THE DESTRUCTIVE HOODLUM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 308, 30 December 1891, Page 4

THE DESTRUCTIVE HOODLUM.

The people of Auckland are probably more blessed than any in tho world in beautiful picnic resorts. Tho islands of the harbour abound in baya of exquisite beauty, and they aro owned by a set of gentlemen who, unliko English landlords, are courtesy and kindness itself to pleasure-seekers. They allow them to Ir.nd on the (shores of their beautiful himo ! , and, though a continual influx of holiuay-makors cannot be always agreeable, aro most praiseworbliily unselfish in never raising objections during this season of tho year, though picnicers come not singly, but in battalions.

Bub this sorb of thing bids fair to cease, and that pretty sharply. There are a certain class of people in v/hom the beauties of nuturo arouse no bettor feeling than thab of wanton Max O'Rell says thab on a beautiful morning bho Britisher rises and says, '--Here is a beautiful day, lot us go and kill something,''—a slap at our inherenb love of shooting. A certain number of our population would appear whon bhey visib tha harbour islands to say, " Here is a beautiful place, let us destroy ib,"and they proceed to do it.

How Mr Reid, of Motutapu, has suffered, is nnciont history. Ilia property was most ruthlessly destroyed. Ono of tho most boautiiul, if nob the mosb beautiful rerorb in tho harbour, Putiki Bay, will henceforward ba closed to boats' crews. Mr Kennedy has tnado visitors freo of his bay, and in return they have destroyed his property and burned his pohutukawa trees. ITo offers, na will be .seen, a reward for nnnviefcion of bho persons who committed this outrajjp. Tho worst of it is that the imiocenb suffer for ihe guilty.