THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service." WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1947 ON PRINCIPLE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 56, Issue 32938, 17 December 1947, Page 4

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service." WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1947 ON PRINCIPLE

The spirit of protest is not dead, and the 80-year-old woman who is prepared to go to gaol rather than pay a £lO 10s yearly increase for rates is a reminder that there are still many who place principles before their own comfort. It is true this aged individualist declares that “ gaols are frightfully comfortable these days,” but her stand will be applauded by all who believe that the modern citizen is excessively supine in the grip of controls, directions and regulations. Respect for the law is one thing, but a spineless surrender to the pestering bureaucrats is another.. Sometimes the protest is illjudged, often there is no ground for suspicion or distrust. But the history of the British race, indeed the story of democracy, has been shaped by the acts of individuals who have been prepared to suffer rather than accept a law they regarded as unjust, or bow to a control that seemed to imperil their freedom. And by their suffering in defence of a principle they have awakened public opinion to injustices and intolerances. It may be a far cry from a Paekakariki section to these deeper problems but the spirit of protest is the same, and it can be admired by all who believe that the individual’s courage and determination still count for a lot in a democracy.