NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1951, 7 January 1914, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

''■•■-.The experiment.in' which'"theiGovernment'lias'cmbarked - of -.introducing : parties.of. boy-immigrants with a view to their'. ; ; taking up-farm life in this country is one that-appears to have-Teasonable prospects- ot success...lt'.will be seen from particulars published in "our news columns that tho details of the. scheme- have 'been carefully The boys'arc to be brought'out practically;;'as..'.indentured apprentices,-.bound, to work-on farms .for a'tcrnv-of;three years..-.' ,, 'A minimum' , "wage has been , , fixed'.rangi ng from K 75.: per.' week : ;in ■ tho first year;of apprenticeship to.. 17s, 6d. in the third year.' "Farmers, ; in' addition, will be required to provide their apprentices'.with':-.-food., and clothing. , v The ■ apprentices'■•-wages , in the first' year'- arc to. be applied ■"■ in 'part to repaying"the deposit of £10 .which a farmer is called upon to pay'when'applying for an apprentice; This, - - presumably, is the contribution '■■ which the boys will be asked to make, towards the cost of bringing them out ;from England..'-:,; The details ofy.the experiment, seem,., to have .been'well, considered. Intone respectutjvdifi'crs-,-notably.- from ;the ■ SEDGWiCK-nscheme,, under- which.. u number, ; "pf-j boj-immigrants',.-,'were brought '-'out;"sonic..- , time , ago .and os-. , t<iblished; SedgWICK immigrants; were city;lads, but ■ undeiv-.tho,' Government' scheme only oountryjioys- a re : . being brought out'. ~ " Kopo), t s"which'hay'e...oM!n published',, from'..tinift'.'.to.' t-irric .;indicate that given it-appMrs^thatrt-faVmers.-iin , need of .a]ipi'entices; r biv cotisultbd,--have. .'invariablyexprcssetl a pref-eronce for country-bred ■Jioys.'j'as.. , :igainati : nlioße jiai!iiig;fi'omU:ities)%,Tliis:.in/:natural 'rnpiig!i.S>'ii , 'Wtlie.rfiS!is J feno:i.do'i!))tj..tluit ■tlic..:hul^:Comiiic7from*Ei!glii:h'-rural , di.'itrictsi'aro;'likeli' ; tb 'adapt of ■fannyifc',Jii:?th*is®untry|tlian':'city; scheme risialreaclytin , ( : 51..bpy'sftJs^c> s arriveJatt;A'uckland ':th'is : m6ythTa.nd-!twb i o'ther' : particsjarc ; duotto%nrnye"-withiri ; Wise fofe.thought.. , :has :thd??ln^-ifira.liibn3.Dcpertmeatj.in*;ar-

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i^:«temi!Bl?:lK! ! ;vogardccl .is aljio!su]ipa; ; .f!ifl;{adininisCr;itidn oi ■' j ustice in-VV ic-?;'tona-;--.tl)iifc.;;,thc;,.:':!third ite"ni?°bf"cxamining-'.suspectcd'.'-persons Ipbtainfecl Kcveii;Ja:;temporary : footing ;iliere , ; , ?arid ; 'nidsl; 'pconlc'-'will'■'heartily :«a"pp_rovc:.thfl.:.stcp taken by .-the Vie'itqrianf ChiefVSeoretary iDEßGAST)*ni*fordcring its abolition;' :fDcfo"nclingythcir.-:ncticin !in'."rcsovtinK : itoi'i.third ■ degree* methods, ■the>Mcldroiinie police -ickimed that, thc.-sys-; ■Ucm' afforded a protection to the.pub- , Jlie.sifconiTperjured testimony, .'that' the.innocent might possiblysuf- , £fer..-if detectives .were bound and "gagged in.:; their.'investipations ,by f'fthe.' , third 5 ; degreed bng-a-bfio.-' r U:In iSiiliporSbfvthcsc'pcvicral, contentions ■'a'T.iimber.'of. specific instances :■ were ..'citcd^in-j.-whicli; ,, .it was said '.thsit giiilty persons.ha'dconfcssed to their crimes'largely as a result ofthc:in;.(.eri'ogatibn.:t(j"which ; they were "sub- , . jectec! by : detectives and.others; i; fA ■t.vpical/casc'Was that of a man named 'Roii.ERT!;LASDEi;Ls, ; who was suspected of having'.comniittecl a murder. "This .man,",;.a police report states, "was [questioned and requeationed at inter-';yals.:.-for-.:.sorae,days,.but it was only v/heiis'the; detectives adopted a ruse ■in'the , course of their last interview that; Landells admitted shooting the deceased, , representing it was an acci-dent'-.tThis enabled the case to In 'clinched, and Landells. was hanged." It.seems'evident that the methods here ■ disclosed are totally opposed to i-tho 'recognised principles "and practices governing the administration of British , criminal law, under which a man is assumed to ba innocent un-. I less evidence can be produced which proves him guilty. The proper place in which to cross-examine accused or , suspected persons, within the limits ' that , the law allows, is in open Court. That detectives and policemen, should be allowed to-exceed thcEC limits in ■a : . secret inquisition is antagonistic to : .thc,spirit that, has made British justice' , ':' famous-' throughout "the world.;: 1 . --V-' .. ' ..\ ' . .. .

