PRESS COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1928, Page 1

PRESS COMMENT

When guilty people escape conviction because the charge and its consequences appear to public opinion, as represented by juries, to be too grave for the offence, then justice is defent.ed, and the satire of it all is that justice is baffled by the law. We have seen that in Xew Zealand too often in the case of men committed to the Supreme Court on charges of hookmaking, to name only one '.’(fence. The aim of any amending legislation—and there is every need for amending the existing criminal code—is “to make the punishment fit the (rime”— not according to out-of-date but in accordance with a changed and, let it be hoped, enlightened, public opinion. —“Auckland Sun-’’ The labour loaders bavo frequontlv said that it is their object to get all the opponents of Socialism “into one camp.” Iml this is mere bravado. Nothing pleases them better than disunion in the moderate majority, and the very last thing they wish to see is a closing of the moderate ranks. The main obstacle lo a united opposition to the Socialist challenge is the foolish belief of many people that the old Liberal Party may in some guise or other struggle hack to power. Every year thousands of electors, realising that flic re is no distinctive policy for which the Liberal Party can stand, are streaming away from the old allegiance, hut those who are slow in seeing the plain enough lads are still sufficiently numerous to make any division amongst the Relurtn votets very advantageous to the Reds. — “Christchurch Press.”