WANTED-A POLICE LAUNCH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 4

WANTED-A POLICE LAUNCH.

■r-Vl-'. " , • 7v' • PEST OF WATERSIDE VANDALS.; . . (By Telegraph.—Press Association.); '' ... ' - 1 i Auckland, February '18. ■ -Petty thieving on._the waterfront, continues to pv'o. much "annoyance to owners .of pleasure craft, and' larger boats as -we11..-..Though.the practice has not been so marked of late,' still owners' are. oxposed to an ever-preseiit danger ,of losing property, .or , having ■it maliciously damaged,' with little .hone ,of redress. Uepeated overtures'have been made to the Justice Department for' efficient police protection, but,, after; ;a long series of negotiations, the'' owners' were," a little while ago, scroti by the Minister that, utter'inquiry,-'he was .of opinion that a police duty launch could not be . provided for the Waitemata. In other words it was not;required. A reporter this morning interviewed some of the yacht owners, and found that they were greatly ■ dissatisfied with the stand which the Minister had taken in the matter. Jlr. J. F. P. Howden, commodore of the New Zealand Power Boat Association, said that a police launch was an absolute essential for the protection of yachtsmen. It was most annoying to owners, to find their iaunches'broken into, fittings taken away, and, not infrequently, the boats wilfully, damaged. At the beginning of the season tho depredations were most' prevalent..'. There .were, not so many cases now, .but then the,' trouble seemed to come roundin cycles,; and.they were constantly in dread of being ' vic- ; timised. More cases happened than were reported, but the -Yachting Association would give everypublicity' to : cases brought under their , notice, "in the belief that, by this means, • the crime will be moro v readily sheeted home. ...