"IT IS THE LAW."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9046, 4 February 1908, Page 4

"IT IS THE LAW."

Under the sanction of the law it oftentimes happens that a great wrong is perpetrated. Here is a case in. point. A man from outside the dominion arrived in Auckland in iljhealth, and a fortnight later was admitted to the local hospital for medical treatment. Hd was discharged a few days ago after being six weeks in the institution, and having no money, he was discovered by the police in a starving condition. He was immediately arrested, taken to the lock-up, and subsequently charged with being "an idle and disorderly person." The police, doubtless, did their duty in the matter, but it is a cruel wrong to brand a man merely because he happens to be sick, penniless, and consequently homeless, as a "rogue and a vaga-

bond," or an "idle and disorderly person." To place such a person on 1 a par with the vicious vagrant who'cont sorts with reputed thieves . and women of infamous character is surely out of keeping with the humanitarian reputation the dominion has been seeking to achieve for the past few years. The Magistrate may exclaim in the words of Gilbert, "It is the law," and the gaoler may add, "And the duty of the oJd Turnkey," ■when the "culprit" is incarcerated; but it is time the law was amended so that at least the brand of criminality shall not rest upon the merely I unfortunate.

The vignerions of ''Auckland continue to make a great ado over the action of the Government in removing the embargo so Jong placed upon Australian grapes, so that they may now be imported into the dominion and sold at a reasonable price. These grape-growers are not likely to agree with Mr Kidd, M.P., for Auckland Central, in his recent statement that the Government is fair in its dealings with the province of Auckland; but the majority of the people of that province, and of the whole 6f the dominion, will applaud the decision of the Government in the matter. It is averred by Auckland growers that the Government encouraged them to enter into the vine-growing business and that now the industry has been well-established Australian grapes are allowed to came in to be sold at prices with which they cannot compete. The statement is not correct. The Government merely placed a bar to the introduction of; vines or grapes from the sister States to prevent the introduction of phylloxera. The conditions of importation are" now deemed sufficient, to prevent the disease being introduced. While sympathy is due to those growers in New Zealand who will be -unable under the circumstances to compete successfully with the Australian product, the Government has rightly decided that the bulk of the people should not be barred from getting at a cheap .rate one of the most wholesome, useful and luscious fruits grown in any land. . -

Whatever may be thought in regard to the political actions of the late King of Portugal, the whole civilised world stands aghast to-day at the dastardly act of the assassins who, presumedly for political reasons, foully murdered the King and Crown Prince, and would doubtless have massacred the whole Royal Family had they had their will. Portugal has been for seme time past an unhappy country owing to the; corruption and extravagance of its Government and the misery of the people, and as frequent- changes of administration brought about no improvement, King Carlos determined to take the reins of Government into his own hands. This he did in August of last year by suspending the constitution and appointing Senhor Franco as his Prime Minister. Since then there has been seething discontent in political circles, and the upshot has been the double assassination which our cables record.

The prices realised at the land sale by auction on Saturday last, when the Tocker Estate, Featherston, was disposed of musi certainly be regarded as a satisfactory indication of the soundness of land values in the Wairarapa. Despite the drought, which has been most severe throughout the greater part of the district, and the marked fall in prices of several of the staph products of the Wairarapa, a reallyj?ood sale has to be recorded. The buoyancy of the- land market at such a time is certainly mostgratifying. and is evidence of real and substantial wtalth in the district.