NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 140, 9 March 1929, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

“Parents to-day,” said ( the Bishop of, Bathurst in a sermonreported by cable the other day, “are preoccupied with material tasks, and do not so much lead their offspring as follow them with almost comical gluttony on their youthful pleasure-hunting.’’ Making due allowances for the extravagances of pulpit censure, it must be admitted that the Bishop touched upon a feature of modern society which cannot altogether be ignored. The problem, of course, comes back to the home. In a recent address to the members of the Glasgow City Business Club, Dr. C. Delisle Burns, the Stevenson Lecturer on Citizenship, said that although people nowadays spent a great deal of intelligence and ability on what was usually called business, they did not spend enough intelligence and ability on the other parts of their lives. “Contemporary society,” he said, "regards home life as a spare-time job, which nobody attends to very much. When people leave their offices and go home they leave behind even those fragments of intelligence they use in their offices and become dull-witted, talk of -the weather, or go to sleep. All they ask is to be left in peace. That is not playing the game.” One wonders what would be the result on present-day social tendencies if a definite effort were made by all and sundry to recreate the home as a family institution and a matter of community pride. The conditions of modern life tend to its disintegration. If the parents are to organise its defences against these tendencies it can only be through a sharper consciousness of their responsibilities as home-builders. '

A sentence of two years’ imprisonment pronounced by Mr. Justice Adams in the case of the defaulting solicitor, Batchelor, was changed to two years’ reformative detention. We are not told whether the learned Judge made a slip of the tongue in his first decision or whether the change was an afterthought. T. here was, however, nothing in the facts adduced that entitled the accused to consideration. For some years he has systematically, or at any rate uninterruptedly, - defrauded his clients, "robbing Peter to pay Paul.” He wound up this career of fraud with a heavy deficit in certain of his trust funds and then bolted to escape the consequences of his crime. Two years’ imprisonment, in the circumstances, would not be a heavy penalty, even though it involved the further punish-j ment of his removal from the rolls of the legal profession. There is-one feature of the case which must command attention. That is that a young man of 21 years who has just passed his legal examinations can practise as a solicitor, handling trust funds and business affairs involving serious responsibilities. Counsel in the case, in commenting on this aspect, remarked that.it was not the fault of the Law Society that this condition of affairs was possible. This no doubt is true,, but we would suggest that the Law Society might well consider whether it is not within its province and desirable to make representations to the Government on the subject. - ’ ♦ * * s . . \

Both in thi§ country and ip the United Kingdom there are signs that the motorist is beginning to squirm under his load of* taxation. In the latter country the squirm is assuming the proportions of a convulsion. The Chancellor of the British Exchequer, according to a cable message published to-day, has been interviewed on the subject by'“a big private deputation representing manufacturers, commercial users of motor vehicles, and private motorists. It is further stated that the Government has invited the petrol companies to explain the recent rise in the price of motor spirit. Yesterday, a conference of the North and South Island Motor Unions resolved to make representations to the Minister of Transport for a reduction of the “very heavy taxation” levied upon motorists. he New Zealand motorist has consented to a stiff taxation, in addition to what he pays by way of the duty which is added to the price of his car, in order to pay for good roads. According to figures given by Mr. Freeman, of the Canterbury Automobile Association, more money is being collected from the motorist than apparently is required for that purpose. His figures may be wrong. The general contention of the motorist that he is being taxed too much may also be wrong. Indeed, we think he is wrong. But he is now getting into a state of mind when convincing evidence on the point will be demanded, and should be provided. It was stated in official statistics the other day that the distribution of motor-cars in this country was in the proportion of one to every twelve inhabitants, young and old. The motor-car nowadays can scarcely be described as a rich man’s luxury. It has become an article of general utility, with a much bigger public opinion behind it than lonnerlg.