GAELIC A DIALECT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18590, 28 December 1934, Page 5

GAELIC A DIALECT

AUSTRALIAN JUDGMENT

LONDON PRESS COMMENT

LONDON, Dec. 19.

“Misguided Solomons” is the heading over a leading article in the NewsChronicle commenting on the Australian High Court’s judgment in the lviscli case.'

“The High Court,” it says, “has set the heather oil fire with a vengeance by declaring that Gaelic is not a language but a dialect.

“The blood of every true Highlander will boil. Surely there must be some in Australia, if even only a few. “The High Court will have reason to regret its imprudent judgment.”

The High Court recently quashed the conviction of Egon Kiscli, the Czechoslovakian author, as a prohibited immig.ant. The Government was ordered to pay the costs of the appeal and of the proceedings before the magistrate. The court, by majority, • upheld t-lie objection that Scottish Gaelic used in the dictation test by the Customs authorities was not a European language within the meaning of Section 3A of the Immigration Act, 19U1. Sir George Rich, who presided, said that as the provision of the Act dealt with the practical subject of immigration lie thought it would be unreason able to hold that every distinguishable form of speech which had a. home in Europe could be used for a dictation test. Scottish Gaelic was not the recognised speech of a 'community organised politically, socially, or us any other basis, iu ordinary practical affairs it played no greater part than a, local dialect might. j Mr. Justice Starke dissented from U’o view of his four brother justices. Gaelic, he said, was one of the oldest lorms of language used by people in the British Isles. In his opinion it was a European language within tho meaning of the Act.