“MINDS OF VANDALS”

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 November 1939, Page 4

“MINDS OF VANDALS”

THEFTS FROM HIGHWAYS.

fPEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, November 6

The Minister for Public Works (Mr. Semple) announced to-day that the new Plimmerton-Paekakariki deviation along the coast will be open to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays, until the tar-sealing of the remaining stretch is completed. He estimates that, given fine weather, this part of the job should be finished in about three weeks. He asks that in the mean-’ time the travelling public should use the old road over the. hill during week-days, so the work of completing the sealing of the road may be uninterrupted. A feature of the highway from Porirua to the seawall at Paekakariki is the .installation of special reflectors at frequent intervals along both sides of the road. These simple but ingenious devices reflect the headlights of cars at night, and throw them on to the centre of the road, making night driving much easier and safer. The Minister said in. an interview that a sample of one of these had been brought to him from America, and he had. instructed that they should be installed in places where they would; be visible as a guide to motorists. “I am shocked to learn that some persons with destructive and criminal minds have been using hacksaws to cut some' of these reflectors down, for some reason unknown to me or to any other normal person,” said Mr. Semple. “I want to give them a warning that if they are caught we will ask the law to impose the maximum penalty, because these persons are the enemies of motorists. They are also common thieves, with no other purpose in view but to endanger motorists.”

The Minister also had something plain to say about those persons who have been robbing the centre-line of the new road through the Ngahauirange gorge of the pohutukawas that have been planted there to form hedges, with the object of shutting off the glare of lights from approaching traffic. “Some persons who call themselves citizens, but who have the minds of vandals, have been taking the trees out,” he said. “I . want tu give them due notice that officers will be placed on guard, and anyone caught will be exposed. Those' who do it are mischievous creatures, who must have the minds of cave-dwellers.”