CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 334, 22 June 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

CORONATION DAY AND A JUDOE. Tt was lately suggested in the Old Country that it was quite wrong to criticise a learned judge or any of his actions. A very learned judge, however, frankly mentioned that to leave a judge to Ins own sweet will was had for him and the public. You see. the public, is the employer of the learned judge, and if he forgets that he owes his position to the public he should be told about it. To-day, the Hon. Mr. Justice Edwards insists on sitting in the Supreme Court. He is aide to insist, although, quite naturally, his employers (or those of them who are bound to attend that court) are averse to spoiling a unique occasion. To do one's duty under any circumstances is noble, but it may be questioned whether the learned judge is quite unselfish in this matter. He is a hard-worked judge, but there is no occasion for him to work to-dav. He might niotor-cvcle round the Mountain, see some sports, join the giddv throng on the procession, examine his fellow-man outside■!the dreary walls of the court, pot in touch with nature, blow the burden from his soul with the breezes of

heaven or joy in the sylvan glory of Pukekura Park. If New Plymouth bores His Honor, we are sorry; but if because he is bored lie rigidly rules that a portion of the community shall not celebrate Coronation Day, we are sorry for the community. The Government, which forwards His Honor's cheque to him, does not insist that he shall sit. His lo.sser brethren of the State's service Imvo left the doora locked, and are disporting themselves in celebration of the crowning of the greatest Empire's Sovereign. But His Honor will have none of this joyful celebration, as far as lie is concerned and as far as those who must do his dictatorial bidding are concerned. We believe that Mr. Justice Edwards would do himself a good turn by importing some little brightness into his official life. He would know mankind better if lie witnessed their joys as well as their sorrows. We think that a learned judge may bo obscuring his own mental view by a too rigorous regard for what he deems to be his duty. But we also believe that a little leaven of altruism would lighten the heavy burden imposed on His Honor, and lead him to a mftrc complete appreciation of human nature, Presumably it is an insufferable irritation to Mr. Justice Edwards to remain in this town a moment longer than is necessary. New Plymouth is sorry that it usually offends His Honor in some way, and regrets that he finds it necessary to cancel the Coronation as far as his court is concerned. If Judge Edwards could just burst out laughing at something or other, New Plymouth would be surprised; but It would do His Honor a world of good. In the meantime, it is hoped that he is not too angry with King George for his misfortune m having to be crowned during the session of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. And we sincerely hope His Honor will enjoy his Coronation holiday in the court.

AN AGRICULTURAL HALL. Not the least important feature of today's) programme for the celebration of the Coronation is the laying of the foundation stone of an Agricultural Hall on the Taranaki Agricultural Society's property in St. Germain's Square. The site in question may not be the permanent one for the building, but is chosen because of the Council having identified themselves witn the scheme as a Coronation commemoration, and for which they can claim from the Government a pound-for-pound subsidy lip to £250. The site is lurdly central enough for the purpose, and this fact the committee realise, for they are now considering other sites nearer the centre of the town. It lias to be borne in mind, in deciding upon a site, that the hall must oe adaptable for other purposes than accommodating ft show once a year, and the more central the site the better the chance of making the undertaking successful. The committee having the matter in hand expect to bring down their report shortly, and then the matter may be discussed at greater length. Meanwhile, we hope citizens will rise to the occasion and subscribe freely and generously to the building fund opened by ■ Mr, Walter Ambury, president of the Society. The show has come to stay, as was evidenced by the success of the last two, in spite of the most uufavor- ! able weather conditions. A building has become an imperative necessity if the show is to continue and develop, and there can bo no thought of discontinuing the fixture now that the pioneering work has been done so thoroughly and successfully. The cause is a worthy one, and, we hope, will appeal to the generosity o'f our citizens, who will have the opportunity to-day of showing their' practical sympathy with it. 1

GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH. Another step in the formation of a Greater New Plymouth is reached with the recommendations made by the Commission set up by the Minister for Internal Affairs to report upon the proposed annexation to the borougn of the town district of Fitzroy. The report is as favorable as it was expected to prove. It recommends that the northern part, containing the bulk of the population, having a natural community of interest witn the borough, should be merged, the commissioners pointing out, as has been pointed out before by advocates of the Orenter New Plymouth scheme, that in the matter of electrie lighting, water su PP'y. drainage, road formation, and proposed tramway scheme, the cost of administration would be considerably lessened by having this portion of the town district attached to the borough. The commissioners find that the southern portion, on which only a dozen houses are erected, and comprising 615 is not at the present time suitable for municipal control, and that it will be many years before it is. This independent and official report is a complete justification for the stand taken by the advocates of merging. It only remains now for the recommendations to be given effect to. We presume it will be necessary to taKe a poll of the ratepayers on the question, and that the proclamation will follow in the event of the vote being favorable. We should scarcely think the ratepayers would be so blind to their interests as to negative the proposal. This carried, the other suburban districts will no doubt fall into line and join the borough. After that—the trams!