POLICE OFFICIOUSNESS. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6232, 1 February 1882, Page 4

POLICE OFFICIOUSNESS. TO THE EDITOR.

, ,SrR»"" *K&. astonishing, how circumstances alter xases. Now I am a: shopkeeper in the Arcade, where I have carried on business for a number or years, and,' Sir, the street boys are not only, the plague' of my .life, but a very serious and .expensive nuisance into the bargain.: borne time. since a. boy broke a window which would cost me £2 to. replace, and what was my remedy ?,' .".'':■'.'■ In place of blaming' the police, in common with every, shopkeeper; in .the Arcade I think teT y *« - VT^ e > and very far ; from being top officious; they are'if anything a little too lax.: But then perhaps "Indignant" is not a jshopkeeper, .'and may think it fine tun to, strike those who/cannot defend themselves.—lam, &c,;.'".'" '.:..:

A. S. Levy.

January 30th. '

. TOTHE EDITOB. Sib,—Whatever may have been the nature of my remarks regarding the apprehension of the xittle boy for the atrocious offence of throwing a ball accidentally on to the roof of a ™™J? dah and one of the posts to fetch it down, I cannot discover in them any approach to the infliction of "miserable ideas " confined myself to a mere narratiSn of facts, and/if these be "miserable ideas," then the ignonunyfalls, not on the relator, but uponthe perpetrators of the heroic deed.. When taking note of what came under my own observation and making it .-public, T was perfectly aware that the men of whom I wrote were not supposed to reply through the Press,- but I was at the same . time not, ignorant of: their custom, .nor of , the, host ; of misguided champions ready toi reply for them.- Nor is this the first time.that I have observed most uncalled : for and.,injudicious interference^ the part of policemen. Not long a°-o, in .one. of. our streets, two policemen wer4 seen about midway between where two men were amusing .themselves: in. a street', scuffle,; and wheretwo little childi-en were letting off a few. crackers. ; ,The. "guardians of our * lives.' and,property," not seeing the,men in theirrude exercise,.were quickly,ontheir= way to-take-th^names of the.criminals of infantile years. ...The children had to-answer for their amusement.whue the adult pugilists were unmolested., Last November my own littiebov of .vfi. v?.Tears happened to let off.» cracker within *our. own enclosure, just as a valorous guardian was passing, who, stretching himself ?Ye ? ,the fence, saw the child was not quite the prescribed distance irom the street, and callinsr h™. |9Pk- his -name, and .when remonstrated h.^^Pechild's mother, the courteous official informed her that by this interference she to a. penalty of £1& Instances,: of imprudent police,.interference might be multiplied indefinitely; while, on the other hand, cmne,stalking.in the daylight and wnked atbythe same men, isno less plentiful; an.d :^st -be. noticed by every.citkaa who obt serves^hat is, passing around him. ; And are we;to,submit^ to; aU.this^y because these men have not "the right»J o endeavour to justify themselves ftwiugh the Press. : .- : i«e charitable msinuations of " Fairulav" area sufficient evidence of, his character "and as he challenges me topast off TO y norn deplume, 1 sbo^d at ;once : have done. so.had he nob chosen the same style, of. a'gftature. My experience among .the of Dunedin is not mtonsiderable, having, taken an active part in their moral.training.^for many years, in more than one,capacity;,and,my;name is not unknownintUePressmthat connection. That there is, a;very great .amount of ; larrikinisin among;our boys I regretto /acknowledge, nor would any.citizen b e more pleased to see It judiciously .suppressed.: ,1 quite agree with regard, to tlie encouragement which^the police are de-serving of ia their efforts in that direction, but Jet them act with a careful, discrimination between acts of innocent amusement and those of wanton rowdyism, and they will command ,the spontaneous support they require.—l am, &c., ,4M»ori.

Indignant.

Janu,aryr3:ts>.;

,: ;; . v : DEEDGiisfeK ; : .;.:■' S7^'~^couldnQt ebnceive that there wag such an ignorant leftin Dunedin as « ArUs " who vrntes «h the above subject in to-Sav's M"%»» Alt*■*»<*"s*** would advise hL to lease.-the cockle-banks,and turn cockle

rtp TT T no ,doubt very wise in advising SfeEw*T • °ard n°t t0make aQymistakes! rt JHmW I?'Y^ I "™.■«nd does not know SakSS^ ■<io^ little else; but '»->» - _ "Argus", makes one of the greatest mistakes possible if he thinks of fillinl in Deborah A^l'"m^^ the man must be demented -. it; would- take more money to fill in ttxat bay than ;has !been sgent in th™ Upper -■ lUarbpur^Argus''.appears. noVtb-knoVv-itfiac' the new dTßdgS&rtended f« deep dredging only and h^. : tc^akevaU tbe cargo of <&m* sea. thlbryis only just a,..repetition. of former .mistakes-he does not appear to,.know that the more deb-k Is taken ftutside^altogether, the better will tho flow of. water be to assist the cliannel in clearing itself .—I am," &0.,, . : ! : . ■

x> -i ml i :" : t Anglo-American. Port Qh^irftesraj January 3lßt. :