KiTSE. members of the New Zealand Educational Institute did themselves , no more than justice when they rejected,: by a large majority, ■ a-pro-posal to supplement theii present organisation by the formation of an industrial union. ■ .'The teachers, .is :&i class,, inav have their grievances, 'but'the , -Institute-has not failed-to ventilate-'them in'the proper quarters?.: and something of a practical ■'nature was clone to improve the posi-tion-of the teachers during the last session of Parliament. Moreover, the Government stands pledged to deal in a more comprehensive way next ses'sion with staffing, salaries, and other questions in dispute. Blame,for the fact that teachers suffered a period of neglect before the present Gov- ■ eminent took office must rest' upon the Government then in power and not'upon- the 'New Zealand Educational Institute, Some- allowance should be made, too, for theatlmitted difficulty of the problem witif which the educational authorities have to deal. Year by .year the extension of .popular education in various directions is making increasing demands upon the public resources. A great majority of. the,.members of the Institute recognise that there is no need to exchange their present elastic and adaptable organisation for the more hard and fast limitations of an.in-dus-trial union. At present they can make their-views known throughout the country and cm exert a real influence upon public opinion. Their cause is not likely to want advocates in Parliament or in the other bodies which are concerned in the administration of education. . ■

'Attention is drawn by the New York -Evening Post to the fact that Mrs. . Pankhuest's speeches during her recent visit. to the United States and the general character of her campaign, ran less to suffrage than to sex. The American journal finds an, explanation in the fact that the fight for votes for women in England is but one phase o! the general feminist movement, the first skirmish in a battle for the establishment of perfect, equality between men and women:, ''It could not have taken Mns. Pankhurst long to perceive that in this country the preliminary struggle for suffrage has reached a point where militancy of the English brand is uncalled for," the I'osl remarks. "The tide steadily towards woman's enfranchisement; and whether it takes a few years more or less for the suffrage to become general, there are few, we imagine, who doubt the final outcome. But more (significant than tho steady progress of women's political rights is the lack of that bitterness of feeling, that consciousness of a 'sex-war, , which England is displaying. It may be because of our American good nature; anyhow, the,fact is there; , ' ■

. Some interestirif? observations upon the situation arising from the strike of Indians in South Africa- were made by tho Spectator in a recent issue. It frankly exonerates the European residents of that Dominion from the charge of having engaged in a."nigger hunt" and adds that if there is any racial or colour prejudice against the- Indians it- is almost entirely eclipsed by economic objections. An interesting section of the article deals with the possibilities arising from the presence of Imperial troops in South Africa. It is pointed out. that if grave disorders occurred it would be almost impossible for the Union Government not to employ the troops, but that directly the troops were so employed questions would be asked in the Imperial Parliament, as happened recently during the Rand strike. This undoubtedly raises a .possibility of awkward complications. "We know," tho Spectator continues, "that there are special difficulties in South Africa, but we hope that the organisation of the local forces will be accomplished at the. first possible moment. Connected with this question of the use of Imperial troops .is the wider question- of the whole moral relation of Great Britain to a, selfgoverning Dominion. Although wo strongly liold that- the Indians _ in South ■ Africa have genuine grievances, and that these ought to uc redressed—and that not only in the interests of the Indians themselves, but in the interests of South Africa and South-African credit—we hold just as strongly, that thfl principle of intorfoi'intr 'vviUi a- self-governing Dominiun,,'is . : : hopelessly . wrong. . Tho truth—nsulnnic- cannot, possibly, oscapc>fri>m:.it—is that tho right of self-government involves the right to 'ilOiWrong.";i. , \Tho Spectator concludes [by'expressing a hope that the South. 'Africans will remember that the Em-.pifei-'neods-f-the ■confidence suifl ; allegiance of,:her..lndian subjects just as muchWs'ihc'needs,the. ships and men ,which';.the cetf-governing _ Dominions ■rjromiscUo.'p.ut.at'hei" disposal..... -~: .