TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 143, 21 June 1927, Page 8

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Definite indications have been given of the Goi'ernment intention to imposo new motor taxation; and recent statements by the Prime Minister disclose that his aim is to relieve rural ratepayers of part of the burden of road maintenance. We agree that some relief is necessary, and that a county system of road finance is out of date when traffic disregards county boundaries. But the measure must not be confined to relief of the rural landholder. The burden of rates presses heavily upon the boroughs also. Often the total rate is equivalent to four or live shillings a week upon the average suburban home. Clearly this adds to the burden of rent and the expense of housing. It cannot be disposed of with the plea that the town rentpaycr or ratepayer has overwhelming advantages when

compared with the country. For many of his services—trams, electric, light, gas—ho has to pay separately. The expousc of city roading docs definitely add to the cost of city maintenance. Hitherto relief has been refused by tho Main Highways Board, not on the ground that none is justified, but with tho plea that funds do not permit of it being given. If tho Highways funds aro to bo increased, much of tho now revenuo will como from the towns and from vehicles which novcr leavo the town roads or which tun on town roads six days out of sovon. Tho case for borough representation and participation will then bo irresistible. Tho rate burden quito cloarly presses upon rents and housing directly; but indirectly its weight is felt also. Town businesses paying hundreds of pounds in rates must collect that lovy from their customers whethor they aro in the town or in the country. Equity and commonsense douiand that the injustice of collecting special taxes in tho towns to subsidise tho country shall not bo perpetuated.

Lord Chief Justice Hewat states: "Tho Courts used to hear divorce suits by the score. Now they hear them by tho thousand." From such an authority tho statement must receive attention as an indictment of tho new divorce publicity law. It reveals that the measures taken to provent publicity havo not been wholly advantageous. Warnings of such effects were given whon tho law was under consideration. Even the King's Proctor stated that •absence of publicity would hinder his intervention to prevent divorce by collusion. Wo do not suggest that the bar upon publicity is not desirablo within reason, or that it should never be imposed by statute. Indeed we admit that some control may be essential for the protection of, tho public and tho protection of the reputable Press which refuses to satisfy a depraved taste for salacious details. But the path of prohibition is full of pitfalls. Tho Lord Chief Justice's statement discloses one of them. By going too tfar in suppression the British law has made secret divorce possible. Divorce has thus been ..encouraged. Without entering upon a discussion as to the morality of divorce in any circumstances; we think it can be affirmed that easy dissolution of marriage is not favourable to that true family life upon which national greatness must rest. "Marry in haste and repent at leisure" is an old proverb. If tho leisure for repentance is only tho interval between divorce sessions, hasty marriages must be encouraged. Divorce which is easy and secret makes marriages without forethought popular, and in some instances it must lead to divorces which are a mistake. Young couples who have not /earned tho lessons of give and take may mistake their early differences for evidence of IncompatibUitjj, P.ivoree

in public causes them to hesitate, but with no publicity to fear they may rush to tho Court before they have given marringo n. fair trial. Surely it is possible to prevent publication of prurient matter without promoting another evil.

After many years of delay and discussion it is again announced that plans aro being prepared for a fishermen's wharf at Island Bay. It is intended now to build the wharf on the island, and presumably an area will be set apart in the locality so that nets and gear may be attended to without oneuinbering the beach on the mainland. When the island was first proposed as a site it was part of the plan that a causeway should bo built to the mainland. Tho plans now being prepared do not 1 provide for this, but for transporting iish by an aerial wire. Wo assume that this cheaper method will satisfy the parties mainly concerned. The chief desire of the people who patronise tho beach is to end the nuisanco which has been experienced in the past. It is difficult to understand why it should have taken so long to do this. An impartial expert could surely have been discovered to propose an equitable solution. Now that a solution, appears to have been found, the work should be put in hand with the least possible delay.

In tlio liasty efforts to provide work for the unemployed it is possible that the necessity of obtaining value for money spent may be overlooked. At tho present juncturo no one will deny that relief is urgently needed, and that any work is better than charitable aid. At the same time it is regrettable that foresight was not shown in preparing for this omergency. It has often been urged that the Government and local authorities, upon whom the responsibility devolves, should prepare plans in summer for works which may be carried out in the winter if necessity arises. Tho evidence does not, indicate that such preparation was made extensively. No doubt the excuse in Wellington will be that the staff is all too small to cope with the work from day to day, without thinking of to-morrow. Plainly, if this is so, the staff should be strengthened. The saving by placing labour upon well-planned works and with proper supervision -would fully compensate for the additional staff expense. As it is, t/io Mayor states that Wellington will receive value for the money spent; but that value (we feel sure) would have been greater if the preparations had been moro advanced, and if it had not been necessary for the staff to work night and day so that a hurried start might be made. It is possible even now to effect some saving by ensuring permanent improvement^ as, for example, by planting trees when gorse is grubbed out. The City Council has wisely decided to do this. In the long run ill-planned relief works are bad for the unemployed as well as the people who pay. No man will work well on a job which he sees is aimless, and useless and recovery from depression is hindered when money flows out upon projects which yield no return.