PURE VANDALISM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1760, 27 May 1913, Page 4

PURE VANDALISM.

PRANKS OP MAD MARKSMEN, Tho serious damage a person, may do ■with.' a light riflo is not confined td tho occasional back-yard accident, whore somebody "does not luiow it is loaded," muck to tho regret of tho person who happens to bo in a line witk tho bavrol when tho trigger is pulled. Tho latest prank consists of shooting at tho leaden cables which carry tlto telephono wires in bunches, not only about tho city, but between the citr and suburbs. The Socrc tary of tho Post and Telegraph Department (Mr. W. Ji. Morris) yesterday icy hibited a section of leaden cablo which had been cut from tins telephono cablo botwo?Ji! Ngahauiranga and Pctone, showing ono side of tho cablo pierced through and tho bullet of a .22 riflo. "mushroomed" comfortably in tho holo it had bored. As is pretty well known, it is niecossary to keep tho telephono wires encased in a leaden tubo quite dry, otherwiso thle paper in which each individual wire is wrapper becomes a oonductor of electricity, mid. piakes false contacts. As soon as tho tnlle is pierced in any way it is au easy matter for water to find an entrance, and then trouble begins, and a great deal of worry and expense is caused before tiro wire-wrappings can bo thoroughly dried, and the tubo repaired. Had it only occurred once, tho happening might havo been supposed to bo on nccidont, but tlw tubo between Pctono and Ngahauranga has been found to bo shot through in several places, indicating that it has been used deliberately as a target. "There appears to be a wave of wanton destruction just noV," said Mr. Morris, "Not only has tho slot telephono at Miramnr been smashed, but out at Wainui it has been found that tho insulator# on tho telegraph poles havo been shot away in tho most deliberate manner. Thie is a most destructive act, as it is apt to t)irow tho irholo lino out of action.' A substantial reward will be paid by the Department for evidence that will lead to the conviction of tho vandals conccrnod in any of tho malpractices referred to, and no effort •will be spared to inak« an example of tho first offender in tliia regard.