WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

SAFETY FIRST

THE LEVEL CROSSING

(Special to “ Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON. March !).

The launching of a “ careful crossing campaign ” which the Prime Minister Ims promised Irom Christchurch will sea reel v still the clamour for hotter provision for the protection ol hie ami limb alone; the railway lines of the Dominion. Nor will his statement that

‘the Department, for its part, has provided for aproximately ten level crossingly in one year, and has m mind completing a further quota at C arly date” allay the suspicion that the authorities are shamefully neglecting their duty iu this respect. Thev cannot divest themselves of responsihiliy hy erecting a finder post liere and a sign hoard there, or b\ quoting the pronouncements oi the Supreme Court against the reeklfss anil thoughtless driver. The eontentions they have put into the mouth of the Minister partake very much of the character of the lawyer with a had case who resorts to abusing the otio > side. Precise statistics are not available. hut it is fairly safe to say that, taking population and tralfie into account. the -number ol ercissihg accidents in New Zealand are relatively larger than those iu any oilier part of the Empire. This is a pre-eminence the Dominion is not seeking, and his personal and political friends will he much disappointed if Mr Coates allows his own good sense to he over-ridden hy offiieal lethargy. A 11 KI.CCTANT WITNESS. Though naturally indisposed to tub to the Minister’s diflieulties. just nthey are beginning to uillold them selves, the “ Do».” this mornin;. does nut accept tin* ‘‘earelul crossing campaign as entirely satislaetory " This choice as between the compleli elimination of level railway crossing and the education of nuhlie opinion, it says. •• no doubt anneals to the De partment as a matter of pounds shillings and pence. It is much cheap or to set out on an educational cam paign than to do away with the lew crossings. We are not so sure tha file ilailway Department s idea o using posters as its medium salet propaUganda will he so elleetive as i looks on paper. Posters and olhe fixed signs are apt to become part o the landscape in much the same wa as a now article of furniture gradual! sinks hack into its surroundings in Hi room. In this matter of educating th public to he careful at railway crossings the Government has a serious an

pressing responsibility. It is true th

the victim, of a railway crossing accident usually has himsell to blame, hut the legal immunity of the Hallway Department does not reprieve the Government of its responsibility to take every reasonable precaution to minimise the risk of accident.” This is a severe reproof from the lips ol so devoted a political friend. AXOTH Ivlt .TIT! AW.

That a man’s troubles do not come upon him singly is demonstrated by more plain sneaking from another n! the Prime .Minister’s political triends. “If Air Coates is as good as his word.”

the “ New Zealand Times ” declares, “he will move to save the Dairy Control Hoard from it-sell and one oi our retail industries from the hoard, flic

Prime Minister has declared time am again against State interference in hq business, lie is obviously not xalisliei that absolute control is cither ueccs

sury or advisable just now. That is the view of the experts in the dairy export trade just now. I’his is .a simple constitutional means ol dealing with the situation. When the Act: was passed, it was generally believed that nil Order-in-Couiiri| would be required I to sanction the use of the compulsory clauses. Let the Act he amended to that end, so that it will rest with the Government will liter or not absolute i-oiitio! sleill he enforced. If Mr (Males fails to put the hoard in place, he will sadlv disappoint iiilluenti.il business interests and shake the confidence of other people. It Mr Grounds imagines himsell the whole dairy industry, he must he disillusioned before Toole.v Stria t ilocs him that service.” Both parties to the butter control cnnt.rovor.sy arc looking to the Prime Minister for assurances. TIIL BONK OK CO NT E.XTIOK. ski far .Mr Coates has managed to hide his intentions very effectually and. coiiscniiciitly. to make both sides a little anxious. Alter his statement to a deputation at New Plymouth, early in the new year, to the effect iliai he thought compulsory control should" he postponed uni if a new hoard had been elected under the ward system —an opinion, hy the way. with whiih Air Xosworthy appeared to eoncur at the tint! the members of the free .Marketing League were congratulating themselves ttpon the success of their efforts. The appointment of Mr Ha when as successor to Air Noswori Ilyas Minister of Agriculture added In their satisfaction and all seemed to Ingoing well with their cause. But the Prime .Minister remained silent, and still remains silent, while Air William Grounds, the chairman of the Board and the head and front of the “ absolute control ” campaign, is touring the country and proclaiming his intention to go on with this policy whatever may betide, rndismayod by the tleinttieiation uf “ absolute control ’’ at a number of representative meetings of suppliers he is marching through the Dominion with his oritlnmme on high demanding the submission of the producers, willy-nilly, to the decree of Parliament ami the authority of the hoard. It is being whis|>ered about that in the last resort the Free .Marketing League will carrv its protest to the highest tribunal in the Kmpire and that it has been encouraged towards this course hy distinguished legal authorities.