NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2437, 16 April 1915, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

Thb Secretary of State for the Colonics (MR. H.\rcoui:t) has made a further statement regarding the intentions of the British Government iti respcct to the proposal to hold an Imperial Conference to discuss matters aripinp out. of the war. AcUQi'dina t* 'be report d his

which will be found in another part of this issue, Mk. Harcourt makes it absolutely clear that the Prime Ministers of the Dominions will bo consulted "most fully, and, if possible, personally, when the time arrives to discuss possible terms of peace." Ho goes on to say that the British Government "intends to observe the spirit and the letter of this declaration." This is satisfactory as far as it goes, but it does not go quite fa.r enough. The reasons for not holding the ordinary Imperial Conference duriug the present year are undoubtedly very strong, and Mil. Harcourt's attitude on this point meets with general approval. What the Overseas Dominions desire is a special conference which shall be held in ample time to allow their views to bo expressed and considered before the actual peace negotiations are opened. Mr. Harcourt's latest statement still leaves room for doubt as to whether such a conference is to be held, and his declaration that the Dominions wiH be consulted "when the time arrives" is extremely vague. No one desires to embarrass "the Imperial authorities in any way, but the Dominions want to be absolutely ccrtain that the consultation will be full and effective, and it is difficult to see how this can be ensured unless it is definitely decided to hold a conference in London, and unless a date is fixed which would enable those desiring to attend to gel thero in time.

The most extraordinary case in the legal annals of New Zealand is probably that of Myers v. Crozier, heard on appeal by Mr. Justice Denniston in Christchurch on Tuesday. In 1010 the Destitute Persons Act was amended at the instance of Sir John Findlay "with a view to giving further protection to women. The object was laudable, but the means taken to arrive at the end have opened the door to an incredible process of persecution. One of .the provisions in the Act of 1910 lays it down that the refusal of a Magistrate to mako an affiliation order "shall be no bar to furthar applications against the same, or any other defendant. This provision miaris that if Magistrates can bo induced to grant tho necessary summjnsos the same person can be haled before tho Justices' Bench in every town in New Zealand, in the hopo.'that at last a conviction will bo secured. The defendant may, of course, appeal, but even should he win the appeal his success—his repeated success—in the Supreme Court need be no obstacle whatever to a further scries of prosecutions in the Lower Court. Finally it has to be noted that any maintenance awarded by the Magistrate becomes payable immediately, notwithstanding the fact that an appeal is pending. It may be argued that the possibilities of oppression under the Act are exaggerated in this statement. a Let us therefore turn to tho facts in the Christchurch case,

Since August, 1912, Jchn Scott Myers, of Christchurch, has on no fewer than nine occasions sought to have Albert Herbert Crozier, of the same city, adjudged tho father of a child born to Myers,'s daughter. _ Four of the applications w.ere dismissed by Mr. Bailey, S.M., two wero withdrawn, and three have been granted by Mr. Day, the Ashburton Magistrate. Against each of these three decisions of Mr. Day's Crozier has appealed to the Supreme Court, and on each occasion his appeal has been upheld. Nevertheless, Crozier is at 1 this moment in the Lyttelton Gaol, serving a sentence of one month's imprisonment for failure to pay arrears of maintenance. The warrant for his_ arrest was issued by Mr. Day on Friday last, despite the fact'that the appeal was set down for hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, and contained no diroction that the prisoner might be released on payment of tho whole or part of the amount,' On the appeal against Mr. Day's first decision in October, 1912, Mr. Justice Denniston found that the girl's evidence lacked corroboiation. On the second appeal, His Honour found the girl telling a_ completely different story, and still without corroboration. In his judgment on Tuesday he stated that no new facts whatever had been ad Uiced. It is possible under the Act for this conflict between the Upper and Lower Courts to go on indefinitely. And, moreover, His Honour says that he is without power to order the releaso of Crozier, and can only mention the matter to the proper authorities. It is to be hopedthat those authorities will not only ;ee that Crozier is released, but also take steps to secure an amendment of this absurd Act of Parliament.

The New South Wales Labour Government has made a profit of £17,000 out of the operations of its Wheat Acquisition Act. If the mercantile community had dared to confess to such a satisfactory result in private dealings, we probably should have witnessed the- New South Wales Labour Government raising its hands in pious horror and. talking [about the exploitation of the worker.

Count Zeppelin's seoretary says that Germany has discovered a process of causing "atmospheric perturbations" which will bring down aeroplanes. This announcement* we imagine, will cause a sensation in the feathered tribe, which has hither-, to been strictly neutral.

.No one will envy the lot of FieldMarshal von der Goltz, in his character of Military Pooh-Bah at the Court of the Sultan of Turkey just now. He has returned from Berlin with a- promise of money, but no troops. Turkey wants troops—lack of money in the Turkish Exchequer does not embarrass a Government which for years has been a notoriously bad payer. Turkey, angry With Germany, is gobbling furiously, and Von der Goltz has' just been told that it is high time Turkey eoneluded a separate peace. Vain hope—Turkey is to figure on tho menu at the Peace Dinner in duo season.