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Otago Daily Times, Issue 20901, 16 December 1929, Page 10

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND THE SCHOOLS.

TRIAL BY JURY,

The Governor-General seems never to have been happier during his term as the King’s representative in New Zealand than when he has been amongst the young people, and—though he has made friends wherever he has gone—it is probable that his popularity in the Dominion has nowhere been more warmly demonstrated than during his visits to the schools. Any GovernorGeneral may possibly be assured of a welcome from the children, bringing as he invariably does the beneficent promise of a holiday, but this glittering prospect alone will not make his youthful audience listen to his address if quick, critical minds are not interested. Sir Charles Fergusson has always caught and held attention of children, not because he is a great orator, but because his sympathies and hopes are with the boys and girls, and they recognise it, and because he speaks to them in simple terms and in a tone that proclaims his earnestness. His Excellency knows that, while ponderous utterances and circumlocutions of the professional talker may mean something to the intellect of the adult, they have no significance for the child, and therefore he goes straight to the point, fastening their interest on a statement that can be readily grasped, and then developing the thought arising from it, occasionally with the aid of an apt simile drawn from the class room or playing field. The lesson of “ The side, the spirit, and the second innings,” which his Excellency has given to the boys he has addressed in Dunedin, is one which most of them are likely to keep in mind and to recall in later years when they look back on their school days. At school, he said, the individual does not matter much, and all must play for the side; the spirit is that sense of honour and duty which grows up in the tone and character of the school; and the second innings may be offered to any boy or man when it seems that the world is against him. In his frank appeal to the manlier, unselfish qualities that lurk in the heart of every boy his Excellency made a more effective plea for uprightness, in school days and after, and carried a more inspiring message, than might be gleaned from a hundred text books, and the reception he was accorded by the boys, both juvenile and of more advanced years, who heard him should be sufficient proof that his words have not been wasted. There is nothing new to even the smallest child in being advised to “play the game,” but the advice cannot be given too often if it is couched in the right language, and comes from the right person, and his Excellency has shown that he is able to offer it with an impressiveness that compels attention. His references incidental and not too pointed to religion were equally well chosen, for, as a great American has remarked, whatever makes good Christians makes also good citizens. The Governor-General’s last visit to Dunedin schools has provided an unquestionably pleasant experience for the children in these institutions, as well as, it may be conjectured, for Sir Charles Fergusson himself and Lady Alice Fergusson, and it may be confidently asserted that the regret with which the adult community in New Zealand will say farewell to their Excellencies will certainly* be shared by the younger generation.

The Legislative Council in Tasmania has, as a message which we publish this morning states, passed a Bill providing for the abolition of trial by jury in criminal cases, the substitution of two judges for the jury, and the creation of a Court of Criminal Appeal. Agitation for reform of the jury system is nothing new, but a proposal for the abolition of it is another matter. The ground upon which the change is advocated is that acquittals have in some cases been so flagrant that the authorities have been discouraged in their efforts to bring offenders to book. An inability on the part of the authorities to secure convictions is advanced, therefore, as a ground for the abolition of a feature of criminal court procedure to which an immense wealth of tradition clings. The contention that trial by jury is

so unsatisfactory that it could be advantageously done away with does not weigh very heavily against the test of experience and against the fact that the system has survived for centuries as a cherished institution in British communities. Trial by jury has been prized and is still prized as one of the great safeguards of the liberties of the subject, and has been recognised to be the best method of trial in criminal cases of importance. As a commission which sat in England some years ago observed, the system would not have become an integral part of British justice were it not realised that some reliance could be placed in the fairness of the decisions obtained. The fame of British justice could not be what it is were the system of trial by jury unworthy of retention. The system has been frequently under review, but a better has yet to be discovered. It is preferable that a guilty person should, on trial, sometimes escape punishment than that an innocent person should be wrongfully convicted. Against the latter possibility popular opinion, at all events, no doubt regards the requirement of a unanimous verdict on the part of a jury as a valuable safeguard. The case for the preservation of that requirement is certainly arguable, but a proposal for the abolition of trial by jury as a system implies an admission on the part of the community in which it is made that the jury lists are defective and in. need of purging, or else reflects upon the community itself as corrupt and liable to be influenced in favour of criminals. The experience of Tasmania may have been unfortunate, but the proposal that this State should lead the way in the abolition of trial by jury is more likely to be regarded as of a retrograde .than of a progressive character.

