NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 57, 30 November 1933, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

A field for economy is opened up by the o of Fire Brigades in his annual report for a reduction in the number nf fire boards As half the boards have an annual expenditure of less than £6OO, administration costs accounting in some cases for over 20 per cent, of the whole, there is a good deal o be said or their ehminatfon. The public by this time is W it is navinff too much for our diversified system of local govern ment P and S is quite prepared to assent to reduction both of the number and the varieties of the institutions that have grown and muUrplrnl under it. It may balk, however, at the suggestion that a Dominion Fire Board should be constituted. What is wanted is simplified local Government, not centralisation. A simple solution of the fire boards problem would be to restore the control of al the brigades to t municipalities, as is suggested in the report should l . m the case of the metropolitan fire boards. The replacement of the smaller boards by a Dominion authority seems a doubtful economy. * * *

Last week the Minister of Justice received a deputation representing the “Workers’ Defence Organisation which asked for the remission of sentences imposed upon certain men convic ed of distributing seditious literature. It was not the first deputation that had attempted to influence the course of J l ’ stice an JS political authority. There were others before that. There was still another one yesterday, this time from the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement,” which asked Mr. Cobbejor the freedom o speech and assembly, the removal of the ban on working-class literature ” and the release of all prisoners convicted of offences arising out of working-class activities.” On all occasions the arguments have been much the same, and the Ministerial reply has become a sort of stereotyped chant. Is there to be no end to this? 1 übhc opinion would heartily support a Minister with sufficient backbone to decline to have his time wasted by such interviews. * * * *

Landowners who serve the community quietly and unobtrusively by preserving beauty spots on their property will be encouraged to fresh efforts by the official protection to be given them under the Scenery Preservation Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday. Unfortunately there are people who seem to take'a delight in despoiling Nature. When they give rein to this passion in a scenic reserve, they bring the law upon their heads; hitherto privately-preserved scenery has not been secure against vandalism. It is proposed now, upon application’from their owners, to give private scenic reserves the same protection as public. In some instances the extension may amount to little more than a gesture; but it will be appreciated by an increasing number of countrypeople who. of their own choice, are safeguarding bush beauty for their neighbouis and their neighbours’ children.