DREADED AREA

NZ Truth, Issue 1220, 18 April 1929, Page 3

DREADED AREA

'♦ Dunedin 's Town Belt A Menace COUNCIL~MUST ACT (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Du-iedin Representative).

The shocking, almost hideous, occurrences which recently came as a warning to the female population of Dunedin to avoid, ' after dark, lonely by- walks m the city reserves, are significant of other matters which stride along with a city's progress.

DUNEDIN has always been proud, and rightly so, of its Town Belt — that multi-greened fringe of native bush which wraps the hill-shou.lders of the city, and, as a scenic asset, places Dunedin m the forefront. The long, deep tract of native scrub is but a stone's throw f rona the heart of the city, and its pretty roadways and forest glen Avalks, besides being a popular resort of the leisured visitor, are the only means of access to a large residential area. In and around this area, on a recent evening, three , Dunedin women ' suffered most terrifying and unenviable experiences. . Within a short space of time, each was fiercely attacked by a man who, on subsequent arrest, was committed.

What can be done? It would be preposterous to suggest that the Belt be under-scrubbed or thinned, and for many reasons the idea of complete fencing .is out of the question. The Belt, however, occupies an important area m the city, and if the ethics of civilisation are to guide the progress of Dunedin, "and the bush! reserves are not to develop into a veritable jungle for human wolves, the authorities must take some steps to show they have the moral welfare of the population at heart. In the greater cities of Europe, parks and similar grounds located m a municipality are usually locked at nightfall and patrolled by official

to a mental asylum. One of the victims received a severe mauling. Unhappily, this series of assaults only adds another

bad mark to the Town Belt's already dark record of crime. . Old residents can speak of innumerable instances of all sorts of vile behavior by depraved men, and it is only a few months ago that a youth, unkempt and. very depraved, was living ih the scrub and having food brought, to him by a woman of questionable' character. - With a city's march of progress, scope for crime intensifies the influx of criminal increases, and the moral welfare of the community can be made or marred according to the municipal authorities' attention to environments. A police officer of high rank m Dunedin agrees with "N.Z. Truth's" opinion that ,so long as the Town Belt remains what it is — a large tract of thickly undergrowthed native scrub, generously criss-crossed with . roads and .. by-walks— it will : always be a menace, to the morals of children and the ,safety of girls arid womenfolk.

sunset, and, m co-operation with the police, a municipal employee engaged for the purpose of patrolling the whole area at night. At least, the fact of there being some form of permanent park patrol to supplement the efforts of the overtaxed suburban police, would have a moral effect which would greatly mitigate the ever-present danger of unescorted women being molested. At the same time, it is the duty of the City Council to remember that attention to the lighting of the Belt roads and walks would do much to keep clear from the Belt the type of pest whose corruption winks and scowls at the light. In the meantime, it rests with the male population to adopt a mutual feeling of vigilance against these ghouls of depravity who are lurking m dark corners awaiting their victims.

Fiends At Large

ground-keepers. It is not unreasonable to suggest that gateways to the bush by-walks through the Belt could be locked at