The Oamaru Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1910.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10417, 1 April 1910, Page 3

The Oamaru Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1910.

R-KCENT deaths through the accident :il discharge ill' pen ritV;, The Pea RiflP, hit reminders <il' Ihe Peril. efforts wliicli have, I rom time l;> lir.ic. been pill f'nrlli ill tin- Legislature to coiubaL the danger. There is always a. reluctance In «-irr-uin>-<-ri(»c* (lie liberties of youths lost their independence, manhood, ;ii)d courage be sapped. Ilestraiul must lie applied judiciously in the treatment of boys lest ofl'omiii.-cy may be engendered. 'l'liis was Ibe view adopted by a seel ion of (Ik- Legislature when tin- subject- was last brought before it. 'l'hey would impose no restraint and argued that il was wrong to pioveni boys from using lirearms, so thai limy might become experts ill (lie use of Ibe rill'- and enjoy that, wholetome s|.nrl for whi-h devoting Australasian yearns. Tie' result was that it was impossible to secure the passing ol legislation drastic enough ln meet til" sit.uat ion ; but it was, nevertheless, provided that no person should sell firearms or any hind of ammunition to any person under l(> years of age. and thai no person under that- ;iy should have a firearm or ammunition in, his possession. For these offences a penally not. exceeding CIO was provided. It also provided thatthe lirearnis were to be seized bv the Grown. So that- l{. M' Ural ucy '(a Lied ]1 years) who was in possession of the pea rille which caused the death of Hie bov Fisher, is liable to a pelialtv up to £lO for the payment of whi.'h his father would be responsible. A verdict was returned by the Coroner "Thatdeceased died from general peritonitis caused by a bullet wound, Ibe result of an accidental discharge of a pea rifle." M'.Hrntney was accompanied by another boy (M'Corkindalo. aged 13) and the deceased boy, Fisher, pro- \ ided the ammunition, for iWTinitnoy bad none, though he had the riHe. M'Mratney's father told the Coroner thai be did not know his son had a pea. rifle and that be had cautioned him not to use one. The single deadly weapon was being used freely by die three boys as though it was as harmless as a. candy stick, and, apparently, each of them was going to tiro a I a rabbit's head, which Fisher had got ready, when the rifle, which was taken off the ground by M'Bratnoy on intimation being given by Fisher that he was at liberty to fire, went off promiscuously and shot Fisher. It is probable that the two survivors of this pathetic misadventure will have learned a lesson that will make them more careful in their handling of firearms ; but it is a pity that their lesson in discretion should have cost so much. Of course such young boys could not hi- expected to consider the peril of carelessly handling a firearm, which, after all. was only a small and innocent looking pea rifle, and it is only rigljl: for the sake of the public safety that parents should be made responsible for possession by their children of a weapon which constitutes a public danger. There is just as much laxity on (he part of parents in regard to the use of lirearnis by their children as there is in many other things, such as parading the streets at late hours and loitering wantonly to their own demoralisation and the annoyance of the public ; though we are pleased to be able io testify that these blots on our own lit tie' community are uiiieh less conspicuous than they once wore. It is useless for the Legislature to decree that boys shall not use firearms and for parents to utter warnings aganist a habit as dangerous to themselves as it is to others. All such endeavors to cope with this evil, or any other, will 1." futile fill parents, realise (bat there can be no control that, does not spring from careful training at all limes.