THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1908. TROUBLE IN STORE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9033, 21 January 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1908. TROUBLE IN STORE.

We are afraid that it goes to. sltew that the Dominion of New Zealand is not so large as it might be, when/ one man Lionel Terry -lunaticthough he may be, can agitate the country more or less from: one end to the other. Lionel Terry performs the "hat trick," or something like it, and the newspapers are convulsed, and the interesting iiifbrniaitioio) given to the press'by certain officials- is, it appears, likely to result in the said officials being "hauled over the coals," or treated in the maimer which we may safely say they will not regard as blissful. The "New j Zealand Times," in its issue of yesterday, remarks in a leading article, which is presumably inspired: "Besides, however, raising the question how best to deal with Terry as a dangerous lunatic, we hope the Premer will raise the point of the necessity for insisting upon a larger amount of discreet reticence in officers of departments than has been observed in this case either by the superintendent of SeaclifT Mental Hospital or by Mr S. S. Myers, Deputy-Ispector of Mental Hospitals, both of whom seem to forget that important statements on departmental matters should be made direct to the head of

their department. Meanwhile those who are concerned for the proper administration of the various parts of the public service would be glad to see the responsible authorities connected with the Department" of Lunacy a little less effusive in their communications to the public about the cases which come within the shere of their resonsibility.". The article in question is entitled "Treatment of Dangerous Lunatics," but curiously enough the writer does not refer to any system of treatment of such lunatics. As a matter of fact far too much has been made of the Lionel Terry incident. There is nothing new about homicidal mania, or monomania, or any other mania, so far as we are aware, unless it be symptoms of the motor-car mania.