The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, August 29, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1036, 29 August 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, August 29, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The fourth escape from gaol by the notorious Pawelka on Sunday morning is the present popular theme of conversation in these parts. The full details of the prisoner's escape are set forth elsewhere in this issue. Up to the present this slim young moral pervert has managed to elude the police. It would appear that he has sympathisers, and possibly accomplices, outside as well as inside the prison walls, as it seems remarkable that he is able to defy bars and bolts. If a prisoner can outwit his keepers it is to his credit, and the blame rests upon the gaoler and his subordinates. Pawelka has exposed their weakness in this instance, and it goes without saying that the authorities will hold a searching enquiry into the matter. Already two lives have been sacrificed through this man’s law-defy-ing escapades, and we don’t know what further damage may be done before he is recaptured, to say nothing of the unrest caused to people with nerves while he is at liberty. That the man is mentally weak is proved by his past acts, which stamp him as a dangerous criminal. Yet we find people who openly boast that he has their sympathy. We all sympathise with unfortunates who are physically and mentally deficient, but it would fare ill with society if such morbid sentiment were allowed to over-rule common sense. To allow the law to be set at defiance and the peace and good order of society to be subverted would be to welcome anarchy. It is our duty as good citizens to uphold the law, and for this reason we hope Pawelka will soon be recaptured, and transferred to some centre other than Wellington.

Last week our Levin contemporary, in advocating that Levin

should become the headquarters of the Otaki electorate, somewhat exaggerated Kevin’s importance as a centre of population and commerce on this coast, and we took occasion to correct certain misstatements, which it uttered and wound up by suggesting that the local Borough Council should lay claim to consideration in this respect, At the same time we admitted, and do now that, geographically, Levin is more central as the headquarters of the Otaki electorate than Otaki. The Chronicle again returns to the charge, and in its issue of yesterday pours forth the following “Until this month, Levin was the only borough in the electorate ; but since the change of boundaries was made, Foxton has become a companion borough. We notice that for this reason, and by virtue of Foxton possessing six or seven more souls than Levin does, the Foxton Heeald is spurriug-on its Borough Council to claim lor Foxton the right to be declared the official electoral headquarters. There are, however, several reasons to be urged against such a step. In the first place, it is open to argument if Foxton and its precincts possess within two hundred of the population that Levin and district does. [lt could be argued very much to Levin’s disadvantage.—Ed. H.] And, secondly, the tacking-on of Foxton to this electorate was so fortuitous a circumstance that there can be no surety of the sandbank borough’s continuance within these bounds after the next general election. [We have to do with the present , not the future. — Ed. H.] Foxton, to put the case bluntly, is, and long has been, a political shuttlecock, which the electoral commissioners drive backwards and forwards in their never-end-ing “ game ” [Our contemporary is confusing Foxton with Shannon.—Ed. H.] ; and we shall not be surprised to see it (some day) linked in with Kapiti Island, Hokio Beach, the French Pass, and Manawatu Heads as the chief component part of an electorate to be known as Flaxopelagos. In those days, no doubt, Foxton “will” be made headquarters; and the cheers with which the announcement will be received may be depended upon to awaken the Kapiti Island week-end excursionists, the great grey pilot of the long French Pass, and other out-of-the-way suffragists of that nebulous electorate. ” [The foregoing is so much speculative flapdoodle, childish and irrelevant. —Ed. H.]

Mr. Field, member for Otaki, is getting rattled in respect to his query whether the Government will take action to prohibit the use of motor cars at election times. The Dominion says: “ Members of Parliament often ask strange questions, but the palm for ineptitude must go to Mr W. H. Field for his inquiry whether the Government could not bring down an amendment of the electoral law that would ‘ destroy or lessen the huge advantage ’ of wealth and influence ‘in the ownership and command of motor cars for the conveyance ol electors to the poll.’ If Mr Field feels really anxious about his chances —and he may well leel anxious—why does he not boldly suggest the only thing that can make him absolutely safe, namely, an amendment to prevent anybody going to the poll except Ministerialist voters.”