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Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 523, 4 January 1878, Page 2

Thk shooting and wounding case heard yesterday in the Resident Magistrate's Court I Tings f.nvtbly under <>nr notice t.hg fallacy of allowing careless boys to become possessed of firearms, and-"clearly points to the wecessity of something beiug done

with regard to our cadet corps. We have no intention of referring to the merits of the case, which has now been sent to a higher Court to decide, though a great deal might perhaps be said on the subject. Our present purpose is to endeavour to have some system adopted whereby the evils arising from small boys being entrusted with firearms would be mitigated. It is really astonishing that, under the present system, accidents are not of more frequent occurrence, and that, long ere this, it has not become the duty of tbe Press to chronicle some serious catastrophe. It is, in this Colony, no infrequent sight to witness boys not many moons '-'breeched" walking through the streets labouring under the weight of a Government carbine. Mere children arc allowed to have full charge of firearms to sport with, and to what extent they may do so is not known, it may be urged that, so long as they are debarred from having ammunition, there is no danger : but "there is the rub." Boys can, will, and do obtain ammunition, if not by one means, by some other. Nothing is more congenial to the tastes of boys than to play with all manner of dangerous weapons, and nothing more than with the most dangerous of all firearms. We have no desire to sec any obstacles put in the way of boys receiving a military training. Far be it from us to even hint at such a thing; for nothing can be of greater advautage to a young country, or tend more to promote its future glory, than the training of the rising generation to properly handle the weapons of warfare. The drilling of boys is also an undeniable benefit to them, as it instils into their breasts a feeling of military ardpni*, and renders then 1 , more fit to do battle on behalf of their country, should the necessity arise in the future. But some restriction should be placed upon their use of firearms. What we would suggest is that an arrangement should be made whereby cadets should be necessitated to leave their carbines in the care of some competent officer and in some place of security. The matter is one in which tho Government, through the commanding officers of districts, mightwell interfere. There need be little trouble in carrying out the suggestion we have made. It would be an easy matter to have an arm-rack erected in drill-sheds, wherein every lad should be compelled to place his carbine at the close of every parade, only to be removed by them when under tho charge of some, responsible officer. Some difficulty might be experienced in regard to the cleaning of the carbines, but surely a means might be devised of getting over that. The expense and trouble consequent upon the adoption of such a course would be trilling as compared with the amount of security it would afford against the occurrence of accidents arising from the free use of tirearms by careless and inexperienced boys.