ENFORCING THE LAW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9817, 11 May 1895, Page 4

ENFORCING THE LAW.

We publish in another column a telegram from Mr. Reeves in reference to the Shops Act, in which he states that " the Government has no power to interfere with the operation of the Act." We quite agree that it js difficult for the Government to consent to hang up the Act in Auckland and Gisborne, because if they did so there would be complaints from other parts of the colony, and they would have to confess a failure. But it is scarcely correct to say that the Government "has no power to interfere with the operation of the Act." This is not like other laws. No proceedings can be taken under the Act except by the inspector, and the inspector does nothing except by the special direction of the Minister of Labour. It is quite well known that the inspector for several weeks informed the Minister respecting scores of breaches of the Act, and that as he was not instructed to proceed against the parties he did not do so. Every prosecution is directed by the department. We think that considering the irritation that lias arisen over the whole colony, Ministers would be acting wisely if they determined to do nothing till Parliament met. By driving on prosecutions they will infallibly excite a very bitter feeling amongst a large section of the public. Besides, in enforcing the law, Ministers are really acting upon a blunder which they themselves have made. Take the case of Gisborne, which is free from some of the complexities attaching to Auckland. The local body there selected Saturday for the holiday. They gave it a fair trial. when it was found to be absolutely ruinous to business people, and exceedingly inconvenient for the whole public, whether resident in the town or in the country. They asked Mr. Reeves to change the day, and he examined the Act to ascertain if he could do so. But he found that it was impossible. A clause enabling a local body to change the day, if that first selected was found to be unsuitable, had been omitted from the measure. Mr. Reeves knows that lie has already indicated that if he had been able to do so in the case of Gisborne, he would have altered the day. In these circumstances, it seems to us most harsh and arbitrary that the law should be enforced. It will lead to combinations to defeat the law in every way possible, and to an immense amount of worrying litigation. It is surely something to be avoided for the Government to bring the terrors of the law to bear, not upon criminals, but upon the most industrious and law-abiding citizens in the colony. The Ministers have power to interfere with the operation of the Act. All they have to do is to abstain from instructing the inspectors to prosecute. Their position is known to be weak in another way. Within the last few days we have had statements from Wellington that serious differences on the subject of the enforcement of the Shops Act existed between the Premier and the Minister of Labour. The Premier, indeed, has made no secret of the fact that he thinks this kind of ' thing has gone too far, and ho lias more i than once warned those who approve of < such legislation that if they persist . they will cause a reaction which will be , ' fatal to their projects. On the other . hand, Mr. Reeves has publicly proclaimed that if ho is hindered as a ! Minister from pursuing a rapid and ' continuous march to Socialism, he will l resign his position as a Minister, ■ and resume the struggle as the < leader of an extreme section in 1 the House and in the country. ( The knowledge; that then; is this dis i cord in the Ministry must greatly _ stiengthen those who are determined to carry the resistance as far as they can in the law Courts. Mr. Reeves reminds us that " only a few weeks can ' now elapse before the meeting of Par- I liament." It is for him to recollect s that, and to reflect that the prosecu- i tions he. is about to set on foot cannot ( be out of the hands of the law Courts , by that time. Wo are quite sure that J it will be for the interest of Ministers < that the inspectors in Auckland and k Gisborne should not be instructed to ' prosecute for keeping open on Satur- < day, till it is seen what change Pur- > liament will make in the law. 1 -=i nt