prbti acted negotiations, succeeded in arriving at an arrangement .satisfactory to bcth parties without recourse to''costly litigation is a matter for congratulation; The agreement reached is printed in full ir another column, and from a cursory glance seems satisfactory enough from tho city's point of view. The right of the Council to control the use of the streets ,under its care is recognised, and a nominal paymont of, £50 per annum,, to he increased to £ICO afthe end of 21 years, i< to bo made by tho Gas Company for the riqht given it to lay its gas mains through the streets. Moreover, the city is torcceivo one' penny halfpenny per thousand feet of gas consumed in tlic districts of Melrose and Wadestown,; and the Gas Company is bound down to supl.ly gas to the residents in the two districts named at the' same price 'as the ctmpany supplies it to consumors in other parts of the city'. While the, city gains in theso respects, the Gas Company will gain through the right granted it to connect its mains in tho city with its works at' M.i'ramar, _ and also to run them through to Wadestown. Furthermore, it ,'s given a greater security of tenure.