PUBLIC OPINION.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1925, Page 1

PUBLIC OPINION.

THE XFAY PRISON ATMOSPHERE. "There is a change of spirit in our prisons. The atmosphere is one of hope, rather than of despair, and among the prisoners there is cooperation with the prison regime rather than opposition to it. The time has passed when an executive Government considered it had done its duty to society when it had arrested an offender. In depriving a human being of It is liberty an executive Government has undertaken a new responsibility of the very graves! kind that of the treatment and training of ait offender during bis incarceration. A man dornot lose his rights as a human being because lie has-broken the law. A man must not come out of prison in such a condition of mind and body that he is no longer lii to lake his place in society. The State is free to experiment noon prisoners with menial, moral, ami physical forces with a view to their restoration to a state <U normal citizenship. This I' the tueseut old,-ct of everyone of mu present administrators.” Sir M . J'l.vii-dit link-. British 11 o 111< Si -i let a r\ NATIONALISED BANKIN'! '‘Banking in one of its aspects is an intcuselv personal aliair. A nationalised hank could do a large part of the business of hanking nearly i! not- quite as well tu our present instil tit ions. If could accept deposits, pay. collect and clear cheques, issue circular Mates, cut oil and collect coupons, and take custody "t bonds and share certificates —all these things ii could do passably well, though, incidentally. it would doubtless abandon (he pleasant custom of the ‘capitalist’ hanks of doing a good many ol them for nothing. But it. could not lend moiiev. Not withstaiuiing the modern 'organisation ol industry and the substitution of that legal entity the iointstoek corporation —■-t lie 'impersonal company.’ .as it is called in mail,' tmn languages—for the individual trade or private firm, the fundamentals of nionev-letidiug are precisely 'he same as they were in r.i"iv primitive days. Tin l most potent- reason why the State should not undertake the business of hanking is that the State is necessarily incapable ot conducting properly the lending side ot that bu>iIt would make a bad i"b hot It of the individual loan and lending in hulk, that is. "f credit policy.”—Mr o. R. Hobson, in his pamphlet. “The Case Against Nntiomdi'ing the Bank-. Banks.” THE STATE OF THE DEBTOR. -The crime of the United States wato help when help was needed, and now to ask for a settlement or the promi-e of a settlement within the capacity ot each nation to pay for only that measure of our assistance represented hv Government obligations. For that crime) it is piling up a constantly increasing measure of dislike. This ingratitude must sadden all Americans who have a genuine faith that nations can. in their relation to each other, “conduct themselves on other purely selfish lines. In times of stress, the mass mind of a nation seems capable ol response to idealistic leadership ant exalted action. In times of calm or reaction it falls prey to the basest oi

human emotions: greed, complin..-,mu\ . suspicion, and ingratitude.’ - New York "Independent." MORE ZEAL THAN KNOWLEDGE. “The World is full—too full it seems to us— of men whose zeal is out- of all proportion to their knowledge. Religion and so, in! adventurers are going forth to battle upon impulse of one sort or another whose doings suggest even to the man in the street that lhey are novices at tile business. I hev are entirely indifferent 111 guiding principles am! equally careless ot theit destination. They are exceedingly confused as to terminal facilities. I heir motto might well he ‘We do not know where we are going, hut we are mi the way.' Anyone can see that these people would lie heller for a period ol silence, that the chief thing needed is reflection and quiet."- The Rev. Dr. Harris Kirk, of Baltimore, the wellknown American preacher, who lor 'lime weeks has occupied the pulpit of Westminster Chapel - the late Dr. .lowetfs church-for Dr. .lolm llutiou. who wa-' in America.