The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1854. LARRIKINISM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1176, 10 May 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1854. LARRIKINISM.

At last Tuesday evening’s meeting of ■•the lemuka School Committee, it was ••reported that on that morning the janitor had found in one of the water tanka at the school two dead cats. The water from these tanks ia used by the children as drinking water, and therefore no one will feel surprised at finding that the discovery created some sensation. The water tanks are raised a considerable height from the ground ; they are | covered with lids, and consequently no matter how suicidal might have been the intentions of these cats, it is impossible that they could have drowned themselves without having been assisted. It is therefore conjectured that the cats must have been put into the tank by some idiotic larrikin, who knew not what the consequences might be. We lay no claim to medical knowledge, nor do we profess to be able to give an exact idea of what effect the water in which the bodies of these two cats had putrefied would have on the human system, but we think that most people will believe that it might have had very serious results. For some time past children have been complaining of the water, and some of them have gone home sick. The wonder is that a pestilence has not broken out. amongst them, and that so few of them have sickened. It is a pity that the truculent Scoundrel who has been guilty of this

fiendish action cannot be made amenable for his conduct. That such a thing should happen in our midst, that the ruffianism of Pomuka should not cease till it polluted the water which poor innocent children had to drink, is enough to shock the whole community. We have hitherto purposely abstained from taking anv notice of the larrikins of Teinuka, because we felt that it would only encourage them to farther mischief to see their misdoings noticed in public print. Things have now, however, come to such a pass that something is necessary to be done. During the two nights Fisher’s Company played in the Temuka Volunteer Hall, the conduct of the crowd that congregated outside the hall was disgraceful. They screamed and roared, they threw stones oh the roof, and behaved otherwise disreputably, oven to the extent of peeping in through the key-hole and chinks in the wall of the dressing rooms. So bad was their conduct, that one of the actors came out and horsewhipped a lot of them till they wont away whining like beaten curs. One of the members of the Company is writing an account of his travels, and if these larrikins knew his opinion of them, they would not feel proud of themselves. If the writings of this gentleman are published, and wo believe they will be, Temuka will form the subject of a chapter of it, and we are afraid its character will not be a creditable one. At any rate, he said he hod never met with the equal of the larrikins of Temuka in all his life. It is said that “ merry-hearted boys make the best of old men ” but this is not the kind of merriment that proceeds from good nature or good sense. Dances and other amusements have been got up in Temuka, but they had to be abandoned ; efforts to establish cricket and football clubs have hitherto failed, although Temuka once enjoyed an honorable position in respect to these manly sports. In fact nothing seems to succeed in Temuka but larrkinisra, and that is growing luxuriantly. It is nesessary that something should be done. It is really sad to thiuk that the youth of the town is being trained in these mischievous ways, and we think the clergy of the various churches could do something worse than to use their influence to put it down. The Salvation Army and Blue Ribbou Army ought also to exert themselves, and try to point out to these foo’ish young people the error of their behavior. If all else fails, we _ should suggest the appointment of a Vigilance Committee, who would, on all occasions, keep a sharp look out for persons misconducting themselves, and lay informations against them. We do not expect much from the police. We do not say that they could have helped the cats being put in the water tanks, but they could have prevented the crowd from gathering round the Volunteer Hall as was the case on the occasion we have referred to. At any rate we think they could do a groat deal more than they do, if they only liked, and we hope they will exert themselves better in future. Parents also ought to look after their hoys and try to keep them at home at night, away from such associations. The sons of some of the most respectable parents in the town associate with, and, in fact, act in concert with, the more experienced larrikins, and are being trained up in their ways. We think parents would do well to inquire into the conduct of their children, and try to dissuade them from associating with the idiots who think it clever to howl like maniacs or tear blinds off windows. But, unfortunately, most parents think their own sons incapable of such conduct, and if any one complains of them abuse is their reward, We warn these parents that they are bringing up their children in a dangerous way, and that unless they try to educate them to conduct themselves better they will have cause to regret it.