BACKSTAIRS INFLUENCE?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11026, 14 March 1914, Page 6

BACKSTAIRS INFLUENCE?

It would be very interesting to know who it is that is pulling the strings and using the Minister of Internal Affairs to thwart the ruling of local Magistrates in regard to what is known as the case. So'iiie time ago Horatio Wood was given permission to take his four daughters out of a State home to which they had been committed and send them to Sydney. At the last minute the order was vetoed by the Minister, to whom the dreadful fact had been imparted that it was intended to teach tho girls to dance for tho vaudeville stage. The father explicitly denied this, but the Minister was adamant. Later on a brother of Wood eent his son over from Australia to intimate to the authorities that he was prepared to find employment for Wood and to take care of the children. Then the Minister of Education seems to have been prompted from behind—-or, as one lawyer put it, approached by the backstairs method—and he refuse*! permission to allow the children to be taken from the Government institution. Meantime Wood seems to havo encountered heavy weather, and is in arrears as to tho payment of a maintenance order for the children's suppart. This means that the young pcoplo are being maintained at tho public expense. . » » • ,

Tho Magistrate's judgment, after hearing the evidence, is that tho man and his, children should be allowed to go to Australia. The Minister—or Ministers, for perhaps it has taken a wJiolo Reform Cabinet to deal with tho matter —has intervened to prevent tho Magistrate's judgment from taking effect. Tho, question, though simple enough in 'some respects, has a serious beliring.' ft involves a question of personal liberty- also laiscs the.

Question as. to W far Ministers are justified tn interfering with magisterial adjudications. Previous Admiiiistrar tions have beon scrupulously careful to refrain from assuming extra-judicial functions. In this case some mysterious influence lias been at work'and the Magistrate rendered powerless. He himsdf has remarked that "it is unfortunate that this should have occurred -when the case appeared to be on the verge of a satisfactory settlement." It will ho necessary, sooner or later, to have a ministerial explanation.