IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 182, 3 August 1929, Page 8

IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

THE HARBOUR BRIDGE. vl;QI I 1 KEY TO NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT. ,;.;;/5. the Editor.) In your Thursday's issue of the "Star" I see - qur ; : friend, 'Sir. James Quiison;' advocating an early commencement of the much-discussed harbour bridge in the interests of the city and North-Shore residents.. That ft-'tl&fai'lacy and shortsightedness-of the whole scheme. I wonder what percentage of your readers outside the ones actually living in North Auckland have, ever made the trip via Warkworth to Whangarei, to Kaikohe, Kaitaia audi back from Whangnre.i;. to , Dargayille, : Maungaturoto •K(elensvillo, atid - thence /.back - toAuckland? Theywould; gee thousands of aqes; ofJ; beautifUl Country unserved at present! with accessibla roads. in winter,' (Waiwera : to' Cove and Helensville In-Maungatiirptoj 1 - starving for' development ;ii>d settlers.v The brid»o is wanted as the prime mover in that develop, tnent, to be linked up with decent;-roads, not mud fillings as-at. present,' so' ythafr.hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth- of produce may bo shipped from our port of Auckland from the wpijderful North. .-It is,nqt a, municipal issue, but" a ; national one, and'T often wonder if this' area of almost undiscussed fertile country was at-. Wellington's "back door" what a difference might: ;be Quickly' effected; bridge is not required to assist/Us to the beach at Milford at the week-end, but to. be the keystone of tlio development and settlement of the Unknown N6rtk. • ~ '{ y VERITUS.

-GLIDERS FOR BOYS. ; y

New' Zealand is 'admittedly backward in •the "conquest, of tho air" whilst l European | peoples arc giving concentrated, attention to commercial, war time and pleasure flying-, iAs preparation' for adguiring aft "air.- sense" ! there is no better sport for toys'than,gliding. !ln Germany three thousand schoolboys took official; flying instruction' last year, and glider ['experience is said to excel flying in engined 'planes in cultivating a knowledge, of the effect of air. and conditions upon machines. ; The German boy on the very first day of his course goes off by himself launching, boldly into space. No instructor ever accompanies him, 'and- boys 'fourteen only are barred from these flights. ' School teachers are the I instructors. The"'machines seldom'fly higher •than, ;four yards -from, the,ground, at first, but later —as they have- controls —they glide for forty miles and,' attaining several hundred feet, remain aloft for hours. There are in Germany raotorless airplane contests; and there are '/already vtwo 'hundred, glided ;fclubs for students., The, students. make a study of con-sti-intidn and.; new;-- ideas and, : hi any : manufacture- their' ; own •. machines. Tho Wright brothers brought . the glider up -to. a point where the -addition of au engine made, an aeroplane. The best -German .gliders aye Such as these, and;are, called sail flyers ; or sailplanes. These- weigh about :s>olb with'»wing§ more than fifty feet long by five wide'.,-.To judge from what we see of pur boys upon the football field and on the waters of -the Waitemata, they do not lack courage,'-and the liking for sport which has. "Isit- least; aii appearance of danger. That flying will one (lay be as.general as motoring is probable, if hot certain, and were I a boy I think I should be immediately inquiring about the making and cost of a fortunate iii haying many by 'hills from "which a glided a,:good and I really .who,tire first in tlip pro.vujde 3 ' vfsga over, tfe heads of his fellows; ' Hqie- indeed is> a sport to lift body and . M iii®: - • AERO-ONdE-UP.

FRENCH SAILOR/

your headed "Great FrCT^ ? S^ll6r, a . 5, .caii hardly allow,to pass unchallenged some of tli& History . given. It is stated that'in 1692, off fifttfleur, the English and Dutch were "soundly' beaten" by Tourville, forty-five ships to; "ninety''9ddv The timbers airfc correct enough,--but th£ othjeir;' iapjts are As follow!: Tourville (May 10-, 1092) sighted the Allies off Barfleiir (ritft'-.Harfleiir) at daybreak and with a favourable wind attacked, firing began at eleven and lasted till. four. The wind veering, the French then began to draw off. Tourville jn ; 'his flagship; was. Nearly-cut off, ,only escaping by hard fighting and good seamanship, while the ship .was so damaged he had to..transfer his flag to thfe. Ambitieux. The Allies', chased his three, largest ships, "including the .late .flagship, into. Cherbourg /and,; burnt thern to the water's? .edge ..(May".22), while thirteen, others,- .incliicling Touryille's■■ hkyr flagship, were destroyed kL the Bay .of La Hogue (May 24). Tourville, brave and able, rests his fame on his rpalVmerits and needs ; : ' ; ' '- y •- NO GLOSSING STUFF. [In 1690 Tourville severely defeated the English and Dutch fleets off-Beady Head and ranged the' Channel unoppbsed.—Ed.]'

BOOKS; ABOUT WAR.,,

J No sane mall Would "be influenced by one book about war, as- a balanced view can only [be secured' by .wide rpading.,l.One may as .well draw conclusions about hospitals from a 'fever-struck patient dwelling on the putrid [details pf his disease. No lover of his country [would be deterred from its defence by his duty ■being unpleasant or disgusting, any more than ia doctor would refuse to attend a'patient for ithe same reason.- The words, '{just • !s ! avy war", -were true in the case of Britain in the last, war and may ;b.e" true ; on future occasions, and our country;is nfever likely to indulge in. aggressive wars. - We have inherited the earth. What more" can we want T . •;,* : liberal.

PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS..

j • The.British law .for generations has! been most fair and merciful. towa'i'ds accused persons, even to the extent of requiring the approval, of a grand jury to their "being put ■orv their trial, and British institutions are notoriously of the freest description," especially ;as compared with other: nations. By our law* an accused person is assumed to be innocent until lie is legally proved to-be guilty. The law is carefiii -iiqt>in any.- Way to induce or compel him to admit an offence. He is entitled to sit back and require the accuser to produce convincing -.evidence .. amounting to reasonable proof of the offence or .crime with which lie is .charged of committing. The criminal law for many years has enabled an accused person to give; sworn evidence> ii) "Jiisf own ■ defence, and has■ mercifully provided' that the omission to do so was not to "Be' the subject of remark by the judge or counsel. -Previous convictions cannot, be made known to a jury, so that it can view .the case .without, prejudice. How;e.ver, the; presiding judge can take the matter into consideration in awarding,the .punishment. It was argued in the case of „ Rex v. ..Silver that-jt was unfair to.cross-examine an.-accused as -to. previous", cpnvictionsl against!'him, and rightly so.. But! I .go further and say. that it is-also Unfair to give the prosecuting counsel even the right to apply for leave- to so crossexamine, for immediately such an application 'is.made, and even if disallowed by the Court, ■the damage to the accused's character is .effected in the eyes of the jury, which would imagine" theV wdrst"' The'niain' issue' is," is the accused guilty of the crime with which he is charged, and not is*he guilty of any former crimes. Previous convictions or not, the jury will, iiaturajly. discount the evidence, of an accused,, as. ;h"e has , the. weightiest of motives for distorting facta:to his own ,advantage, and :that should be sufficient. .' JOHJS" A. BEALE.