PUBLIC OPINION. NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5584, 17 January 1879, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION.

NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES.

(Otago Daily Times). The ushering in of the New Tear has for the past few years been considered in Dunedin as a suitable occasion for hilarious excitement. No one ought to object to jollity on such an occasion. Play is as necessary a# work. There must, however, be plav and play only. Whatever fun becomes mischief, and jollity brutality, law and order must be vindicated. Whilst willing and anxious to forgive much of the noise and fun that one was made acquainted with on the first day of this year, we must state that the limit was passed, and that a great deal of blackguardism was present. * * * « * The only way to stop blackguardism is to deal firmly with it, by making those who are guilty of it feel that there is no fun or joke in breaking jthe law. Indeed, we think that no fireworks even should be permitted in the main streets. But had there been simply fireworks, and even flour distributed sueh action might have been overlooked. What was done far exceeded these, and we call upon the police and the magistrates to see that the law is vindicated. Larrikinism grows by too mild treatment. Let it be seen that those who wantonly attack unoffending citizens and destroy property will be imprisoned, and larrikinism will become unknown. If the police are powerless, as they were on New Tear’s morning, steps must be taken to strengthen their hands. Special constables must be sworn in. Nothing will sully the fair fame of a Colony sooner than the fact that crime, even in its first buddings, can go unpunished, ami that law and order are not respected. As there are, we believe, some cases pending, we do not care to descend into particulars, but we do trust that the law will be vindicated in a way that will teach rowdies and larrikins a useful lesson.