The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, JUNE 23rd, 1923. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, JUNE 23rd, 1923. THE WEEK.

Parliament has settled down to the usual debate on the address-in-roply, which promises to drag along in tho usual way, judging by toe leisurely manner in which the opening stages wore taken. The occasion was taken by the Prime Minister one night during the week to make a statement with tho object tf showing that haste is essential and that Monday sittings will he adopted at onee. An explanation of tho manifold advantages of an amendment to the State Advances Act which lie lias to introduce served as another indication that if members are expeditious with no-confidence discussions they have an important measure ready for consideration. “The work for the session,” said Mr Massey, “is particularly well l'orwaid, except for one department.” The Estimates were ready, having passed Cabinet, and the remaining department had its estimates ready for printing and their approval would only take a day. The Financial Statement, tho most important document, of the session, w as ready to the extent of four-fifths, which had gone to the printer. As for carrying oil the business of the session members would understand that they did not need lose more time than they could help and he proposed to ask Parliament to commence sitting cn Monday nights from next Monday. Members would understand the necessity of getting on with tho business of the session if New Zealand was to be represented at the Imperial Conterenne. “Hut," he continued, “I want members to understand that I am not going to attempt to drive the House in any way. I want to see the business of the session done properly and well, and we can do it without any unnecessary haste or hurry. I had intended to introduce a very important Bill today by Governor’s message, but I want to coin ply with the precedent which

older members of the House are acquainted with, that while there is a want of confidence motion pending 110 important business may be transacted.”

One of the Bills brought down this session is an amendment to the Police Offences Act which seeks to greatly strengthen the law relating to the punishment of motor-car thefts, and also Sunday trading The former punishment for motor theft was a. fine' of CIO. or two months’ imprisonment. The amending Bill provides for a maximum penalty of £2O, or three months’ imprisonment, while in addition the defendant. may lie ordered to pay the owner of the stolon ear damage's not exceeding £2O. This order will not bar any civil action for compensation. Constables are empowered to arrest without warrant any person whom they have cause to suspect of having committed or to he about to commit any offence under this section. Tho new provision against Sunday trading fixes the maximum penalty at £5 for any person who works at his trade or calling wilh:n view of a public place on Sunday, or who keeps open any house, shop, bar or other place for tlie purpose of t;acting. The former penalty for this orenco was Cl. The section excludes from its operation any work of necessity or charity, tho sale of refreshments for consumption on the premises, sale of medicines or milk or anything required in connection with sickness or accident, or barbers, lieforo 9 a.m., persons driving public conveyances, working on .steamers, letting boats for hire, post and telegraph employees or daily newspaper workers. Other provisions of the Bill include a new definition of insulting behaviour in a ] uhlie [dace, tfiis covering riotous or disorderly behaviour, the use of insulting words, or striking or lighting any person. A former provision of the law that- excavations <lll public highways should be lighted at night has been amplified, so as to provide that during daytime the excavations shall be marked with red llags, while at night at least two red lamps must be placed in 'a suitable position to mark tbu clanger. The definition of ‘-pubic place” has been extended to include any place open to or used by the public whether on payment, of money or otherwise. The < Ifence of being found on premises by night without lawful excuse was punishable under tho original law by imprisonment not exceeding one year, but a new section provides for such an offence which dees not disclo.-o any criminal intent, tho punishment being a £l9 line or imprisonment lit.t exceeding lliiee months. This offence is extended to ships, heats, yachts or other vessels. Another clause gives a constable power to search for. pillaged goods without warrant if lie has reason to suppose that stolen property is in possession of any person or is to be found in any conveyance or receptacle about any wharf or public- [dace adjacent to any port or wharf, c-.tlu-r inland, or at the seaboard, or is on any ship or other vessel. Power is given to detain any conveyance or vc-s- ---! sol to enable search to l o made. The final clause- of the Bill empowers the police, mi arresting any naval rating for drunkenness, to deliver him to i hell a v 11 1 authorities for conveyance to Ills ship, there to le dealt with in accordance} with naval discipline, pending his being taken before a justice is required by the principal Act.

