CURRENT TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 240, 16 February 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

hTNCTIONS DV TIIK PRESS. Wo liavo lately been treated ion haramruo couceniinn the laches of the local Press in respect to the deliberations of the local l.orouuh Council. Really, Councillor Gilbert, in lii-; ride of mentor, should be a little more definite and not make charges that, be is unable to substantiate. People unacquainted with Councillor f.'ilbert niijrhl. on reading the report of his ullcrauecs. lie disponed .to believe .l!mi there was snmojustilica; tion for his wholesale condemnation. For that reason it is necessary to notice Councillor Gilbert find to.challenge him to "make good'' his charges, Any uii-

biassed and disinterested person Knows that there is no foundation for the allegations. We are not alluding to his animadversions concerning our contemporary, who is able to look after itself, but to his general charge that justice or fairness is not extended to borough councillors by the local newspapers. Councillor Gilbert, evidently, is one of those individuals who are devoid of an elementary knowledge of what are 1 the functions and duty of the Press, and one wlio resents criticism of any sort and expects "pats on the back" all the time. It would, we are afraid, be wasted effort on our part to enlighten him on the subject. We would point out, however, that when serving in a public position a man should expect criticism of his actions. The most successful of the public men in the Dominion at the present time will acknowledge the Help they have obtained from critics, newspaper" and personal, friendly and unfriendly. It a man seeking a public position is unable to withstand criticism he should not come forward, or, if he does, he should be rele. gated to outer darkness at the first opportunity presented, fn its relations with public men (and "public men" includes members of local bodies) the Press, speaking broadly, is guided mainly by printed evidence. It does not necessarily concern itself with any lazy councillor, board member, M.P., or other representative of the people, whether he is reported fully or in part, whether his views are supported or fought, or whether his pearls of wisdom are absolutely overlooked. The representative of the people who is modest enough to understand that even he may be guided, tilts at no windmills and walks warily, and he understands that his business is to look after his own work and to leave the conduct of newspapers to persons who may not understand their profession, but who nevertheless accept no instructions from thin-skinned public men. Councillor Gilbert says that instead of criticising, editors and newspaper proprietors ought to give their services to public bodies. He fails to sec that journalists can and do serve the public equally as well and as faithfully through the columns of a newspaper as a private man can on a body such as the Borough Council. His idea seems to lie that the Borough Council should not only be immune from criticism, but should direct the policy of newspapers in relation to municipal acts as well! We thought we wcro living in an English-speaking country, not in Russia or Germanv!

FITZROY TOWN BOARD. The election of the new Fitzroy Town Board takes place to-day, and is "causing more than usual interest on account of the new issue of amalgamation with the borough that has arisen during the year. Seven candidates have offered their services for the five vacancies offering, and of these Messrs. E. Griffiths, Jackson, and Kibby favor a progressive policy, which means that they will support amalgamation and tramways. The others also favor tramways, but are decidedly against throwing' in the lot of the suburb with the borough. It has been conclusively shown that the town will not undertake the construction of tramways unless the suburbs come into the borough and accept their share of the risk and responsibility involved. The choice of policies lies wi'th the ratepay. era-to.-day. If they are satisfied to pursue their present stick-in-the-mud, unprogressive, though "splendid isolation" policy, they will plump for the antiamalgamation ticket. If, on the other hand, they want the suburb to progress and occupy the position as an important part of the town that Nature hag marked out for it, thev will vote solidly for Messrs. E. Griffiths, Jackson, and Kibby, men of ability, who have been tried and never found* wanting.

THE WHITE PLAGUE. Science—in other words, the application of common sense—has mado consumption less fearful than it was fifty years ago, and when it is stated that even now in England the annual deaths from phthisis represent a loss in men's wages of ten millions sterling, it admits that consumption is worth fighting. The campaign in Britain has never been so brisk as at present, and as every means taken to kill the white man's foe arc of worldwide interest, the steady fight will be watched anxiously. A London medical expert says that, abovo all things overcrowding' favors tuberculosis, and in London the death-rate steadily increases with the proportion of the population living more than two in a room, in tenements comprising iewer than five rooms. Although visiting notabilities to New Zealand have " lately complimented us on the fact that there is better decentralisation than in Australia, there is still no doubt that consumption is fostered in the four centres by overcrowding and slums. Dr. D. S. Davics, of Bristol, who has lately furnished a report on tuberculosis, states that over-indulg-ence in alcohol makes the individual specially prone to consumption, and when it involves the frequently of public drinkins: houses, implies increased risk of infection. Among other measures advised as likely to be of the utmost use in the great fight are summarised:—lssue of handbills concerning alcoholism: by laws for the artificial elevation of low or damp sites; provision of public abattoirs; strengthening of supervision over milk and meat supplies; systematic examination year by year of milk for tuberculosis'; adoption of compulsory notification; provision of health visitors; provision of nurses; re-issue of pamphlet advice: provision of additional sanatorium beds for early cases; provision of farm colonies or other means for aftertreatment; provision for additional institutional accommodation for advanced eases (guardians); antt-tuberculosis dispensaries.