South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1884.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3361, 11 January 1884, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1884.

It is satisfactory to find that the official enquiry Into the loss of the s.s. Triumph has not ended in smoke, but in the imposition of direct and substantial punishment upon the responsible officers, owing to whose culpable negligence the misfortune came about. Every one will regret that Captain Brotherton, a skilful officer of much experience, should have come to this pass ; for the suspension of his certificate for three years is a very serious punishment, tantamount to ruin, in fact, but no one can regard the punishment as unduly severe, or in the slightest degree unwarranted. Measured by the extent of what might have occurred had not the passengers and crew been easily landed, it appears, quite inadequate ; and measured by the loss of a fine ship, it seems mild and trifling. However, it is really severe without being vindictive, and the report going forth to the world will show that we in this colony are quite alive to the necessity for exercising a strict surveillance over those in charge of vessels in our waters. Such an impression is a very salutary one; for it is plain that our sea-trading will grow

enormously, and it is, therefore, most important that seafarers should know both how high a value we set on skill and carefulness, and bow sincerely we reprobate the absence of these qualities.

The humane and emphatic representation of the Grand Jury at Christchurch to his Honor Mr Justice Johnston, in reference to the frequency of indecent assaults upon young children, will be heartily endorsed by every rightminded individual in the colony. It is sad enough to have to own, as we have, that this unspeakably dreadful crime shows no sign of diminution in the colony ; and it is evident that very strong measures will have to be taken for the protection of our children. On a former occasion when referring to this subject, we pointed out that while the severest punishment should be meted out to those convicted of the offence—it lay with parents to excercise proper supervision and control over their children, and as much as possible to keep them within call of their homes, and not to allow them to be out unattended. The Grand Jury were careful also to point out that prevention on the part of parents would be more effectual than punishment by the strong arm of the law. We return to this horrible subject with loathing and reluctance, but in the interests of innocent children, we cannot forbear again impressing upon parents the urgent necessity that exists for their redoubling their vigilance, the more so as we observe, even in this town, numbers of children straying about apparently left quite to themselves, and often in remote places where they would be entirely at the mercy of any of the fiendish scoundrels who commit these shocking offences. We earnestly call the attention of parents to this matter.; It is unnecessary to bid them reflect upon the awful consequences of anything occurring to a child, upon the physical ruin and the moral deathblow to the innocent, and the misery entailed upon the household at large. We are not strong advocates of capital punishment,but if ever the death penalty could seem to us the only proper one it would be in the case of a man convicted of this offence. At any rate the law requires amendment, its sword needs sharpening, and we trust Government will speedily see to that.

In the “ dog-days,” sensations are a bore ; but a gentle titillation of the fancy is most agreeable. Such pleasing stimulant is afforded by the Borough Council. For some weeks past the Municipal plough has been gently exercised on the town roads, turning up tho roots of the grass. The lieges wondered what the object was, until it was explained that this plan was adopted as the cheapest and most expeditions for getting rid of the grass and weeds. Yesterday, however, several citizens in Barnard street enjoyed contemplating an advanced stage of the primitive operations. The Municipal harrows were trotted out. These harrows differ somewhat from those used in the country. They consist of three parallel bars of wood, connected by iron bars, the whole weighing about twenty-eight pounds probably. The Municipal harrows, however, are toothless, and made to merely slide along the earth. To this machine, were attached, a pair of sleek draught horses, which might easily have taken a 5-ton weight along ; and they were driven up and down over the track of the plough. The driver in charge of the equipage seemed resigned to his fate, and the horses looked as happy as possible; for the weight was feathery, the weather mild, the pace gentle, and the driver indulgent. On the whole, the onlooker thought he would not object to be a Municipal horse or driver. The object of this killing labor was not quite apparent. As the harrows had no teeth, the frame merely slid over the ground; the horses enjoying a little exercise and the driver a constitutional. The only thing they did, was to raise a dust, to the great discomfiture of the worthy residents of Barnard street. A plough and harrows in town streets are a novelty, and anything novel is always welcome. When the new notion is also amusing, we cannot but thank the Council for providing us with something to laugh at.