WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143785, 8 May 1912, Page 2

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, May 7. The formati'io of the Musicians’ union and thl'P,' demands are causing some uneasiness here. The demands of £1 a night for performing and considerable fees tec rehearsals, are considered extortioiiate, and will be strongly resisted. On these lines, such a society as the Savage Club would have to pay at the rate of about £25 a night for a couple of orchestral items, 'the demands are such that in many cjises their legislation would mean the substitution of the piano for the orchestra. The municipal orchestral performances would have to -.ease altogether. The present Cabinet has been called! a stop-gap Ministry, and among other names apparently it may also be called! a golfing Ministry. While the Hon. Mr. Myers was winning the first monthly competition for the silver cleek on the Wellington club’s links, the Hon. To Rangihiroa was engaged in a close contest for a similar honour on the Hutt club’s links, and succeeded in tying with another player. He was, however, beaten in the play-off. The Hon. Mr. Buxton is also a golfer and during the session may frequently be seen on the Wellington links. Mr. Hoaro, a London journalist, on the staff of the Daily Telegraph, who is on a six months’ holiday, is at present in Wellington. He leaves on a trip to the South Sea Islands . next week, and will return via San Erancisco and Colon to England, The police are very often blamed and blamed unjustly for their efforts in endeavouring to secure convictions in such cases as sly grog selling and gambling, that are difficult, to detect and prove. Mr. Justice Chapman in some remarks from the,bench to-day, put the question in its proper light. “A long time back,” his Honour continued; “in our history such things did hot occasionally occur, and there Was a Certain amount of scandal over it. The police employed any men they could pick up, to try and induce a sale. The man might go to the house of an innocent woman, and by means of a story about a sick wife or child induce the sale of brandy or whisky, or other liquor. That was scandalous. Edr more than twenty years that method had been entirely discredited, discouraged and disused. It was a perfectly legitimate thing, however, for the police to send one of their number to see if a suspected person were willing to commit this particular offence. Indeed, it was the duty of the police if the sergeant or officer in charge suspecte'i that a person was carrying on a sly grog selling establishment. It was not correct to call it “creating a crime,” to see if a man were willing to repeat a crime he was suspected of having committed before. So long as a perfectly respectable agent was employed, or a member of the force of known respectability there was no danger to the community. Was there any other way of detecting such offences?”