DAY BY DAY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 9980, 4 May 1911, Page 4

DAY BY DAY

Rats ! The Taranafci JNews draws a horrible picture: -One recent day a defuncts but highly odorous rat of large dimensions lay in a New Plymouth roadway. The people sniffed —and passed by on the other side. It reminded them of the plague. New Plymouth is infested with rats—large, grey-whiskereu veterans that have grown decrepit in their undisturbed and nefarious calling. Other towns in New Zealand, fearful of plague, have instituted campaigns against rats. Myriads have been slain all over New Zealand. New Plymouth has had no cases of plague, so the rats remain undisturbed. The waterfront teems with rodents; they dart about among the merchandise of tho town, gambol with great tameuess in Pukekura Park, and scuttle through the drains. It has been proved that these rats are sometimes diseased. Rats uibble our food. They are indescribably filthy, are tireless, destructive and undisturbed. The Borough Council has apparently not noticed the rats, but it is sincerely hoped that the new Oouncil may observe their size, their numbers and their filt'nness. Even if New Plymouth people do not believe that the local rats carry disease, they may be disposed to believe that they carry wax matches. Only last week a local resident found a rat nest in an obscure corner of his stable. It contained 57 wax vestas, some being "live" specimens. Everj 7 city fire brigade inspector in New Zealand has at times pointed out the danger of the incendiary rat.

In Trouble Again, Our good frisud, the Rev. ,J. J. North, is iv trouble again. This time lie appears to have made a mistake concerning certain allegedly immoral cinematograph pictures. According to the Press Association, Mr North told a Uhristchurch reporter that censorship iv connection with cinematograph pictures was very necessary; and he described how, when iii Falmerston North recently, an officer of the municipality had forbidden the screaming of certain films just received from Europe. To this, Palmerston North' replied with neat and indignation :uo film had ever been condemned there, films were never received direct from Europe, and no municipal official had any authority at all to act as censor. While we have every respect for Che enthusiasm displayed by Mr North in an immorality hunt, we really think he goes a trifle too far. It 'will be years, for instance, before his pathetic, amazing, ana amusing onslaught on "The Girl for Rector's" wilJ be forgotten. Mr North has now,as then, ignored the fact that v clean press ana the oommonsense of the great majority of tho public are a sullioient guarantee that nothing objectionable shall appear in theatrical ' productions; and by his

manner suggests that the mass of people are ready, unless forcibly prevented, to accept, without protest, all sorts of nasty and suggestive things. That hysterical and ill-advised attaok on "The Girl," and the controversy that ensued as to whether the play was objectionable or not, only resulted iv giving the company a magnificent advertisement and a genial little actor-manager some thousands more of New Zealand sovereigns than would have b9en the case had Mr North not been heard of. Did the Rev. Mr North find nothing at hand on whioh to exercise his talents as a guardian of the public morals, these excursions of his into the field of the drama and the picture show might be justified, on the score thai; some day ( he might find something te make a noise about. But there are so mauy other directions in which the services of a diligent investigator like the Rev. Mr North would prove valuaple. Some specialists tell us the fabric of our society is undermined with evils that cannot bo discussed in a daily newspaper but which every man of the world knows spell immorality and physical decay. And the census statistics now being oompiled, considered in conjunction with the immigration figures, indicate a steadily decreasing birthrate, and the limitation of families. If the conscience of this impulsive Wellington clergyman urges him on to deeds of derring-do, why does he not turn his attention to these things, which are a grave national danger, and leave theatrical productions (which include pictures) of exceptional frivolity alone? We have always held that the good sense of the people is a sufficient censor for theatrical managers, and that view has never been proved a wrong one.