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Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17740, 17 April 1923, Page 2

There are parents who maintain discipline in the home by threatening their children with the policeman, writes "Mercutio" in the' "New Zealand Herald." It is a strange habit, but an effective one—in some homes. There are two Auckland homes, however, in which, since Easter, thai useful method has lost all virtue. It happened in this wise: Children from these homes were enjoying the seaside on a beach that looks out from a. marine suburb toward Eangitoto—that sufficiently obscures the locality. They discovered in the shallows yards upon yards of rusty bart>ed wire—a fearsome menace to bathers or waders, and in a spirit of gallant service to all mankind they proceeded to haul it from the water and cast it away from the danger zone. Enter two policemen, immaculately uniformed "and obviously zealous to do distinguished duty. They loudly demanded of the children a reason for their interference with the wire, and have the matter explained in answer. They are unappeased, and, seizing the wire, cast it back toward the water with heated words of reprimand calculated to scorch the zealous young souls. In a trice there rises from the sand the slim figure of a womanmother of some of the children —and she speaks home-truths with flashing eyes to those guardians of the peace about their misguided vigilance—though she uses a verbal short-cut to her meaning—and has the wire put by the children where their wisdom dictated it should go. The policemen choose valour's better part, and meekly leave her in possession of the field. They were not wholly lacking in wisdom after all.