NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 109, 1 February 1929, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

Before Harbour Boards in general condemn speed boats out of hand it would be just as well to make out a proper case against them. The fact that someone has been flung from one of them and drowned does not in itself make these boats a danger to other users of the' water. Most speed boats create much less trouble than many of their counterparts on dry land. So far, no complaints have been made that they have been driven to the danger of the row boat public, or, indeed, any other shipping in the harbour. Admittedly, it is time that speed boats were made the subject, of a few rules regarding silencing and danger zones. But there seems, however, little reason to exclude them from the calmer waters of the harbour as a whole until they prove themselves to be a nuisance to somebody. .

Efforts to swim Cook Strait whilst in themselves of no great scientific importance, do show us how ignorant -we are of that stretch of water. It is indeed astounding to think that the tides of these Straits have ebbed and flowed at the backdoor of Wellington without, apparently, a proper investigation being made to understand their movements. It is true that in a general way charts will tell you details about tide-rips and the'general set of the tides themselves, but any pilot will declare that in reality the ways of the waters of Cook Strait are little understood. Sometimes the tides run constantly from one direction, sometimes they do not. Besides, there are a host of backwaters, eddies and swirls only partially known to fishermen.- In view of the increasing traffic across this water, which may soon include vessels carrying trains, it is surely time an effort was made to increase our knowledge and at the same time make present isolated knowledge more accessible.

British public opinion is not unnaturally considerably agitated over the result of the Night Club trial, which presented clear proof of police corruptibility. Largely, through'clever bribery of thc police, and a highly-organised spy system, Mrs. Meyrick was able in 1928 to make an income of over £lOOO a week. Ex-Station-Sergeant Goddard is stated to have received \at Icait. £ 100 a week from her. On the heels of the recent investigation of . alleged “third degree” methods, the public’s confidence in the police is likely to be severely shaken by this latest sensation. The efficacy of the Law is very largely dependent on the incorruptibility of those entrusted with its vindication. Public opinion consents to its ■ restrictions on that understanding. Respect for the Law implies respect for its representatives. • This drastic sweep of the Meyrick Night Clubt follows upon a recent declaration of war by tl?e new Police Colu- ■ missioner. Viscount Byng, on the Night Club evil. It is a happy augury for the success of his administration. ,

On January 21, the total number of unemployed in Britain was 1,425,000 —9397 less than the week before, “but,” states a cablegram, “246,850 more than the year before.” On the other side of the picture is this recent utterance by Viscount Cecil: “We are spending something rather more than one-eighth of our total expenditure on armaments. It may be that if the prosperity of the world, and particularly of this country, were abounding tbai would not so very much matter, but we cannot claim in this coutil ty that our prosperity is abounding. It does seem deplorable at such a difficult time to sacrifice every year upwards of £100.000.000.’