The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1884. "Our Boys"

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 73, 31 May 1884, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1884. "Our Boys"

At the last sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court held here, Mr Ward remarked on the bad characters of some of the young men about Feilding. As it is just possible that this may be misunderstood, we will devote a little space to the subject and endeavor to put it more fairly before the public. Correctly speaking we have not a single bad character in the Borough, according to the general acceptation of the meaning of that term. No member of the criminal classes has a habitation among us, and even the despised habitual drunkard is a rarity. We have, however, a number of ladß growing into manhood, who, from lack of moral restraint, from want of religious training or general education, are incapable of, or at least unwilling to to exercise any restraint over themselves, or to submit to any proper control, when attempted to be exercised by those placed in authority over them. These lads are not bad in themselves, but they have a super- ; abundance of animalism for which they have no other outlet than in fighting, horseplay, and in what is popularly known as larrikinism. Their worst fault is to be found in the filthy I and vile language they are so much in the habit of using when congregated in public places. Individually and collectively they are hardworking and industrious, but in too many instances this virtue is almost pushed to an extreme, for they do not allow themselves any time to indulge in the manly pastimes of football and cricket, nor are they encouraged to do so by the example of those whom they might be inclined to look up to. From the whole of their surroundings we are often surprised that the young men on the Manchester Block are, as a class, so steady and well behaved, iand can only account for it by thejgeneral industry of the whole of the settlers. We have an honest pride in our young men, who, for physique, will compare favorably with those of any other settlement in the colony, not even excepting the gold fields, where, naturally, the finest men are congregated. As a general rule their morality is good, for be it remembered that since its first settlement there has never been a serious crime committed on the Manchester Block, while misdemeanours of any kind are almost unheard of. Men have been punished for drunkenness and fighting, but even these cases are remarkably few. In some measure the latter may be attributed to the efficiency of the police officers who have been stationed here, but it must also be noticed that these cases have been, with few exceptions, confined to strangers or casual residents. That we have one or two black sheep in the flock we will admit, but their influence is very limited, and we expect that will be still further curtailed -by the' reraarks which fell from ihe Bench, as well as the whole;some terror which the presence of Constable Gillespie has inspired in the minds of those who might be weak enough to be led astray by bad example. •' - 'A '"' ;'