THE Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily. FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1914. THE DEPREDATORS.

Northern Advocate, 24 April 1914, Page 6

THE Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1914. THE DEPREDATORS.

REGISTERED FOR TRANSMISSION THROUGH THE POST AS A NEWSPAPER

Having within easy reach one of the safest and most charming harbours in New Zealand, the town dwellers of Whangarei may be said to be singularly favoured, and that they appreciate the natural facilities at hand has its proof in the numerous excursions and picnics, both public and private, which are organised during seven or eight months of every ye&r. Almost anywhere from Manganese Point to the southern promontory of Tauri Kura Bay the townspeople have been fully privileged to make rendezvous amid surroundings ideally picturesque,

The pleasant practice has been in vogue so long and so unhindered that people are apt to forget the courtesy and kindness of property owners which enables holidaymakers to indulge in" camping and picnic enjoyment, and to look upon the facilities afforded as theirs by right. No more pitality can be imagined extended by the owners hour shore properties, and it is a poor enough return that this kind? ness is accepted just as a matter of course, without acknowledgment or thanks of any kind. Indebtedness to the Parua Bay and Heads residents for the privileges accorded seldom occurs to the minds of excursionists';.'.otherwise there would be better recognition and greater respect of the advantages. Tacit ingratitude is bad enough, but when ingratitude goes to the length of abusing good nature and playing havoc with properties the visitors cannot; be surprised if they are denied opportunities to which they have been accustomed for many years : ' past. Time and again. attention has been called to the carelessness and indifference which' have left a littered defacement of estates and destruction of trees in their train, and worse still, to'wanton, vandalism. Years ago the (then) picturesque Calliope Island was laid waste by incendiarism, and quite recently the appearance, of Motukaroro (Aubrey's) Island-was irretrievably ruined in a similar way. The other day a resident's garden at the Nook was ravaged,' ransacked from end to end, and left bare of all its produce.' Sntall wonder that the open-handedness of property owners, outraged in these ways, has at length reached, its limits. When the Harbour Board allowed the sub-letting of its reserve at the southern end of Aubrey's Mountain to the freezing works company there was an outcry that the buildings would be a blot on the landscape, and we cannot say that they have improved the aspect of nature, but the company gave an' assurance that the area would always be open to the public. That concession is now likely to be withdrawn, for the reason that inconsequent lighting of fires by picnickers is a menace to the premises.' With the probability of visitors being . also.denied access to the Nook two of the most popular harbour resorts will no longer be available, and there is more than a chance that other places .will follow suit, until in the course of ' time the whole of the Heads becomes a strict preserve. Unfortunately it is hard to lay hands on the culprits, and' more than' regrettable that the lhany should be included in common condemnation because of the few, but unless some of the depredators are laid by the heels and fittingly and excursionists generally show stricter regard for the' interests of their l:osts, we are in a. fair way to lose all use of one of the best holiday outlets that the district possesses.