YOUNG HOODLUMS

NZ Truth, Issue 1034, 19 September 1925, Page 9

YOUNG HOODLUMS

Six Face Magistrate EMBYRO PUSH GANGS Optimism may be carried to extremes, even m Auckland. After the winter we have had any such statement as "It ain't goin' to rain no mo" would be welcomed, even if not wholly true. Constable Leslie, who was strolling along Ponsonby Road on a recent Sunday evening, did not feel that such a gross mis-statement by a sextet of youngs hoodlums, especially when accompanied by a dance, should be allowed to pass unchallenged. As a consequence he took the names of the young street performers and m peremptory language told them to shut up." 'Walter Lee, Norman Bell, Angelo Astrella, Robert Fraser, Richard Grubb and William Turner as a result made their appearance at the Magistrate s Court on Saturday but showed no disposition to give a rehearsal of their street vaudeville. EMBRYO "PUSHITES." Rather, they wore the innocent expression on their youthful faces of real mammy's boys, and pleaded guilty with the exception of Lee and Fraser' As the P.C. pointed out, these embryo pushites" m their present "grub" stage do no actual damage, but their conduct -is not appreciated m the districts they favor with their company, and, being on the increase, this sort of thing has to be nipped m the bud. Incidentally the push element and cap gangs are making a beginning m Auckland, and this is not the first of many such cases. Sunday is their most popular day for displays, of foolishness arid horse play, which often results m wanton damage. It is a good thing to see that the police have their eye on these misguided youngsters. PROMISE TO REFORM. In observing that it was a pity that these boys cannot find some better way of amusing themselves, Mr. W. R. McKean expressed a sentiment m the minds of a very great many lawabiding people. It was admitted that there was no bad .language, and stated that they were of respectable parentage. But is there no parental control? The Magistrate extracted a promise of good behavior for six months, and adjourned the cases for that period