CURRENT TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3642, 1 December 1920, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

(By Argus.) You are not allowed to leave New Zealand without a permit, you can sec only the pictures the censor releases for you, you cannot speak as clearly as you might wish to speak on some matters, and you cannot read what the Government considers to be not good for you. You have got usecr to such restrictions by now, and have probably ceased to worry as to whether their imposition is an interference with your liberty or not. Legislation against gambling and other things which are only evils when carried to excess is becoming more and

more drastic, and the curtailment of reading matter is purely a matter for the Government to decide. The banning of books kuch. as “Bed Europe’-' is ■a procedure of extremely , doubtful benefit to anyone, and is a one-sided measure at the best. Take Bolshevism, for instance. We know that a large number of people are in favour of Soviet government, and that Sovietism has stood against all opposition in Russia, in spite of the mosf unfavourable circumstances, for some years. We have no evidence that it is a declining factor, ..and its very existence should be proof that it represents the political thought and action of a great number of people. Why prohibit any evidence as to the merits of Bolshevism, if it has any merits, from reaching an allegedly free peo-

pie ? The oply information which comes through with reference to arfairs in Russia under Soviet rule is that which is condemnatory in the extreme, and features details of horrible atrocities. This may be correct information, but the apparently careful censorship of any news to the contrary is a rather suspicious circumstance. Just recently, the news has been, slightly different, as it indicates a desire to trade with Russia, and also indicates that Russia has an inclination to act in Armenia in the direction of preventing Turkish atrocities. The whole point is that if the people of Russia ha'Ve found Soviet rule a good thing, the people of tTie woxdd should not be debarred from acquainting .themselves with the information. Methods of suppression with respect to all literature having a favour-able bearing on Soviet:sm have an opposite effect to that which is intended, as distrust and suspicion arc bred thereby. Surely, the Brit sib (people can be trusted to determine for themselves what is right, and wrong socially, without any dominant party in the Parliaments of the various countries of the Empire endeavouring to mould their opinions "or them by iniquitous systems of suppression.

In connection with the settlement of discharged soldiers on the land, it would appear that the Wellington Land Board is not inclined to settle the pumice lands to the extent which they have been settled in the Auckland Board’s district. The Wellington district contains some very large areas of pumice land and other large areas of open country which are no; pumice. In the Auckland district, there are numerous small holdings in some of the lightest of the pumice areas, and the holders are quite satisfied with their lots, but in, the Wellington district there are no small holdings in the pumice areas,, in which the land is mostly held from 10,000 to 60,000 acre blocks. It has been proved that this land can he successfully worked at a cost which is not prohibitive, and there does not appear to he any reason why the pumice lands of one district should be productive and fully occupied, whilst those in the district adjoining are practically untenanted and unproductive in camparison.'