A SOMEWHAT grandiose response to my letter appeared May 10 from Peter Johnston.

No answers, just a presumption that his research at Manchester University Library is correct.

He quotes that the school system began in 1870, yet a Chief Constable, Mr Caminada, was needed 15 years later to clean up crime.

Any new system needs time, just as ending corporal punishment, discipline, respect etc, took time.

He adds "the school system cannot make up for deficiencies in parenting, most will agree, schools can only operate in any area discipline to the 3Rs, with parent support, with the ending of CP etc children grew up seeing no need to behave, and brought up their own children accordingly.

Aided by the 'anti-this-and-that' groups they became untouchable, yet free to wreak havoc. Fortunately, they are in a minority, though with each generation, they grow in number."

As to Mr Johnston's claim that such as myself "constructed a mythical golden age" around CP, what is remembered is an absence of pictures of beaten-up and dead OAPs, increasing under-age pregnancies, endless violence and vandalism, etc., and probably one of the sickest yet -- a 22-year-old man living with a 12-year-old girl and the police can't do a thing about it because the 'anti-groups' have had the law changed to protect the guilty -- and these people claim to be PROTECTING children.

I'm far from being right-wing, Mr Johnston, yet anything is better than being looney, crazy left-wing.

He goes on to say "perhaps we should be taking a few hints from Mr Caminada." Does he really believe the police of 1895 operated under the severe restrictions of today's police! I doubt that criminals then were given the kid-glove treatment.

We will always have criminals and crime, with or without CP, but at least CP - a deterrent - kept the numbers down. Also the teaching of discipline, respect and right from wrong kept children on the right track. Now we try everything to curb the problem, while ignoring the cure -- not unlike dabbing iodine on to a broken limb then, six months later, wondering why it did not work.

We were once a fairly well-respected nation. Now, over the last 15 to 20 years, we are known as lager-louts and hooligans. Something was obviously working pre-1980, Mr Johnston. Both the anti-social and anti-everything groups are in a minority, yet both are allowed to impose lunacy and mayhem on the majority.

Geoff Pollitt

Towers Avenue

Deane