Tun Washington correspondent of the •'New York Times.” writing on April nl, said: President- Harding in the near future will make a decision lor the American Government on whether it would eonstitude an infraction of the 'Washington Naval Treaty to elevate the big guns on our retained Dreadnoughts to give them a. higher angle of fire and greater range and effectiveness in possible luturo battles. C engross has already made appropriation for elevating the guns on certain ol our dreadnoughts. Opinion among gunnery and ordnance men in the fleet is unanimous in favour of giving our big guns greater elevation on those vessels which (h* not! now have guns so mounted as to enable them to lire at high angles. Secretary Dcnby and members of the Congressional party which went to the fleet manoeuvres off Panama, found that opinion in the fleet was strongly in favour of bringing the gunnery possibilities of tho fleet up to date a.s soon as possible. A portion ol tho navy treaty, however, is construed by some as meaning that gun mounting cannot be changed. The interpretation of naval officers is that tins provision in the treaty constitutes no such inhibition. The State Department is giving the matter close study from tho standpoint- of treaty interpretation, and in maknig its decision will listen to the technical advice of officers ol the navy. In the last analysis President Harding, after hearing tho views of Secretiny Hughes and Secretary I)onby will decide the question. American naval experts have I icon giving close attention recently to the question of the relative strength of the three lending set powers—tho United States, Great- Britain, and Japan. They feel that in capita! ships both tho United States and Japan arc at present deficient in offensive and defensive strength of their older capital ships as compared with Great Hiitain. .Sentiment in our naval service is in favour of carrying through the original plan for gun elevation, because, with the completion of the. steps now lseing undertaken bv both the United Stntos and Japan to modernize these ships, the 5-5-T ratio in ca; ital ships will lie converted from a theory into a practical reality. Some months ago the British Government issued a categorical denial of the Ameiican statement that existing British capital ships had been altered to give greater elevation to their guns.

President Harding, addressing the annual luncheon of the Associated Press of America, declared that the United States’ participation in the Court of International Justice, as the Administration proposed, would ho “in harmony with platform pledges, electoral promises, and American aspirations,” and would not be the entry into the League of Nations “by the side doors, the hack door, or the cellar door.” After outlining the history of the establishment of the World Court, and declaring that an American Judge sits in it, though the United States had no part in choosing him. President Harding said that under the provisions of the Ccmrt the United States could

apply to it for .1 dicision oil any justifiable question in the same way ns n nation participating in its establishment. But he thought, and still thinks that the United States ought to be a party to the agreement, assume a part in its maintenance, and ‘'give to it tile benefit of such influence as our size, wealth, and ideals may prove to bo. . . The perfected Court must lie a matter of development. I commend it because it is a great step in the right direction town tils a peaceful settlement of justifiable questions, towards the elimination of friction which might load to war, and a surer agency of international justice through the application of law than can be hoped for in arbitration which is influenced by the prejudices of men and the expediency </• polities. We can do vastly more to perfect it in the capacity of an adherent than in: an aloofness in which we arrogate to ourselves the right to say to the world, “we dictate but never comply.’’ I would yield to none our right, none our nationality, but would gladly give of our influence and co-operation to move forward and upward toward woild peace and that reign of justice which is infinitely more secure in the rule of national honour than in national or international force. “I have indulged the dream, have justified the hope that cut of an encouraged and sustained Court might come the fulfilment of larger aspirations. In the proof of its utility and spirit of conco’.d among the nations might come that voluntary conference of nations out of which could be expected a. clarified and codified international law to further peace under the law, and bring the nations that understanding' which is ever the first and bust, guarantor of peace.”

Ai'TKii the first mobilised Fiencli railway and Customs officials appeared in the- Ruhr, writes the foreign correspondent ol a London journal, their first step was to establish posts of control at all railway junctions where the Ruhr lines communicate with the other (Herman railways. Those observation posts controlled the whole out and in going traffic, and kept check ol the destination of all trains. .Meanwhile detachments of engine-drivers, stokers, signalmen and telegraph workers arrived from the French railway centres, where they had been mobilised. According to plan, they were distributedat the large junctions. All the lines of the Ihilir hud been previously divided into classes according to their relative importance. The first object was to maintain, il necessary, an exclusively FTotich service along the main lines of communication. At the present juncture the preliminary part ol the Fiench occupation of the railway system may lx- said to have been completed, because the French authorities are able (II to separate ihe Ruhr from the rest of ihe Berman railways, and C2) to run cel tain main arteries without- the help of German officials. '1 hey are now preparing to intensify their hold upon the railways by organising them into an entity quite independent from the railways of the Reich. This involves the creation of a special administration, under a. high official from one of the French companies. It has been foreseen that the Ruhr railways are to ],ave an independent budget ol their own, and should be made self-support-ing/ Tariffs are to be imposed on a gold basis ill all cases where transport is intended to go beyond the limits ol the iuecupiied area. The number of trucks allowed to leave for Germain would not exceed the number arriving in the Ruhr from outside, so that it would be impossible for the Germans to deplete the supply of rolling-stuck in tiic area.