PUBLIC OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17179, 24 October 1923, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION.

WHAT OTHER WRITERS ARE SAYINg. The idea of a censorship of books, pictures and. so forth is naturally repellent to us, especiaHj r when conducted by officials of the postal and Customs departments who, so far as we know, have no special qualifications for the task.—“ Taranaki Herald.” Auckland is growing every day. Unless overcrowding and the housing shortage are to be perpetual, new suburbs must be opened up, and given reasonable means of access. Whatever alternatives thero may be, the tramway system, on present evidence, must be the backbone of the transport arrangements.—Auckland "• Herald.” Mr Parr in his southern tour has been able to see for himself the unhappy effects of the time-table which seems designed to give a minimum of convenience with a maximum of irritation. The failure of the ferry steamer to connect with the through express accentuated tho evils of the service connecting Invercargill and Christchurch, and tho Minister of Education will bo able to tell his colleagues that the complaints from the south are not without justification. -- “Southland Times” Tlie increasing grip of the sport habit cannot be ignored. For good I or ill it is now a most intense power in the community. To a large* section of the people the end of the day’s work, and especially the arrival of tho weekly half-holiday, means a plunge into tho favourite pastime. That this all-consuming indulgence is bad cannot safely be asserted without analysis. ... It is perhaps revolutionary—a natural stampede from the stodgy tie of servitude of the preceding era.—Ashburton “ Guardian.” The disclosures, of which the YYaiIcino tragedy is one, are disquieting. In this country the State has decreed that no cnc shall have automatic firearms in his possession, and if this decree has been defied it means that j they are being retained by people who on the face of it are not law-abiding. Decent citizens are entitled to demand : that the Government shall proceed straightway to the investigation of all the records at its disposal so that the risk of these illegal weapons being in dangerous hands may be minimised, if it cannot be entirely removed—- “ Southland Times.” It is a far cry from Newmarket to | Belmont Park, and it was considered essential that- Papyrus should be acj companied by his own supply of British ! fodder, and. so it was said, of drink- | ing water as well. Even so, there could be no equalising tho conditions: the dirt tracks of the United States might well upset the sensitive machinery of a thoroughbred accustomed to the English turf, and a change of climate interfere with a reproduction of perfect form. It is manifest that circumstances were in favour of the stay-at-home Zev in this contest.— “ Ofcago Daily Times.” Tlie strictures passed upon the railway service at the meeting with the Progress League delegation on Thursday night were very thorough . . . The Department must be prepared to meet the requirements of the trade offering, or it will find competition entering more and more into tho matter. The country lias provided tho lines for use, and they should be used to the best advantage. Visitors declare the Westland section is the worst run section of railway in the Dominion. This community never flagged in its interest to see the Midland Railway through. Its reward so far is a succession of penalties on those travelbug by train.—Hokitika “ Guardian.’’ Despite the advance of the mechanical age, interest in a good horse and its speed still runs high. Unfortunately for that theory, the tone of the cable messages shows that other interests were rather prominent. . . . The prominence given to the betting aspect, and the degree to which it obinspired all kinds of wild rumours preceding the race, make it impossible to take it seriously as a sporting event. All things considered it does not seem necessary to feel any special loss of prestige , because the American colt beat the English. Whatever the motives of the respective owners, prestige seems to have been a bad second to finance with most people. —Auckland “ Herald/* The time may come, and that very quickly, when New Zealand products will attract greater rttention by their name and .high quality. Lamb may be offered a? an example. All “ Canterbury Lamb,” it is understood, does not come from the provincial district of Canterbury; but it is a const-ant grievance of producers exporting from New Zealand that produce of other countries is masquerading in shops under New Zealand ” descriptions, to the prejudice of tho returns t-o those who produce high quality New Zealand goods. The judgment of the English Courts in the case- of “ Tarragona Port,” therefore, ha? a claim on the thoughtful consideration of producers 11110 export, and who believe that they suffer from misdescrjntion of their goods by misguided or unscrupulous dealers.—-Wellington “ Post.” Tlie Wellington City Council has voted the sum of £SO to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce publicity fund in connection with the British Empire Exhibition. One of the councillors denounced the expenditure as an “extravagance,” and we think he is right. But the Government set the example of extravagance when they ' j voted some £60,000 to the Exhibition. These big shows are frequently got up to find snug temporary billet© for a few favoured individuals. Tn connection with the Britisn Empire Exhibition one member of the staff has been got rid of, receiving several thousands of pounds by way of compensation. We believe someone has been absurd enough to •uggest- that Eltliam should be represented at the Exhibition. Heavens! What a long tail our cat’s got!—Eltliam “Argus/*