THE KELBURN RAID

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 221, 6 June 1918, Page 6

THE KELBURN RAID

Sir,—Many thauks for your leader on. thtf above event. It is admirable. Unuouoieuly the men involved in su';n _ scandals ougnt to be punished as well 'as tne women; oughc, iiuteiul, '0 be more puuisneii than the woiuun. All the eamo it is a good tiling lor .somebody to bo punished. ■ it is good, too. ior tlie pti;i--)B;iiiient to 'ire imprisonment. Fines are. easiiy paid. The ponce are to be very heartily, congratulated on their action, 'iiiey had colossal forces to encounter in try 113 to secure a conviction. Military ollieers tried to whitewash the accused; lawyers tried all cha tricks of their trude—one of them even belittled his pruiew-ion to the 'extent of acting aa a witness tor the defence. Public opin-. ion of a sort backed the wrong-doers. All, however, was in vain, and it is a. relief to find that the verdict is a blow at a vice which just now is a greater menace to the Empire than tho German Army is. The general public has no idea how vast this menace is, or what military measures are being taken to cope with it. In two sentences 1 could shock the public more than it imagiuiH. It s high time for all clean people to make their voices heard on this question. .Church folk will think that the police are slow to try and root out immorality, but.whitt are the fads? They are that, when the police try they encounter an immense amount of opposition and a very small amount of .backing. The hounds of hell yell, whiln those of heaven keep silent. Now is the time for decent people to speak, and at all similar times. Lot them make the police understand that they are supported by everything that is best in public opinion. Let them make tho Magistrate do the same. No doubt subtie efforts to get him removed will now be resumed, and we must let him see that we are going to such efforts. Meanwhile, it is a comfort to realise that, regardless of. consequences, he will continue to do what seems to him Ito be his duty.—l am, etc.,

" J. K. AECHEK,. President New Z'ealaud Baptist • Union, and Military Chaplaiu, Tauherenikau.

Sir,—On reading the imlgir.pp.t givc-m by Mr. S.M., on the above wise, I would like to draw Hie attention of the public to the words used in the case of Miss Marion Elliott. Mr. M'Carthy made use of tho following: "Suck nets of immorality as she hiis committed," etc. I looked in vain for the words "alleged" or "said to have," and feel impelled to ask if this irr.s merely an unhappy wording or a deliberate attempt to fasten, upon this unhappy girl tie stigma of an immoral character. It appears that the Magistrate wished to make it/ quits clear that although sentence was not passed upon her, yet he was of the opinion that acts of immorality on her part were proved to his satisfaction. The only direct evidence of euch acts disclosed'in her case rests lipon the statements of Constable' Tricklebank, and the Magistrate has himself stated that "'.vith regard, to the evidence of alleged acts of immorality in OlseH's room, whenever the observations were taken from the south side of the hnise, I am eatisfied that even on a bright moonlight night there would be difficulty in identifying anyone lying in bed in that room, etc. When, therefore, Constable Tricklebank from the point indicated affected to identify particnJar women in that room, I am satisfied lie testified from inference and not from observation." I ask in common fairness and decency, if it is just to apply such words as are used in the Magistrate's judgment of Miss Elliott on the inference of a policeman? It is not enough that this young friri has been draped through the miro of publicity, that her name has been at the mercy of every evil-minded and -wretched scandalmonger- ot twtli ?exes, that her parent* , slender means have been strained to their utmost, ami that her young life must bear the slam attaching to a case of this sort, but the further shame and disgrace attaching to her dismissal must go to-swell an aiready overflowing cur> of bitterness aM misfortune. I say Ihal- -so far as M*s Elliott is concerned the judgment is as severe as though act m<l iniprisonment were imposed upon her, and I feel that I can rely upon the greater section of Jniru.inded and decont neonlo to support thw view and that public opinion will lw with'me when I make this strong Protest against the mental sentence passed upon h Thavo seen little in this care to remind one of that quMirjr of iwtu* which cur greatest dramatist has likened to be\oß nearest to that of G«l's.-^eic., June 6. - .