MORE ABOUT “HIGH JINKS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 949, 16 April 1930, Page 1

MORE ABOUT “HIGH JINKS”

Complaints From the Bays SUPPORTED BY YACHTSMEN Rev. Jasper Calder Cites Cases YOUR paper was absolutely right in showing up the character of some boating crews—a very small minority, a section of yachtsmen as you said—who visit the bays of the Gulf, You have done a good thing for the sport. I am with you to the last step.” The speaker was the Rev. Jasper Calder, Auckland City Missioner and Chaplain of the Akarana Yacht club, who, with other prominent yachtsmen, was asked this morning if he had had experience of incidents of the nature referred to by the Ostend Road Board and a wellknown launchman at a meeting of the Auckland Yacht and Motor-Boat Association on Monday. Complaints were made of indecent and riotous behaviour on the part of certain boats’ crews.

A number of representative yachtsmen commended The Sun today on the action this paper had taken in assisting to expose some of the happenings which during the summer have disgusted the great body of yachtsmen and launch owners who have suffered disrepute through the doings of an irresponsible few. When approached for a statement, Mr. Calder, who is a practical yachtsman of some years' standing, at once got right down to a specific instance of wild behaviour. “It happened tills season at a popular bay,” he said. “One boat in particular whose name 1 have in my possession attracted attention by the vileness of the language :omlng from those on board. Some of It was absolute’/ sickening. I have keen a criminologist for 20 years and am accustomed to having to move among the worst types. Well I can tell you this, the kind of language used by those young fellows nearly turned me up.

BOISTEROUS SONGS "They were singing filthy song 3 while drunk. I went aboard and told them that unless they stopped I would take action, although a clergyman. The noise ceased for a time; then broke out as before —this was about two in the morning. I have written down what they said and am prepared to state the name of their boat in court. The members of tho crew, other yachtsmen told me, were the boat's regular personnel.” Mr. Calder added that the commodore of the fleet agreed that the laujuage was unspeakable. Their combined efforts to bring the offenders to a sense of propriety met with no response. At the conclusion of one of his opon-air services next morning a number of yachtsmen came to him, Mr. Calder continued. They appreciated his endeavour to stop the noisy offenders. “Speaking to them is a waste of time,” the chaplain said, with a note of hopelessness. “It seems that the best way to deal with some of those dirty louts would be for yachtsmen to take the law into their *wn hands, board the boat, and Stve a roughs a damn good thaadhing—yes, you can use that expression,” Mr. Calder added with warmth, although permission to do so had not been requested. The offenders were a very small minority, the chaplain stressed, but why should fhey be permitted to disturb the amenities of the bay. As far as he was concerned his evidence was available to the police at anytime. “IRRITATING, HUMILIATING” “There have been occasions when incidents such as those mentioned in the complaints published in The Sun have come to my know ledge,” said Mr. ■E. H. Northcroft. “The behaviour of the offenders at 'he various bays must be very irritating to property holders and very humiliating to other yachtsmen. “The difficulty is that, although hese offenders are few in number, they are noisy and conspicuous, and their offences bring discredit on vachtsmen as a whole. I know that the more responsible yachtsmen do all 'hey can to prevent happenings such *s those which have been cited.” Mr. Northcroft pointed out that as Practically every boat associated with ihe various Auckland clubs had distinctive marks on its sail, property uvners and others should have no diffi*ulty about recognising and singling out offending craft. If cases were reborted immediately to the proper 'achting authorities, the persons concerned would be dealt with suitably’. fn at least one case in the past such action had been followed by the desired results, he added. A club had its attention drawn to the behaviour of lue occupants of a boat flying its flag. r he offenders had been dealt with, and, from that particular quarter, there ■fould be no further trouble. WHO ARE OFFENDERS? Another Auckland yachtsman made « clear that, in his opinion, the offenders did not belong to any one sjjctlon of the yachting community. At 'ne same time it was found, as a gen®ral rule, that owners of the larger •ni more expensive types of yachts and power-boats, being men of substance, were of a responsible nature. It had co be admitted that, in the majority of cases, the trouble came from groups of young men whs clubbed together and purchased craft for from £7O to £IOO. ‘Mind you, I am net condemning *nat class of yachtsmen as a whole,” n* hastened to add. "Nor am I sugkssting that the offenders come from *ny particular social class. The

majority of young men in the cheaper types of boats behave well. I have met young working men who are most delightful yachting companions. On the other hand, I have known of young professional men who have behaved very badly on yachting outings. “In the further __ defence of the owners of the larger boats, I would say that because their anchorage requirements are the same, keeler yachts usually are to be found together. Similarly, large power boats group together. Usually they are not to be found In the same places as the smaller boats. For example, at Ostend, one of the places from which complaints have come, the larger keelers cannot get in.” WHAT COMMODORES SAY At a meeting of the Akarana Yacht Club last evening members were unanimous in expressing gratification with The Sun’s action. The commodore, Mr. T. McKay, said it was the club's intention to find out which crews were the offenders. They would not be permitted to race under the club’s flag. The general opinion was that the article in last evening's Sun might well bave been made even more slashing. Mr. T. L. Thompson, commodore of the Richmond Cruising Club, said his club was well aware of one or two offending crews. Richmond would have nothing to do with them on any pretext. "The trouble Is that these young fellows take away too much liquor with them and by the time they reach tneir destination they are pretty well drunk and very troublesome,” he said. Mr. Thompson thought that publicity would do a great deal of good, more even than a prosecution.