TOPICS QF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1912, Page 6

TOPICS QF THE DAY

Red Federationists are working overtime in an attempt to More Red excite popular indignaOratory. tion about the imprisonment of strikers who decided to go to gaol rather tnan give sureties fpr fair behaviour. So. far |he results have not been proportionate to the energy expended' in the misrepresentation of the actual facts. The common-sense pf the public enables it to perceive that the strikers were not prosecuted till they had offended against the rujes of British fair play, and when convicted they |i^4 jshe option' of freedom by giving a nominal guarantee Qf decent conduct. No amount of Bed rhetoric about alleged "tyranny," "Tsav dom," and so oh, can alter those plain facts. The free wprkerp had a right to be protected against offensive' strikers', and it was the obvious duty of the Magistrate! as president of the people's Court, to order at least nominal sureties for the preservation, of the peace. The strikers wished to be aboVe the law, and, of course, their wish could not be gratified. Mr. Semple and his friends, Who have been busy in the North, are promising a ' 'demonstration" for Wellington at- the end of this week. Provided that they keep within the. law, t|iey are welcome tq "demonstrate" away to tdieir hearts' content. Sqch a j pother here will prove no more and np less than similar assemblies elsewhere. A machine-made motion will be declared carried, and once more the Government will be ordered to unconditionally releake fthe Waihi offenders. The Government must decline to obey the mandate, and must firmly await the Red Federation's next move. In the meantime the superintendent of the Waihi Gold Mjping Company has announced that the mine will be reopened at 8 a.m. on 2nd October, and therefore, within the next few days, Now Zealand should see how far the Reds will try to go in their effort to avert inevitable defeat. Whispers of a strike of coal-miners and watersiders are in the air, but we dp not believe that the Reds are prepared for & strike of such magnitude as their leaders have threatened from time to time, tn ahy casej New Zealand should cheerfully face any action which the syndicalists try to take. It would be folly to meekly bow to the tyrannous will pf men who are glad to style themselves "revolutionists." Mr. H. ( H. Ray ward spoke spiritedly for the Wellington Arts Club Improving in yesterday's Post. The the City, president says that the club is genuinely willing to assist in movements ipt the betterment of the city, and he invites the co-operation of experts competent to give useful advice and guidance. la fact, he desires people who fepl that they can help in tovyji-planning pr tpwn-improve* ment to join the club. They are assured of a warm welcome and' the energetic co-operation 6;f the present officers in work for the benefit' of Greater Weii lington. _ The club's ideal is to see a change in the city architecture as well as in the surroundings. Many an appeal has been made on the subject of domestic architecture^ aijd the echoes oi many another will die away before any remarkable alteration of present pradtices' will occur. However, the magnitude of the difficulty is all the more reason for an onset against apathy. Happily there is scope for energy in spheres t}ot] sp formidable architec* ture. Wellington palpably requires an organisafion qf citizens fp assjsf; thp City Council to brighten the hills and cuttings. We once had hopes that Citjzens' League ■\ypuld gfvp some' aid, but we have seen no evidpnc£ of beauty hunger in that body. Thp capital is almost alone among the principal towns of New Zealand in having no society of which' the definite purpose is to improve the -city. In Chrjstcjiurch there Is not only a special society for this object, but a. federation representa* tive of the principal organisations in that city (including the 'Trades and Labour Council, the Industrial As* sociation, and the Chamber ott' Commerce). Here everything is left to the City Council, which is helped by individual enthusiasts now and then, but lacks the systematic support of any league of citizens. We advise Mr. Rayward to write f.p the Chrislcfuirch Beautifying Society lor full information about its excellent work up to the present and its plans for the future. We nre sure that the record of the southern society's achievements will be inspiring to Mr. Rayward and his friends of" the Arts Chib.