The Christchurch Star. PUBLISHED BY New Zealand Newspapers Ltd. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1931. THE BOMBAY RIOTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 458, 20 May 1932, Page 6

The Christchurch Star. PUBLISHED BY New Zealand Newspapers Ltd. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1931. THE BOMBAY RIOTS.

THE RECURRENCE of riots at Bombay will dispel any premature optimism about the early settlement of India’s troubles. Although most of these disturbances are caused by the idle hooligan element, they are nevertheless a very acute reminder of the fact that much of the time of the Indian Government is taken up with keeping the peace between the Hindu and Moslem communities, both in the streets and in the council chamber. Recently the Moslem demands formulated at the Lahore Conference were described by the Hindus of the Central Legislature and the Mahasabha as “ impossible and preposterous claims of a vociferous and rabid community.” This language comes from men who claim that they are ready to rule India, but they refuse to acknowledge the rights of sensitive minorities, and apparently do not hesitate to express disapproval of their recommendations in blunt, not to say inflammatory, terms. MONEY GOES ROUND. MAKING MONEY go round is to most people synonymous with making ends meet. But, perversely enough, some persons have the idea that to make ends meet money must not go round. It is a dangerous fallacy’which the resumption of the tramway service exposes. > For the circulation of money, which was held up by industrial suspicion and transport stagnation, has transformed the city in the last few days into an obviously happier and more open-handed shopping centre, and the moral that industrial harmony and prosperity go hand in hand is strongly vindicated despite the stringency of the times. AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. THE ARREST of a Russian Communist with bombs in his possession is a matter that will be dealt with duly by the Courts, but the case may be commented on in its, bearing on the admission of undesirable aliens to New Zealand. This man merely walked off a boat in Lyttelton twelve years ago, and it is hard to say how many others equally undesirable have done the same. As a matter of fact, there is no serious check on aliens of this nature. It is not long ago that deserters from a foreign warship were permitted to remain in the Dominion because their own country placed too low a value on them to take them back. DRASTIC ACTION. COMMUNIST organisation is sufficiently dangerous to justify the most extreme action under the Crimes Act. In Australia the Labour Governments are so disturbed by the menace that it is proposed to take power to declare any organisation an unlawful association, and to deport persons belonging to it. Authority is conferred upon the police to search premises without a warrant where persons wanted under the Act are suspected of hiding, or where documents are thought to be secreted, and .it is even proposed to take power by which a Trades Union under Communistic control may be declared an unlawful association and deregistered. NURSES’ WAGES. 'T'HE PUBLIC will be very -®- impatient of any attempt to impose a second cut on nurses’ wages, especially if it is to include a further cut in respect to board and lodging allowances. For by the inequitable method under which these deductions were calculated, it would almost seem that after one or two further cuts the nurses would be owing the boards money. Considering the very arduous conditions under which nurses are still employed, the time is more than ripe for organisation that would give these servants of the public a few more material comforts, even if it brought a little less enthusiasm for the nobility of their profession in the minds of those who seem determined to exploit them.