PRESS COMMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1928, Page 4

PRESS COMMENTS.

It may please us when Now* Zealand boxers find themselves in the running for the world’s championships, but the 'fact is of small importance compared with the other fact that hundreds of New Zealand schoolboys are at the same time learning to take bloody noses in the spirit in which they are given. The glowing tribute to British sportsmanship by a German neswpaper will give New Zealanders at any rate an uncomfortable feeling after the unfortunate football incident in Auckland. But there is no need to ask whether Mr Lowe’s letter to his vanquished opponent or the exchange of compliments at the Auckland dinner was the more typical of English sportsmanship, because neither of them was typical. Most of our sport and the best of our sportsmanship does not find its way into the newspapers at all. Whenever a game is played for the sake of the spectators rather than the players the true sporting spirit has been lost. I'f Mr Lowe and Dr Peltzer had run against one another in an empty paddock for their own amusement graceful tributes would not have been expected or given.—Christchurch “ Press.”

Publicity is the best safeguard of justice. When the exception occurs and justice is best served by limiting publicity, then public confidence, which is always alienated by official secrecy, rests better on the judgment of its own representatives and witness, the Press, than on a Court order. When suppression is obviously desirable, an imperative is unnecessary; when it is desirable, but less obviously so, a judicial and judicious suggestion, as in the case yesterday, is sufficient -to direct the closest attention of the newspapers to the question, what degree of publicity is right. The present power to order suppression is either superfluous, or, in general, abused. —Christchurch “ Sun.”

Regarded as one of the finest feats of aviation, the flight of the Southern Cross from Melbourne to Perth, a distance of 2COO air miles, in less than twenty-four hours, serves to demonstrate the value df the exhaustive preparations Squadron-Leader Kingston! Smith and the fellow members of his crew made before embarking on the great adventure, and, moreover, the vital importance of weather reports and complete arrangements for landing is not overlooked, and in,this connection the aviation authorities in New Zealand are co-operating with the Civil Aviation Department of Australia to ensure that when the Southern Cross takes oft from the aviation grounds in tho vicinity of Sydney to essay what it is hoped will be an historic flight over the hitherto unknown Tasman Sea, not the tiniest detail in the equipment, manning, and organisation will he unready for the big test imposed by a memorable adventure, which the people of many continents hope will be crowned with signal success.—Timaru “Herald.”

In other countries the State has recognised that large expenditure on agricultural research has proved safo and remunerative from a public point of view. ... It is easy to see-how a much greater expenditure than that available would be justified in a country like New Zealand which is so dependent upon the primary industries ■for its prosperity. Our Council of Scientific and Industrial Research should well repay us for the oiu'ay its work involves and it should make the utmost use of the Cnwthron Inst hute and give it adequate hm.nvul aui Sir John Russell’s visit should. : Must in that direction, apart Irom the Milnn otherwise.—Nelson “ Evi nine Mail.”

' A notable contribution was made by Mr Justice Adams which one may hope will help to undo the mischief caused by the power given to Magistrates and Judges to forbid the publication by the newspapers of the names of accused persons appearing before the Courts. From the beginning we have always disliked the power thus given to -Magistrates. not in the least because we have wished to print the names of all those who arc so unfortunate as to come before the Court on criminal charges, hut because we have not thought the common-sense or discretion of Magistrate’s great enough to justify their making rules for the conduct of the newspaper Press, hut when Mr Justice Adams says, in any particular case, that he is strongly of opinion that the accused’s name ought not to he printed, the circumstances would require to he very extraordinary that would make us hesitate to let his opinion govern our action. His attitude is so obviously wise, and is so obviously helpful to the good working and good repute of Courts and newspapers, that we hope the law will he amended to make it the attitude of all judicial officers.— Christchurch “Press.”

It is by no means certain that the proposed daylight-saving local option would work well hv districts, though it might work well enough by the voluntary decision of certain industries. That it would lead to a good deal of confusion between town and country and district and district we may safely assume j how much could only he asceitained by trial. Such a trial, however, might lead to so much loss and irritation that the whole future of summertime might he prejudiced. A wiser policy for the supporters of summer time to adopt might he to accept standard time this summer, and count on the contrast between it and the delights of the longer evenings last season to strengthen their movement sufficiently to put a national hill through Parliament in 1929.— Auckland “Star.”

Jt must be said of the New Zealanders that they are rising superbly above the disadvantages of climate, altitude, travelling, and the hostility of a certain section of the public, and they may yet upset the calculations of their critics by winning the rubber—in any case, they may he relied upon to do their very best to win the much-coveted supremacy in the Rugby football arena of the Empire.—Timaru “ Herald.”

lii the general acknowledgement of the good done by tiie Flock House scheme and other systems for bringing lads from overseas, training them in farm work and helping to start them on careers on the land, it is sometimes remarked that similar chances could very well be provided for New Zealand toys. The desirability of providing similar chances 'for the New Zealander is plain, and the appeal to the Government is justified. Jt must be remembered that in tile Flock House scheme voluntary effort plays a great part. The call to do something of a like nature for New Zealand hoys can he commended to those who can help in a private capacity just as heartily as to the Government. —Auckland “Herald.”

The object of the Kiiiematograph Films Bill, which the Government has introduced in the House of Representatives, is entirely commendable. It is to secure that a larger proportion of British films shall he screened in tin picture theatres of the Dominion and necessarily, therefore, to displace some of the American productions which in present circumstances constitute almost the entire fare that is offered to the patrons of the theatres. In the selection of subjects and in the sentiment that is expressed in them ft great many

I of these American pictures are, if not actually objectionable, certainly not agreeable to British susceptibilities. It would be clearly advantageous on this ground alone if wholesome British pictures, well produced, could be substituted for them. It has to be acknowledged, however, that the British output of films is, as yet, comparatively small and that the production is not generally equal to that characteristic of the American films, which, whatever else may lie said ol them, are finished examples of artistry.—“Otago Daily Times.”