Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8938, 2 October 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THERE was great disappointment at Now Plymouth when the Grand Jury found "no bill" in the tarring and feathering case. It .'was expected that "the unwritten law" I would figure in the case, and those j charged desired to bring evidence of the victim's alleged misdeods before the public. In charging tho Grand Jury his Honour declared that thero was a clear prima facio case in which, under ordinary circumstances, a true bills hould bo brought in, but thero were circumstances which lie thought'niade it his duty to refer to tho case at greater length ithan he otherwise would. Tarring j and feathering, his.Honour described as a piece of blackguardism we had evidently imported from America. After recounting tho evidence of Hill, his Honour said that it was undoubtedly a disgraceful assault under peculiarly "disgraceful circumstances, and was unquestionably a violatiou of the law. The evidenco of Hill was corroborated by i.nimpeachable" witnesses. On this evidence the jury was to find a true bill. There was no doubt that tho proceedings at Opunake were to carry out some sort of rough justice-, He assumed that Hill had been guilty of some breaeh of tho social laws, but nothing could justify such reprehensible conduct. Ho was sure the jurymen had too much respect for tho law and for the oath they had taken to allow sympathy to influence thorn. He know of nothing more calculated to sap tho law and order of the country than such proceedings. The jury knew what disrepute the so-called ''unwritten law" had come into in other countries. He hoped it would not be countenanced here. He was confident the jury would do its duty. Apart from tho brutality of tho case, tho reputation of the district as a law-abiding community must be upheld. In spite of this strong charge the jury, after nearly an hour's 'retirement, declared by a majority thot there was '' no bill,'' owing to the. unsatisfactory nature of the evidence. His Honour merely sp.id that tho evidence quite justified the remarks ho had niado in addressing the jury. §

SIR JOSEPH WARD has made it perfectly clear that there is no immediate intention of calling out the militia and that it is only proposal to draw tip the lists of those who may he roquirod to serve. The conclusions drawn from the somewhat mysterious uttorances of Colonel Robin are therefore withoiit foundation, and Government does not at present intend to inaugurate a systoin of universal service. Looking back at the incident wo cannot help thinking that the misconceptions which were allowed to prevail were not unintentional and that it was thought desirablo to test public opinion on the subject. We do not care for methods of this sort which are lacking iu straightforwardness, but if they were practised, as we suspect, the Council of Defence cannot complain that th* idea was badly received by the public. If the Council in which the people lmro full confidence comes to the conclusion that universal service in a necessity and can give satisfactery grounds for the belief the country will not be slow to follow tho lo : ul given, but in tho meantime the Council should put all the energy possible into making the existing volunteer force effective. If after six or seven years of work in this direction it seems impossible to prodtica tho requisite enthusiasm for voluntary service tho people will then be ready to accept tho only alternatiTO the calling out of tm> militia.

NO one can walk through the streets without realising that the season for marbles has once more arrived. Even those who naturally 'take no interest in such matters have the fact rudely thrust upon thorn whoa they find the pavement occupied by youngsters far too absorbed in their game to pay 'any attention to anything 60 important as a mere adult who wishes to make .use of the path. All over the world as spring arrives ! some mysterious instinct impels boys to play marbles. The season is not very long, but It is as well marked marked as that for shooting and fishing. To the ordinary mind summer, when the ground is dry and clean, would appear a more suitable time for the game, but tho youthful mind has other preoccupations then, oven had not the iron law of custom laid down that marbles arc not to be played in summer. In a short time tops will follow marbles, though the enthusiasm for tops is short-lived and the peg top which used to bo so prized in our youthful days seems almost to have passed out of existence in New Zealand. Boys resemble savages in many respects, but in none more than their devotion to custom, and iff is curious to note how each carries on the traditions handed on to it from earlier days.