Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JUNE 13th., 1936. NATIONALS SACNDALS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1936, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JUNE 13th., 1936. NATIONALS SACNDALS.

RATIONS, like individuals, and ' especially when their own reputations are not lily-white, chuckle when those who pride themselves on hip.li standards, are themselves shown to have failings. Doubtless, in some foreign lands, the finger, if not the whole hand, of scorn will bo raised against the British, to-day. The scandal in Quebec, in connection with Government acccunts, has caused the resignation of the Premier and the dissolution of the House. This is not the first time recently, that Canada has been the scene of administrative malpractices. In Australia, inquiries! are being conducted into allega-

tions against the police, and in Britain, the Budget leakage revela-

tions have been painful to those jealous of the Motherland’s good name. It can be justly claimedUbat whereas foreign lands, or some of them, take graft and corruption in public life, as a necessary evil, and those in their high places are dillicult to bring to book, in British territories, justice is speedier to act and punishment for misdeeds is heavy.

The Budget leakage affair, for instance, shocked Britain, and early and full inquiry followed. In U.S.A., such easy-money making by those in authority is almost commonplace, and is treated as venial. When charges are laid, opposition is strong to inquiry, and every delay the law allows is taken advantage of by the accused and their supporters. Nor is U.S.A, unique in this respect. Misdeeds will happen even in. the best regulated countries, but so long as prompt, action is taken to make the penalty fit the crime, there is little for which a country need blush. So far as the British budget leakage was concerned. Justice could not have had a fairer run. and the whole proceedings should act as a deterrent to any who may. in future, endeavour to profit by breaches ol trust.

The proceedings in the House of Commons on Thursday, were painful but purgative. Sympathy was expressed that the career of Mr. J. 11. Thomas should have ended in cloud, but pone suggested he was being victimised. He has wisely resigned from Parliament, and he would be well advised to devote the remainder of his years to his private affairs. Unless he has been living very extravagantly, he should have saved enough to enable him to live in comparative comfort. Any attempt by him at a “come-back” to political life, would be disastrous. His farewell speech to the Commons was a dignified effort, considering the circumstances, and he should adhere to the spirit of his undertaking. As for Sir A. Butt, he was less in public affairs, and his withdrawal will scarcely be noticed. He is convinced of his own innocence, and apparently his decision to resign was made at the last hour. His regret that law-court proceedings were not taken against him may be shared by some, but the Attor-ney-General ’s decision that it would be difficult to produce evidence. adequate for a jury to convict, seems to be well-founded. Out of the evil comes some good. Lloyck’s Committee is to cheek gambling in budget-risks, and an

actual close, season is to be maintained during the weeks preceding the Budget statement. It is a pity that the affair occurred, but. whoever was at fault, the Government went the right way to deal with it. and the incident may bo regarded to have closed with as much honour as was possible.