The postal authorities advise that the Maunganui, which is due at Wellington tomorrow from Sydney, is bringing 41 bags of Australian mail and 26 parcel receptacles for Dunedin. The mail should reach the General Post Office on Wednesday afternoon. The hearing of the Dominion carpenters and joiners' dispute, which was originally fixed for December 17, at Wellington, has been postponed till January 28. The special sitting of the Supreme Court, which was set down for to-morrow morning to hear the case Marshall v. Knewstubbs and the special jurors subpoenaed to attend the court will not be required.

At a brief sitting of the City Police Court on Saturday morning, a statutory first offender, charged . with drunkenness, was fined 12s 6d. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.. was on the Bench,

The Otago Witness to be published tomorrow is specially attractive because it deals in many respect with, the Christmas season. Reading matter pertaining to Yuletide has been carefully selected, while among the 12 pages of illustrations there are three devoted to nothing else but pictures of pretty girls and children in festive settings and including one large front page showing Mary Pbilbin waiting beside a chimney for the coming of Santa Claus. There are other important illustrations besides Christmas ones, however, chief among them being three pages taken from the Royal Agricultural Society’s show at Invercargill and exhibiting outstanding winners of champion royals. One. page and a-half dealing with the visit of Sir Charles and Lady Alice Fergusson to Palmerston North and including views of the unveiling of the memorial to the fallen members of the New Zealand Medical Corps at Awapuni and the laying of the foundation stone of Massey Agricultural College are of special interest owing to the recent visit of their Excellencies to this 'city, while such onepage subjects as “Jubilee of the Circle Hill School, Milburn," and "Milestones of Civic Progress in Dunedin" make a special appeal on account of their topical news value. The rest of issue contains two half-pages of photographs in connection with the Gore and the Clutha and Matau A. and P.' Societies annual summer shows, and numerous one-picture subjects, noteworthy among which are “ Fourteen Pairs of Twins,” “A Monoplane Made in New Zealand,” "An Eighteenmonth Old Tramper,” and "Captain Kingsford Smith’s Piancee.”

A rare and valuable violoncello which is considered by experts to be a genuine btradivarius, has been in the hands of the Hayward family, the well-known kmema entrepreneurs, for, over 100 years having been used by the late Mr Henry Hayward, sen., who was court violinist .® eor ß® Its value is between £-000 and £4OOO. The instrument lay long forgotten under a bed in a house in Wolverhampton, England, before it came into the possession of the Hayward family. Under the will of Mrs Hayward it was bequeathed to Mr George Martmengo, of Auckland.

It is understood that radio advices received from the Norwegian whalers report good catches of whales outside the pack ice of the Ross Sea. The Hosmos and her seven chasers are said to have done very well so far. The Rosshurs* Company’s fleet and that of the Southern Whaling Company which went south later have also killed a good number. The whales have now gone south into the open waters of the Ross Sea, and the three fleets are ready to follow as.soon as the pack ice opens up sufficiently to give them a safe passage. “I wish to thank with a full heart,” said Bishop Liston at the close of the Requiem Mass for Dr Cleary on Wednesday morning, “ all those who by their tokens of sympathy have helped to console the bishop, clergy, and people of the diocese of Auckland in their time of sorrow. Men of all shades of belief have bowed in reverence and shown their grief and sympathy. In a' special way I beg to express my sense of indebtedness and gratitude to his Excellency the Gov-ernor-General, to the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Auckland, and councillors, to the members of Parliament, to the heads of the several religious denominations and the various public bodies for their generous testimony to the life and work of the late bishop. Our cordial thanks are due and gladly given to the press for their lofty tributes of respect. The bishops, the clergy, and the Roman Catholic people of this Dominion will not forget the sympathy lavished upon them and the tributes of affection paid to the distinguished prelate by those who differed from him in matters of faith. I fervently hope that the union of feeling manifested in there sad circumstances many gpntinue for the welfare of this city and for the good of this land we all love.” •

