TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 101, 1 May 1930, Page 12

TOPICS OF THE DAY

M. Pelterie's return journey to and from the moon, to be accomplished within the next decade, is not a more startling proposition to us today than conversation between Britain and Australia would have seemed to the London of (say) 1830. "What an age," says Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, "what would our grandfathers have to say about it?" Even when Mr. Mac Donald visited Australia and New Zealand about 1906, dropped into the newspaper reporters' rooms and the labour secretaries' dens, and exchanged ideas very informally with young men of that period who have travelled ' far in life's adventures in the interim— even in that comparatively recent time few dreamed that Marconi's new wireless communication would be made to girdle the world. Strangely patterned and ever acclerating lines of destiny, as invisible and magical as wireless, have led into Prime Ministerial chairs two comparatively obscure Labour men whose stock would then have been backed by few, and have made ihem the formal pioneers of. British-Aus-tralian wireless telephony. The occasion is remarkable not only as landmark in intra-Empire, international, and world-sociological progress, but also because the exchange of ideas was brightly informal, and struck just that conversational note that embodies the inner spirit of the achievement Once upon a time, people separated by oceans were separated indeed; even recently, the separated ones had few chances,of contact; to-day, they speak to one another across the world, and may presently fly to meet within a week. Well might the Scot from Lossiemouth invoke the spirit of his isolated ancestors. Another sign of the times is the world-importance of sport. It simply had to creep into the converse of the great ones. The embargo on Governors-General was neatly masked behind the Australian remark that there is no emhargo on "ashes." On. the other side there is a Highland ring about the British suggestion that the Australian cricketers will be bowled out with hospitality. What did the two Welshmen, the only Lloyd George and the only W. M.' Hughes, say to each other? Something pointed, be assured! * # ♦ Party politics, according to the speech of a West Australian legislator, cabled to-day from Vancouver, "have proved a stumbling-block in the development of trade reciprocity within the Empire." This is unfortunately true. Party politics cause muddling in all matters affecting trade. Even when the question is one directly affecting only one Government—as, for instance, the development of trade within New Zealand—the party machine is clumsy, wasteful, and slow, as everyday experience shows. And when the question covers both trade and tariff and affects several Governments, the mechanical difficulties increase, even thougli those sovereign Governments be included in one Empire. Certainly it would make for commercial efficiency if the politicians could make room for a group of specialists led by two or three all-rounders, who would probably be equal to attaining the postulated goal—"a properly or-

ganised trade research of the requirements and products of every unit of the Empire, to establish a workable basis for Empire trade reciprocity." The economist has the utmost contempt for the politician, but knows not how the latter can be dispensed with. It is altering the text but not the spirit of a remark of Mr. Philip Guedalla to say that "party politics is the British substitute for a revolution." A substitute whereby rebels are made into Prime Ministers. # # * Reformation of the criminal and his rehabilitation in society have been for some years the principal aims of prison policy in all enlightened countries. In his address to the Howard Penal Reform League yesterday Sir Thomas Sidey was able to claim that New Zealand in this respect had kept abreast of modern movements, and had, inde6d, applied the policy with greater success than in ; some older countries. Yet he deemed it wise to utter a warning. When cue considered • the barbarous methods of barely fifty,years ago (lie said), it was not surprising that tho revulsion of feeling should cause a swing of the pendulum, to an extreme of sympathy for tho offender, often to tho entire disregard of the. rights of society. Tho framing of a penal policy required keenness of judgment, kindly humanity, and a sense, of justice not only to the criminal, but also to the law-abiding citizen. This warning is probably unnecessary for leaders in penal reform who have taken to heart Dr. Goring's admonition that criminological science "must be approached across facts, and facts only"; but there are others who enter on the work with great zeal and praiseworthy humanitarianism, but lacking knowledge. Such people are apt to overlook the rights of society. Seeking to rid the penal system of its punitive character, they may seriously impair its protective quality. Even in New Zealand there have been some misgivings lately, a doubt whether the deterrent effect of penal policy had not been weakened by mildness in reformative measures. As an example, a questionnaire on children's • Courts was answered recently by the majority of the Magistrates in such a way as to indicate that they were not prepared to go further in abolishing publicity, and otherwise removing those factors in the administration of justice which were calculated to have a deterrent effect. It is against precipitate action that a reform movement must guard. The pendulum has swung towards sympathy for the offender, but if society's rights are disregarded it will swing back towards the punitive penal system. An inter-college debate on the place taken by sport in New Zealand life produced some interesting opinions. Not the least interesting, though it was not strictly relevant to the subject, was the opinion expressed by one speaker that "the American carried his business ir>o sport, but the Britisher carried his sport into business." The American tendency to apply business efficiency methods to sport has often been noted. We may see the same tendency in New Zealand. It is marked by a desire to collect championships, to produce world-beating teams, and to gather in new records. Within reason diis is not open to objection, but it may be extended until it lessens the public value of sport as sport. The British ideal is a nation of players— champions if they can be found, but players first for the sake of the game. If the search for champions becomes too keen the British amateur ideal may be lost. Gate-takings, huge crowds of followers, and fewer players are the signs of this change of outlook. Those who govern sport in this country would do well to take warning. If they over-emphasise tours and championships and encourage intensive training they may produce gladiators and brighten up box? office business, but they will just as surely rob sport of its greatest national value.