DAY BY DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 99, Issue 16654, 20 November 1925, Page 4

DAY BY DAY.

Tlie Malieno, after being held up in

Wellington for several The Seaman days, has at last manand aged to secure a crew His Articles, who deigned to work.

, The hold-up was not on account of any industrial dispute, but the firemen evidently conspired to play fast and loose with their agreement in order to demonstrate their ability to hold up the trade of the Dominion just as caprice appealed to them. They did not consider loss and hardship either to the travelling public or to the Company, hut treated covenants lightly. The need for impressing upon the men that their articles are binding upon them by iaw, though they may be inclined to regard them as non-effective, is being stressed, l'or as Mr Cutten remarked at Auckland in imposing upon the Seamen's Union a fine of £IOO, it is a most unfortunate thing “that disturbing influences seom more often to affect shipping, upon which the greatness of the British Empire is built, than any other industry.” The law as it bears on tlie shipping industry must be strictly enforced. It is possible that the imposition of exemplary penalties on seamen who brealc their articles and delay shipping departures

may lead in the first instance to still more serious trouble. There is a good deal to suggest that incidents of which the Mahcno hold-up is an outstanding but more or less typical example are part of an organised campaign. If this is the position, it is so much the more necessary that the law should be enforced and -/indicated. The people are not in the least inclined to have their facilities .for sea travel ami transport dislocated at the bidding of a gang of Communists, and arc willing to face whatever consequences may be involved in defeating any attempt of this hind. The remedy is to be found in action by the Government and Parliament based on a determination to protect the interests of the public.

A new type of highway brigand, more reckless and terrify-

The Terror of The Highway.

ing than the highway marauder of earlier times, has come on to

the roads of the Dominion 10-dav to add new terrors for other travellers. He is the intoxicated motorist, whose coming imperils the safely of life and limb of all who use the broad highways. The menace is not a new one, but that it is increasing in New Zealand is illustrated by the almost daily occurrence of some accident—in too many cases involving loss of life —due to the mad careering of a drunken motorist. The man who attempts to control any vehicle while he is intoxicated is nothing short of a potential murderer, and he should be treated as such, but unless the majority of New Zealand magistrates take a more serious view of the crime

there is little hope of its being checked. The only place for these men is gaol, for the public must he protected, and it must he shown that there is no place on our roads for the drunken motorist. The day of fines for such offences has gone. In England and other countries the drunken motorist is regarded as a dangerous member of society, and imprisonment and cancellation of the driving license is the punishment. New Zealand must free its highways of this menace, and the public look, to the Court to deal firmly with such cases for only drastic treatment will be a sufficient warning to others.