THE PEA RIFLER.

NZ Truth, Issue 58, 28 July 1906, Page 4

THE PEA RIFLER.

In dealing with a number of boys charged with discharging firearms in a public street at Vogeltown, Dr. McArthur, S.M., last Monday, only reiterated what "Truth" has been endeavorin" to hammer into the heads of the authorities for some time. The Magistrate expressed the opinion that the manufacture of pea-rifles oufht to be suppressed. Failing that it should be made an offence to sell these lethal weapons to bovs. The boys in niiesfoion, it seems, became

possessed of a pea-rifle and started blazing away in the main street. Though no damage was attributed to this fusiiade, a horse grazing -in a near-by paddock was wounded. Lack of evidence saved the boys from being charged with injuring the beast, though, as one of the lads has since started to "save up" to pay for the damage, it is pretty safe to assume that at least one is self-conscious of guilt. At different periods all over Australasia, outcries have been raised against xhs. manufacture and sale, especially to youths, of such deadly and erratic weapons as pea-rifles and toT' pistols. The "didn't-know-it-was loaded" idiot everywhere is an individual who occasionally stands a chance of beins: lynched. After all, though he has to take a back seat to the youth or girl, who, on mischief, bent, armed with a pea-rifle or toy pistol, sets out to kill something and too often succeeds in taking human life. The excuse always put forward is that it is hard to realise that a pellet from a pea-rifle or a bullet from a toy pistol mays find its billet in the heart or brain of Some unoffending:, danger-unsuspecting person as is too often the case in those of some laugh-* ing, beloved child. Even though human life has been sacrificed, though serious injury to men and women has been inflicted, though valuable animals have been slaughtered, nothing has been done b^ the Legislature to stop either the manufacture or the importation of these Birmingham or made-in-Germany life-takers. There is an appeal pending in the Supreme Court against a verdict of £500 given against the parents of a boy, who played sad havoc with a Maoni with a pea rifle pellet. Dr. Me Arthur drew a moral from that case for the special behoof of the boys he dealt with. Boys will be boys, and far be it from "Truth" to forget that every man was once a boy— the happiest time of life—but bovs armed with nea-rifles and tov pistols are a mixture of homicide, suicide and every Other kind of side— and 'must be suppressed.