The City Brigade and also the South Dunedin Brigade received a call at 8.11 p.m. on Saturday to 73 Musselburgh Rise, where a fire had broken out in a washhouse attached to the residence occupied by Mr G. Thompson. The washhouse was badly damaged, and the rear portion of the dwelling was also damaged bj fire and water. The outbreak was caused through boiling tar, which was being heated on a gas cooker, bursting into flames.

In addition to the 427,337 acres of land already open for selection, 10,164 acres will be made available during the present month. The areas to be opened are in the North Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, Otago and Southland provinces. The largest area to be offered will be 5300 acres under pastoral run license in the Kaweka and Pohui survey district, Hawkers Bay. A number of town sections in various parts of the Dominion also appear in the offering.

The first Dunedin wool sale of the season will be held on Friday next. Th*. buyers will arrive from Timam thus I evening. The Dunedin sale will be thn ' last before the holidays, and the first sale in the new year will be at Christchurch on January 6.

A Buick car belonging to Mr A. H. Abbott disappeared from the Crawford street parking area, opposite His Majesty’s Theatre, about half past 10 on Friday night.. It was found deserted outside the Carisbrook Ground on Saturday a^.y,noon- There were no apparent signs of ill-usage.

The motor tug Southland has been specially prepared in dry dock at Port Chalmeis for the Bluff-Stewart Island excursion service during the holidays. Her machinery was surveyed by a specialist from Wellington. Everything was put into first class order and the Government survey found the vessel fully qualified for the highest classification. The Southland sailed early yesterday morning for Bluff. Interviewed regarding the shocking case of poverty reported from Lower Hutt last week, m which a woman and her nine children were said to be living in a house bare of furniture, while her husband was serving a term in prison, Mr W, J. Lowe, social welfare officer of the Wellington Hospital Board, said that it was incorrect thqt the husband committed the crime for which he was imprisoned in order to provide food for his family. The board had been supplying the family with food to the average value of £2 a week without a break for the past 17 months. The board had also made arrangements with the State Advances Department to allow the woman and her children to remain in the house until her husband was released, and had arranged to pay the rent. Regarding the statement that there was a decided lack of furnituic in the place, Mr Lowe said the board was in the dark as to what had become of the furniture. When a social welfare visitor was there, the furniture was packed in preparation for removal, and the board had understood from the woman that there was adequate furniture. The board had taken the responsibility of paying medical expenses, and Mr Lowe had assured the Mayor of Lower Hutt and the officer of the child welfare department that the board would do anything else that might be necessary to ensure that the family was adequately provided for.

When, as was recently reported, a panel from the London Provision Exchange was asked to deliver judgment on bacon made from New Zealand frozen pork, the judges refrained from classing the bacon. Commenting on .this, the Scientific Liaison Officer at the High Commissioner’s Office in London, says:—“ The report is very disappointing in that the judges would n‘ot class the bacon, and this was the main object of the experiment. It was apparently impossible for them to forget that the raw material • was frozen; and indicates what we are up against in the established state of affairs. All three judges are well-known merchants in. the bacon trade, so that I suppose they found it difficult to admist publicly that good bacon can be produced from frozen pork. I am, however, not leaving the matter u it is, but shall approach the judges individually to try and alter their decision. One important result has been shown sp, however. Class A bacon which is tank cured was judged by them to be the best. This indicates that it is impossible to detect tank cure from dry cure. Members of the staff who received samples are unanimous in their opinions that the bacon and bam are first rate. Many place it on a par with best English."