NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 74, 20 December 1919, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

OixiON was considerably divided at various stages of the election struggle just ended as tu the influence likely to be exercised by llrj activities of til , . , Protestant I'olltic;il Association. The organiser of tho association in an interview given to a southorn contemporary expresses great satisfaction over the outcome of the elections, and though he does not in as many words say so he by inference claims the result as a vielory for Protestantism. "We should be sorry to think that the country was divided politically on sectarian lines. That the P.f.A. exercised considerable influence in some electorates seems clear enough. In I'nice, for instance, Sin James Ali.en had the hardest tijrht of his political career owinp, it is said, in a largo measure to the activities of Hie P.P.A,, while Slit Josem Ward's defeat in Awnrua is in some quarters attributed to the same cause. On the other hand, a notable exnnnilc of an unexpectedly substantial win for a candidate supposedly hard pressed on account of his association with the P.P.A. was in. the Ashburton scat, where Mi:. Noswortiiy won verv handsomely. How fnr tho P.P.A.' aetuallv influenced these results can only lie cnensed f>t, but it is notev-orthy that in the electorates named the organisation was sneciallv active, ■"'b.ile a'larirn pronortion of tlie enndidates it favoured in <ithev electoivtes were cleeted. The obvious weakness of tho P.P.A. is its occasional lanpes into extreme seetarian which anr-.ifonipc many who nuehfc agree with its avowed objects.

UsxoTiCED a-niid the turmoil of the general elections an historic incident occurred on Tuesday. It was the completion of the first acrytl mail journey in New Zealand, made from Auckland to Dafgavillc and back. The mail, weighing in all about 501b., the usual daily quantity between the two offices, was carried by a seaplane of 125 horsc-powev from the Kohimarama Flying School. The outward journey of 112 miles, via the east coast, was accomplished in 95 minutes, and the return, by &■ more direct route of 30 miles, with the same weight of mail matter, was made in 83 minutes. It is stated that in view of the success of this flight the Postal Department intends to provide regular services between Auckland, Dargaville, and Whan'crarei early in the new year. The undertaking should provide interesting data, but at the present price of petrol and the consumpl ion per hour of a 125 horse-power seaplane, to say nothing of the various overhead expense , ?—or whatever may he the appropriate, term in the nir industry—we as more ln-v----men, that the carriage of , oOlb.. parcels of mail matter by air docs liol. appeal to us strongly from the purely commercial 'ipint of view. But by all means Ist us have an experiment.

The excessive number uf stroll accidents of late and the City Council discussion thereon lead to several conclusions. One is that an_ educative "Safety First" campaign is mud) needed. This is a matter with which the council might well make, a start with placards in its trams r.nch as one sees everywhere in London. Motorists in their own interests—for they are likely to be n> stricted severely if the present rate of killing and maiming the population continues—would be well ;i<lvised to take an active part in organising a "Safety First' , movement, devoting activities largely to their own ranks for a start. Another conclusion is that the urgent need is the strict enforcementof existing traffic regulations no that all motorists driving to the public danger are promptly brought to book. TJie police cannot be everywhere, and citizens who witnnej najrrnnt 1 acts of reckless driving would be doing a real public service to note the car number, ascertain the names of other witnesses, and lay ,n.:i information. * A- inn re iip-to-rl,Ttf> system for the issue, of motordrivers' license? throughout the Dominion is badly needed, with the same provision As in Britain for the. refusal of liciis-'s to person , - convicted of reckless driving. It is only by rigorous and active steps that the danger will be stamped out. s * * a

An unnecessary assertion of authority by the HospjcpJs Dcparfcmonfc seems to. be at the bottom of its dispute with the Wellington Hospital Board. The Bcivd is vested by Statute with the duty ol appointing its officers. The Department., with laudable motives in* doubt, in furtherance of the Dominion Medical Scholarships scheme, .idvises the Board thai ''it has now been decided" that all applications for house surgeons , shall be subnutted to'and dealt with by Hie Dnpavtmont. Thus to tread on l.ho corns of the Hospital Boards is to ask for trouble. And trouble has not been long in arriving. A little oil on the machinery seems nil that is wanted, and we hope the Department; will see its way to provide tins by a pr.iceful withdrawal from an untenable position. With a more tnefful approach we think it wil' Find the Boards ready to eo-opevale with it as is necessary to secure, the successful working of the scholarship scheme.

Another inroad on the liberty of t-hc citizen is planned by tli« City Council in its projected Imildinjih legislation. Is it rcasnnablu for thr municipal aut-hon'ty t«i liavn powor 'lo determine, the arcljitoctur;il fivi!iirr:s of buildings in the iiui-in 'li'cets of the city? Coiintiu.oi: Thojipson says this would he an unjustifiable intr.rfcrenci: with the I'ights of propt-rty-holclev!!. T!kMayoii and othrrniembnrs of (he council, however, contend that building? of a meas;i - n charactor slum Id lint- be allowed on tlv.. , main .streets. 'Paste varies much more rapidly than "ity buildings an , , renewed, and a street forced into uniformity in tvith Hi'. , iirevailing .•irchitcctural taste of t«.-nnty or Uiirj.v years atro would nrnlribly be voted hideous to-diiy. P'-rhajis on reflection it may bo foil''.! 'h.-f, thi r.ouiidest- coui'Fa- is; to giw arebitoots <ind builders a free, hand to nu'et li- , needs of their clients, but h> .npfiiiin> power that can be used to forbid the erection of obvious nwistiwiHps. To go further and tlete;mine of how mjin.v stories bniU'-JiiKS .-"o !o consist in ;>, (riven sire ,, !, an'!, in-''si.i'n-iibly. how mucb nio-u'v <.\ r <]\ ) )( , spent; on them, is lo advn"C" into ;■ :v)si!:ion in which the council is i'nlikely to have the support of public opinion.