"CONVICTED AND DISCHARGED."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXiX, Issue 7729, 24 February 1909, Page 4

"CONVICTED AND DISCHARGED."

To the Editor. Sir, —"Ozone" is very angry with his Worship the Mayor (Mr Henry Davis) for the reason that a fine was inflicted on a dainty maiden cyclist of five shillings and costs, then that a poor misguided selfish specimen of humanity was convicted and discharged. It is on record that a son of his Worship and another connection of his family were each fined by him ten shillings and costs seven shillings each, one for cycling on the footpath and the other one for riding a bicycle without a light. What just cause has "Ozone" for his assertion that his specimen of selfish humanity is selfish. No doubt he is a poor fool working from daylight to dark for weeks for a small cheque, which he uses injndicially as most fools of his class do —selfish only to themselves, and more to he pitied than blamed. Thomas Holmes, the well-known missionary, when addressing a meeting of the Therapeutic Society at Caxton Hall recently made an admirable suggestion on the subject of fines for offenders. Primarily the object of a fine is to obviate the necessity for sending an offender to prison while meting out a due measure of punishment. The unfortunate part of this system, however, is that while a fine means a temporary inconvenience to the pocket of one man it means just the same as imprisonment to another who has neither the money to pay with nor friends to raise it for him. As « result hundreds have to go to prison, m default of finding a few shillings. When a man goes to prison m default of paying his n'no he becomes at once a cost to the rates, so that though be is undergoing punishment tho ratepayers are virtually paying the fine for him. In minor offences Mr Holmes advocated small fines without imprisonment and even the payment of fines on an instalment system. (Jjocal justices well know from the aavice of the police the position of every delinquent brought before them. Then is it not advisable when a casual drunken visitor is brought before the Court with only a few shillings m his pocket to convict and discharge and allow him to go on his way, than to burden the ratepayers with his cost and the lock-up with his presence?! Even tho disgrace of appearance m I Court is sufficient punishment for many men. The action of the Mayor is justified and "Ozone" should temj per his opinion of his views of justice with mercy. PECULIAR PRINCIPLE.