The Star. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1897. NOTES AND NOTIONS.

There is a moral aspect in the case of the convict Allandale, who in the Supreme Court yesterday stood charged with escaping from custody < burglary and theft. It was Mr Justice Denniston who referred to the " moral aspect; ' and his Honor imposed the really nominal penalty of eighteen months' additional imprisonment. The love of libeity is quite as strong as the ; love of life, and Allandale, seeing what he regarded as a unique opportunity, made a dash for freedom. He was known to be a reckless man, who would be certain to break away if he possibly could ; he was given an easy chance, and he took it. We hold that under the circumstances the Judge did well — that he made the penalty fit the crime. But we should like to know what* the Department of Justice is going to do about tho matter. It is of supreme importance that criminals under sentence should be as securely held as may be possible, and it is obvious that in this case the safeguards were ridiculously inadequate; the warders in charge of the gang were too tew, and onlv two of them were armed with rides. Is that state of things to continue ? The existence of "the Horse-owners' Protection Association," which met last night, is a particularly unpleasant tact. It means that a number of crimes of a diabolical nature have been committed, ail presumably by the same individual, and that the miscreant is still at large to perpetuate other fiendish acts. One wishes that a well-trained sleuth-hound was available to be laid on his track, but unfortunately there is not, and our detectives have not quite the keenness that wonld be equi\alent to the canine nose, yetear, that in some of the cases in winch t lie horse-fienii had been at work, the task ot endeavouring to find some clue was all too tnrdily taken up, and thus any chance there might have been of effecting a capture was lost. It is a very serious business indeed. In this very 'issue we have to record the fact that two horses have been killed by poison, and that another case nearly terminated fatally. We hope that the Government will ' help the Horseowners' Protection Association by substantially increasing the amount oflered for tho apprehension ol ! the offender, and that the Agricultural and Pastoral Association will liberally subsidise it. Councillor Gray has one particularly good quality. In his civic capacity he is very much on the alert. We do not always agree with his ideas ; but we do appreciate his watchfulness in the general interests of the community. He gave an example ot

this last night. It had been said, by the " Man in the Street," that the Works Committee of the Council intended to set the street sweepers at work on Sunday mornings, and Councillor Gray, who objects to such a course, as we do ourselves, got the information he wanted by means of a question. It is satisfactory to have the Mayor's assurance that there was no truth in the rumour. Mb Charles Louisson has been elected unopposed as Mayor of Christchureh for the ensuing twelve months. We are glad of that, because the opposition that was projected was on an utterly wrong basis, and if it had been persevered in we should for that reason have strenuously opposed it. Some of the present members of the City Council objected to Mr Louisson's candidature, on the ground that he is not a Councillor. Now this Is nonsense on the face of it. The fact that a man is a member of the Council does not give him a prescriptive right to occupy the mayoral chair any more than that same fact makes him fit for the discharge of his duties. Indeed, we are painfully aware that there are some people who, if they held office as Councillors for a score of years would still not be qualified to become Mayor. But in Mr Louisson's case there is an absolute •' knock-down blow " for such opponents as we have indicated;, He has in the past been a member of the City Council, he has served the citizens as Mayor, and, what is more, he discharged his civic duties right worthily, winning the thorough esteem of all with whom he came in contact. We wish him "all good things " during the coming year.