JOTTINGS BY THE WAY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3799, 24 August 1936, Page 4

JOTTINGS BY THE WAY

ITEMS OF INTEREST. (Contributed.) The first effective shot in the Semple fight for safer motoring has been fired, and a South Island motor cyclist has been fined for exceeding the new speed limit of 30 miles Si hour in a borough. The Press Association did not give the offender’s name, a grave injustice ? For surely lie (or was it she), should have had their name engraved on the scroll of fame, as a dreadful warning to others or as a martyr (according to the personal viewpoint). If Mr Nash wishes to have his next budget show a handsome surplus, he should instruct Mr Semple to instruct his officers to catch the offenders in Victoria Street, Hamilton, alone for believe me they are many Excessive speeding is far too rife in Hamilton, and a very drastic observance of the new regulations should lie demanded by those responsible for seeing that the law is obeyed. Eternal vigilance is the price of safety—for the users of the roads.

Somewhat significant trends of practice in jury work are occurring daily in the supreme courts, not only of our own country, but over in Australia. In New Zealand a common practice is deveoping of juries adding strong recommendations to mercy to their findings. One judge stated that in one particular case such a recommendation was an embarrassment to him, but it was a God-send to the prisoner, for he had his proposed sentence cut down by half. In an Australian State, it is proposed to accept a majority verdict, in criminal cases (murder charges excepted), twelve to ten, I think were the figures. In Scottish law there is a verdict, not proven, a somewhat sensible proposition.

Some people have been unkind enough to suggest that there was a working arrangement between the Labour Party and the Douglas Social Creditors, but the latter have oft denied the soft impeachment. Events of late have, however, tended to confirm the view that such did exist. Officials of the latter have expressed their disappointment at the failure of the Government to use some form of Social credit. Now the National Council of the movement has expressed disapproval of the Budget. Poor Mr Nash, he must feel upset, even though he went to the length of attending—against his will—a private meeting at which Douglas Social Credit was a topic. Mr Penniket’s statement that the movement was not so dead as opponents wished, arouses a smile, for up to the present it has been about effective as the dods, and is likely to remain so, so long as Mr Nash is in charge of the Treasury.

The Labour Party and the Rationalist Association in Auckland hold Sunday evening pictures, interluded with speeches. I attended the latter’s entertainment on Sunday, and what struck me as being most amusing was the very dogmatic way in which the Chairman and lecturer spoke against Christianity, without one tittle of evidence in support of their alleged facts They were both guilty of doing the very same thing, that they affirm the Churches are doing—speaking without any evidence to back up their statement with. Over 90 per cent of the audience went to see the pictures, and did not appear to be very interested in the lecture.

No visit to Auckland would be complete without giving the statue the once over. Personally, I saw nothing to take exception to, though 1 was disappointed at the whole scheme of the gates. Considering there are so many serious social problems that need the light of publicity, the amount of “boloney” indulged in over the statue, is by no means justified. It reveals a strange lack of the sense of the values of things.