DAILY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7700, 8 May 1903, Page 2

DAILY NOTES.

When anybody is visited carelessness, by burglars, his first impulse is to 'report the matter to the police, and his next js very often to anathematise the guardians of the law for their failure to prevent the occurrence. He forgets that in nine cases out of ten; when a house is entered by thieves, it is the occupant's fault. If a record were kept of the number of instances of losses being due to neglect of^the simplest precautions on the part of. the loser, it would fill many pages of the police reports'^ and if to this were added similar instances of caTelessness which do not lead to loss, the list would be simply prodigious. Hera in this colony, where crime is still in its infancy, householders are proverbially neglectful. Only the other day, the Wellington .police felt impelled' to address to the citizens a warning, in. which they begged them- to be a little more care- . ful of their property. As instances were quoted of business premises beifcg unsecured, and the doors of jewellers' shops being left unlatched, we tremble to think of what the- custom must be in private households. We hope the remonstrance will not be lost on Christchurch householders. For the next few months the America we shall probably hear a / cup. " good deal about the- America Cup. To most of our : readers the name is familiar enough. It signifies a very modest trophy, which has*, nevertheless, cost thousands. For fifty years or more England has been spending money like water to win it, s while America has been " planking down " the almighty dollar to keep it. So far, the" Americans have been uniformly successful, and, with an assumption of confidence 'typical in them, they reckon 'that they are going to continue- so. But British (persistency may ultimately avail, and it may possibly gain its reward at the coming contest. For the yacht by which England as 'to toe; represented next October is said to -be very much superior to the Mother Country's last representative, while it is not unlikely that the Americans will have to fall back on the Columbia, which has done battle for them on two former occasions. As the Columbia was not much faster than the English representative of 1801, it follows that she will have her work cut out to beat the latter's successor. Those who know Mr Sed- ; an don best will smile at the Absubdity. insinuation that . the- Government's action, in revoking the Ashburton Club's .charter, is the outcome of a desire to propitiate the Prohibitionists. Even the Prohibitionists themselves will smile— 'that ds to say, if they. are ever guilty of such levity,.. They would as soon -believe that- summer was winter as allow themselves the luxury -of supposing that they were the objects of Mr Seddon's solicitude. Of course, the Government's attitude towards the Ashburton Club was animated solely by a laudable to enforce the wishes f*f the electors^

We shall not trouble to discuss the legnlity of its action, for the reason that if there aire any doubts on this point they are certain to be settled in the law courts. But Mr Seddon propitiating jfche Prohibitionists! Great Bacchus! Viewed from a distance, victokian it looks as if nothing exrailwat ccpt the intervention of crisis. Parliament could save Victoria from a railway strike. The Government insists that the railway employees shall abandon all political connection with the Trades Hall, and the employees firmly refuse to do what they are bidden. In the meanwhile, Parliament has been summoned. The Government has a majority in. Parliament, and; doubtless its line of action will receive the approval of members. At the same time, we cannot help hoping that the good sense of Parliament will intervene to prevent the impending calamity. The struggle is being watched with a great deal of interest in New Zealand. Already, the Dunedin and Auckland Trades and Labour Councils have passed a resolution of sympathy with the Victorian i railway servants, and we ittave no doubt that their example will be followed by most of the Jabour organisations m this colony.