CURRENT TOPICS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LV, Issue 91, 16 June 1925, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

I suppression or names. J "The Court is right and the critics | are wrong," was the opinion expressj ed by Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M., in referring to the suppression of the j names of offenders convicted in the Courts, in the course of an address to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Mr Cutten said that he was aware that members of the chamber had been considering a complaint re- ; garding a Magistrate's action in acceding to a recent request for the : suppression of a name. "Like 'most discretions given to Magis- ! trates, this power is really' not a discretion at all," said Mr Cutten. "Our discretions have to be exercised judicially, and if they were not there is the Upper Court to keep a check. In the suppression of names a Magistrate must give weight to the facts of the case in all circumstances. 11 have heard it suggested that Magis- | trates do not seem to have a unanimous or defined policy on this question, and that they should confer and formulate a rule which could be generally applied. The exercise of reasonable discretion in these cases is extremely burdensome, and no one would be as glad as-the Magistrates themselves if a rule could be made, but it cannot be done." Continuing, Mr Cutten said that there were apparent reasons why a general rule could not be made for the guidance of the Bench. The circumstances in cases were so variable that they i could not be embraced in a single [instruction. There were four things i to be taken into consideration when an offender applied for the suppresI sion of his name. Firstly, there was .the age of the law breaker; then : consideration had to be given to the jfact of a first offender; thirdly, the I nature of the crime had to be con'sidered; and, lastly", great weight ; had to be given to possible exces--1 sive punishment resulting from publicity. "When you criticise the exercise of a; Magistrate's discretion, : r/member that he may have information which is not in your possession," said Mr Cutten. A Magistrate has to be absolutely unbiassed, his only interest being that of the community. Before criticising us you must take everything into consideration."

WHY PEOPLE YAWN. "If they are overcrowded people begin to yawn because their mental and physical energies are depressed. You see it in church. If I were a parson I never would conclude it was my sermon that made my people somnolent, but that it was due to lack of ventilation." Professor Kenwood, of London University, made this statement when lecturing on ''"Hygiene."'.-' Professor-'" Kenwood said that experiments had recently established the fact that it was not the accumulation of carbonic acid gas that was the cause of discomfort in the overcrowded rooms, or lack of oxygen, or disproportion of any other constituent of dry atmo3-

phere, but that it was due to increase of temperature and of moisture, and the stagnation of air movement. It was established that foul air in overcrowded rooms did not act through our lungs at all, but through our skins. It was not necessary to keep windows open wide to flood a room with air. A very small opening in the bedroom window would keep the temperature right. Light was an important factor in the cure and prevention of disease, but as a germicidal power had been grossly exaggerated. Sunlight, quite apart from sunshine, was another great factor, and attention should be given to the aspect of individual houses rather than the mere layout of streets. In clothing opportunities should be given for the air to reach the skin. Wool was the best' clothing procurable.

FINESSE IN POLITICS. Referring to the Hon. J. G. Coates' recent visit to Dannevirke, the Otago Daily Times says: It has been suggested in prejudiced quarters that the Prime Minister is not a friend of the workers, in the invidiously restricted sense of the Term. His administration of the PubJic Works and Railway departments has given no warrant for a. reflection of this kind. H e has endeavoured to do justice to all classes of the community, and the ; future is not likely to contradict the past. He urges, again with a col's loquial touch, that it is "necessary to divorce political humbug from the {prosecution of the country's develop- , mental works," and he lays stress on the imperative need of "maintaining the security of financial credit. Mr. Coates. perhaps thinking of some ex- ! pressed misgivings, admits that he | has not been a close-political student. '"Anyhow." he says, "I have not"the j finesse of politics," and there may be | a half-contemptuous note in the' use 'of the word "finesse." Of course a .Prime Minister must possess an adequate knowledge of political tactics, ; especially as applied to the exigencies of parliamentary management, and in these respects Mr. Massey's successor ma v have something to learn. But the maiori+.v of the r>eop!e of New Zealand will not quarrel with him if he disregards finesse, provided that nublic business is depatcVd with prompt e*nVencv. "Don't expect too rou/'h " said the Prime Minister at Dannevirke; "I trust that T shall h* able to rend»>- some service to vou an 1 that you wi'l not have t" regret the job hninnr n'nw'd on mv shoulders. Tt "•ill not be for the want of trying if I cannot five a reasonable account.'' It is a fair proportion, and w are confident that it wi'l h* realised, especially if wise counsels prevail in connection with the current project of party fusion.