The STAR. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1928. NOTES OF THE DAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18629, 5 December 1928, Page 8

The STAR. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1928. NOTES OF THE DAY.

THERE ARE FEW MEN in New Zealand whose work on behalf of the public is more deserving of praise than that of Dr G. J. Blackmore, who has resigned from the position of Medical Director of Tuberculosis Institutions in Canterbury after twenty-one years’ service. It has long been recognised in this part of New Zealand that Dr Blackmore, in organising the fight against consumption and occupying the front trenches himself, in daily personal contact with his patients, has been engaged not only in a self-sacrificing but in a very dangerous work, and even now when he might very well spend the rest of his fife in retirement, he proposes to go to England to take up research work. It is very gratifying to know that some public recognition of his services is to be made before he leaves New Zealand early in the new year, for we believe that the citizens generally will welcome the opportunity to show their appreciation of his services in some tangible way.

SUGGESTIONS made at the Women’s Branch of the Citizens’ Association for the furtherance of the study of civic affairs among women were excellent, and ought to be followed up. When we have men in official positions who show an utter disregard for women’s interests, there is much need that women should be organised not only for the presentation of their point of view, but also for ensuring that those view's, when presented, should have an effective body of opinion to give them weight. As things are at present, women will be forced to more effective organisation purely in self protection. The Mayor’s savage attack on the womens’ organisations which sent the City Council a most temperate and dignified expression of opinion on a matter of great importance to them, and his utter disregard for their interests in drawing up the plans for the “ improvement ” of Cathedral Square, are glaring instances of their present impotence when opposed by prejudiced office holders. It is Very essential that every woman should be thoroughly alive to questions of community welfare, which particularly affect her and the future citizens whose needs she instinctively knows. Women need not all educate themselves for taking office, though the necessity of a statesmanlike attitude in those who do aspire to office is still felt in New Zealand; but study such as that proposed might very well follow the line of finding out and acquainting women with the views of public men and their attitude towards women’s interests.

GOVERNMENT interference w'as one of the very W’eak points of the Reform regime, and that interference manifested itself in a manner dangerous to the public, particularly in connection with the Press of the Dominion. It will be the duty of the United Party in the next three years to rescind or recall many interfering regulations, and also to amend certain public Acts that have gone much too far in their interference with the liberty of the subject. In that connection the Acts dealing with crimes should be carefully scrutinised. There was another case in Christchurch yesterday in which a man, charged with two serious offences against children, was dealt with in a Children’s Court and sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and his name was automatically suppressed. The newspapers of the Dominion dare not publish the name or they would be subject to very heavy penalties. In fact, the Press have no standing whatever in the Children’s Court. The danger of legislation which permits such a state of affairs is twofold. In the first place, the public interest is disregarded by the automatic suppression of the names of old offenders whose identity should be published as widely as possible. In the second place the liberty of the subject may be wrongly jeopardised because the evidence in these courts is not even taken on oath, and it is possible that a man may be arrested and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, as happened quite recently in Christchurch, and be bundled off to gaol without being represented by a solicitor, or having a word said about the case in any newspaper. This undesirable state of affairs has been brought about by ill-considered Reform legislation, which we hope Sir Joseph Ward will lake aa early opportunity of repealing.