PEA RIFLE DENOUNCED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1743, 7 May 1913, Page 7

PEA RIFLE DENOUNCED.

. •>- r ALSO THE BOY BEHIND IT. f "It is an astounding thing that the authorities biivß not had it abolished long a"d," said Mr. Parker, of Christfchurch, ■wlien moving that a Bill bo promoted for the prohibition of tho pea rifle, at the conference of tho Sccfety for-the 1 reventita of Cruelty to Animals, held .yi/storilay, Thospeaker stated -that a surprising number: of accidents had occurred during it-he' past few years, through the use ot this weapon by young boys, wot only natl ■human- beings lost their lives, but some Valuable stock had also been shot. ; Mr. '. Hankins (Palmerston North) •thought-that this was not a tot itho society to deal with, but one, which 'should bo dealt with in, the Police Of--1 fences Act. There was no doubt, however, rthat the use of tho pea rifle should'be amongst boys. • • .j - Mr. Parker remarked that lie had hearA ■of cases of yourtg boys deliberately^-£hoot-Ihg at live stock with pea Tifles. There' : was often anai* of. carelessness oft the 'part of a boy aimed with a pea Title. Mr. Hankins stated that lie had spoken >to th 6 motion, because he. did not think it was, ini gonorul* a Question for tho society. He quite agreed that tho pea' tiHo •was a deadly thing, and that its use. amongst boys should bo prohibited. Tho {society would bo quite justified in taking action in cases of cruelty to stock. At this stage it was mentioned that it ..•was an offence against the law for a boy '■under 16 to havo a pea. rifle? in his pos- [ In. reply,. Mr. Parker said that he 1 was 'quite willing to Withdraw, his. motion,- but jho thought that' somebody Should take ! the matter up. , The motion-was accordingly witndrawn, aud it was.decaded to place the following "resolution on "record: 'That members of this Conference express their accord of the desire of the Canterbury Society to -suppress the use of the pea Tiflo by the youth jpf'the Dominion."