NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 171, 7 April 1923, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

There was no occasion for apology on the part of the Stipendiary Magistrate who sentenced two young men to short terms of imprisonment for having loaded firearms in their possession. These men are awaiting sentence on charges of burglary, and one of them was carrying a loaded revolver when arrested, while a loaded automatic pistol was found in the effects of the second prisoner. An ordinary citizen ca Tying a loaded revolver is a menace to public safety, but a burglar found in possession of a weapon of this description is, on the face of things, a very dangerous person. We have on previous occasions urged that the law against the unlawful carrying of firearms should be strictly enforced by Magistrates when cases of this nature come before them. There have been too many shooting cases in recent times for the matter to be treated lightly.

It is satisfactory to note that Mr. G. Mitchell has agreed to stand as a candidate for a seat on the City Council, and has been included on the “citizens’ ticket.” Mr. Mitchell is entitled to the thanks of. citizens generally for his ready acceptance of the vote which led to his retirement from the mayoral contest in favour of Mr. Wright, and it may be expected that electors will show their appreciation of his action at the poll. Mr. L. McKenzie has intimated that he will not stand down under any circumstances, so it is certain there will be three candidates for the mayoralty, and a split vote, which will favour the Labour-Socialist nominee. The danger of this votesplitting can be minimised if voters who object to the introduction of party politics into municipal government concentrate on the citizens’ candidate, Mr. Wright. The “citizens’ ticket” for the City Council is now announced, and it will be seen that it is composed of a number of members of the old council who have rendered useful service in the past, and includes several well-known citizens who will approach the duties of councillors with fresh minds. A little new blood is always desirable on municipal bodies, and the citizens’ ticket meets requirements in this as well as in other respects.

The death of Lord Carnarvon imparts a new and tragic interest to the Egyptian researches in which he has taken a leading part. Although the opening of King Tutankhamen’s tomb has been criticised by some people as an act of inexcusable vandalism, there is little doubt that Lord Carnarvon will be remembered with gratitude as one who freely spent his energy and resources in making valuable additions to the sum of human knowledge. An able and spirited defence of the enterprise with which Lord Carnarvon s name will be permanently associated was published recently by a distinguished Belgian scientist, Professor Jean Capart. “I readily admit, 1 rofessor Capart wrote, “that if this tomb brought nothing not hitherto known to the world, it would bo useless to explore it. But it has been said that the advantage which man has over the brute is his faculty of retaining a memory of his past. To-day, however, the splendour of a past at first completely lost, and then resuscitated in an uncertain manner, appears again before our dazzled eyes. Something more than the groans of neurasthenics and lunatics is necessary to convince mo that Egyptologists are violating the secret of death in a sacrilegious manner. The numerous funerary texts of Ancient ISgpyt are evidence of the anxiety which the dead displayed that posterity should cause their name to live; it -was said that ‘he lives whose name is proclaimed.’ A few weeks ago Tutankhamen’s name was completely forgotten outside a small circle of specialists; to-day he is known throughout the world.”