LARRIKINISM.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3021, 2 March 1881, Page 4

LARRIKINISM.

Mr Watt's action in the matter of the juvenile apple-stealers meets with some approval out of Dunedin at least. The Southland Times considers his decision to have been "in the true judicial spirit, and anything else mere weakness and unfaithfulness to his trust. The point to be determined is, how can boys be made to cease thieving, and how can fruit-growers enjoy the profits of their labour in peace ? The answer by those who know anything of parents' and boys' natures will be—by inflicting bodily pain and disgrace. There is nothing for a boy like a flogging ; nothing that he understands so well, fears so much, or will remember so long. We have no belief in the culprit going back into the hands of his parents, with any amount of so-called security for the punishment. To this extent we cordially concur in the principle of Mr Watt's sentences. The parents in such cases are deeply to be sympathised with, but there is nothing more likely to increase their care and vigilance than the knowledge that they will be involved in the disgrace of their children." The Wellington Post " hopes that those magistrates who, from mistaken ideas of kindness, treat ' first offences' with sadly misplaced leniency will not be above taking a lesson from the very sensible and judicious action of Mr Watt. It believes that those boys will live to feel deeply grateful to him for thus timely rescuing them from an impending career of crime. Let it be remembered that boys who will steal fruit from orchards or flowers from gardens will learn to commit larger thefts by degrees as their moral instincts become blunted and the predatory inclination developed ; and in tho name of common sense and honesty let us have no more of such idle prating as that which has been launched at Mr Watt for his welltimed and humane interposition between several juvenile thieves and a career of crime. We say to all New Zealand magistrates : ' Go and do likewise,' "