WANTON DAMAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 64, 13 September 1945, Page 8

WANTON DAMAGE

DISTURBING REPORTS

The prevalence of vandalism in Wellington has been revealed from inquiries made by the civic affairs committee of the Wellington Junior Chamber of Commerce, says a statement by the Junior Chamber.

The committee's inquiries were made from the Post and Telegraph. Department, the Railways Department, and the Ministry of Housing, and the information received suggested that damage to departmental property was as serious as 'that to municipal property and reserves, continues the statement. .■'■.:;■• „■■,-... .-

"The Post and Telegraph Department advised that most of the damage to its property was done to telephone cabinets. In the 12 months ended March 31 this year, £230 was spent in repairing damage to these cabinets, this sum including the cost of replacing telephones and complete telephones either removed or pulled away from the walls, replacing directories, and other stolen "fixtures, and clearing coin chutes blocked or damaged by the insertion of rubbish. In addition, over a period of 18 months, 470 glass panels in telephone cabinets were broken, the replacement cost being £100. Officials are of the opinion that practically all of the damage was vandalism. :

BREAKING CF INSULATORS

"Another cause of complaint was the deliberate breaking of telegraph and telephone insulators. During 12 months 63 insulators were broken, and their replacement cost"£7. In the 12 months there were four minor instances' of wanton damage to street posting boxes, and 10 of deliberate damage to private boxes at the Te Aro Post Office. The latches of the iron gates at the Petone Post Office were damaged to the extent of £1 18s 6d.

"The Railways Department advised the committee that there had been no increase in vandalism during the war years. Periodically, however, trouble was experienced, the principal damage being the defacing of notices and timetables, writing and drawing on walls, breaking carriage and station windows, cutting seat upholstery, damaging slot-machines, and placing stones on electrically-operated points. No accounts of the cost of repairs and replacements necessitated through vandalism were kept. "A serious state of affairs was reported from the Department of Housing Construction. The Department states that it had made inquiries from contractors in the Wellington district, and all had- agreed that losses through vandalism were considerable. One contractor building five houses had estimated his annual loss at £50: The total amount of loss through vandalism most commonly met included breaking or removing windows and iiiterior fittings of old houses purchased for renovation or for sale and demolition, breaking into tool sheds and stealing the contents, destroying concrete ventilators in foundations, smearing fresh paintwork, and damage caused by throwing stones."