THE ABUSE OF FIREARMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 168, 3 December 1912, Page 4

THE ABUSE OF FIREARMS.

Tiie pitiful tragedy that occurred at Toko yesterday, when one young fellow had the painful experience of shooting dead his most intimate friend as a result of pure misadventure, once more illustrates the criminal folly of playing with firearms. Probably the young man has received in mental affliction a much more severe punishment than any that could have been inflicted by the law. and while we have no wish to add to his suffering, wc- cannot refrain from pointing out that the accident was the result of the grossest carelessness. It is almost inconceivable that after the many accidents that have been recorded as the result of putting firearms on one side without first breaking them and removing the cartridges, any man used to them should deliberately put away a gun and leave it with both barrels loaded for days at a time. It is even more inconceivable that he should have so far forgotten the incident as to point and discharge the gun at a fellow-being. Tragedy after tragedy lias occurred from exactly the same reason; yet people will persist in the insane practice of pointing firearms ''in play," or dragging guns .at full cock through hedges and fences. VTe should have thought that the experience of years would have made the habit impossible, but unfortunately it appears to be as prevalent and as disastrous as ever. It should bo made a criminal offence to allow a loaded weapon to be put away or to point even an unloaded one at a fellow-being. If people cannot be educated to a realisation of the crass stupidity of either action, and if they cannot, be taught to recognise this, they must be forced to. There will be nothing but the deepest sympathy for both the participants in this dreadful tragedy, but'the public interest demand's that ijs lesson shall be pointed as fully as possible.