The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1888. A JUST COMPLAINT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1813, 12 April 1888, Page 2

The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1888. A JUST COMPLAINT.

Over the signaturo " X.Y.Z." a stranger, who is on a visit to Ashburton, wrote to us yesterday complaining of the conduct of some of the youth of our town. The writer complains that "it is impossible for a respectable woman to pass these hoodlums without being subjected to the foulest language imaginable, and thinks that it is high time an example were made of some of them." Now this is a very serious charge, and wo should bo the first to resent it if it had no foundation m fact, as being a libel upon young Asbburton ; but it is unfortunately only too true, and we are compelled sorrowfully to admit it. Not perhaps that the hoodlums of this town are any worse than those of other colonial towns, but they are certainly no better In New Zealand our larrikins and hoodlums have not as yet gone the lengths of those of Sydney and Melbourne, some of whom are nothing short of criminals of the worst sort, but they are as foul-mouthed as any of their order to be found m any part of the world. A respectable working man who hails from London, and whose employment years ago took him often into the back streets and Blums of the Seven Dials, complained of this very thing to us the other day, and assured us that ho had frequently heard language used by Ashburton larrikins m the streets at night worse than such as is indulged m by the most depraved of tho inhabitants of the locality above mentioned. It is, indeed, high time that this state of things were checked, for from foul language which is the evidence of foul thoughts it is but a step to the foulest of deeds. " X.Y.Z." asks where are tho police, by implication suggesting that these guardians of society aro lax m tho performance of their duties, but it may bo pointed out m roply that wo have only two or tbre6 constables \rx Ashburton, and that it is impossible for them to bo übiquitous, and that tho larrikins are too wary to indulge m the languago complained of when a policeman is within hearing. No doubt it would Jbo well for tho police to endeavor to make an example of some of theso young ruffians, but tho evil is widespread, and for a radical cure parents and schoolmasters need to exert themselves earnestly and continuously First of all there is ? we fear, on the part of parents v want of proper discipline and control of their children at ' home. There is too much indulgence accorded , to young children, who are allowed to do pretty much as they please at home besides being permitted to be out on the streets at hours when they ought to be under the parents roof, while m our public schools too often supervision ceases with tho hours of actual school work, and m the intervals for play all sorts of bad languago goes on without check. Ask any father of a well brought up family and ho will toll you how his children pick up from their schoolfellows language such aB they never heard at home, and of which they do not even know the meaning. Thero ought to bo some arrangement made so that during playhours some master or usher should be near so as to be able to prevent this sort of thing. Then if parents would insist on proper discipline at homo, and would keep their children happily engaged under their own roof instead of letting thorn run at largo at all hours m tho streets, the growth of lajrrikinism would receive a check, and such complaints as thofio of " X.Y.Z." would soon cease to bo heard.