The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1896.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 27, 1 February 1896, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1896.

For tli« oauae that lacks asafstasco, Sar tlie wrsug Skat Beods roaistuuao, Tar tie tature in the disUncn. Aid ths £sod tkat vr» can at.

There are times when we do nob feel disposed to congratulate ourselves on the advance Auckland is making, and the present is one of them- Before us is the annual return prepared by the police, showing the number and nature of offence committed in the Auckland police district during 1895. Thia chapter in the criminal history of tho colony shows no signa of becoming shorter. On the contrary, it is considerably longer. During the twelve months recently ended, fcho number of oflencea reported by police officers was 173 in excess of the number reported in 1894, or 2,987 against 2,814. At tho first glance this increase would indicate that as a community we were advancing somewhafc too rapidly in tho path of crime, but thore is another explanation that to some exbe'nb, ab least, saves us from euch a very undesirable reputation. It may be thab the additions to the criminal category of the year do nofc altogether indicato an increase in the actual number of wrong doers, bub aro due to increaced vigilance on the part of the police. If that is the case we have cause to be gratified, tor wo have an assurance that our interests are being much better guarded, and offenders more surely broughb to book, than used to- be fche case. We do noo know which view the police tako of the matter. The latter view would certainly eeetn more complimentary to their present vigilance, and for that reason they might adopt ib, but we have noticed thab policeman generally are somewbab sceptical about the perfectibility of human nature, and are little inclined to believe thab offences are diminishing. Their experience certainly has a great) deal to do with their convictions in thia respect, and perhaps, too, the knowledge that less crime means fewer policemen, influences their opinion to some degree. Although as Madame, Nocker used to say, " how enormous appear the crimes we have not committed," wo are happy to say thab the moat serious class of offences do nofc bulk largely in the returns before us. Yet, as will bs seen from the figures, there are increases in departments of crime where, granting thab we cannot escape an augmentation of the catalogue of ofiences, we would gladly have seen a decrease ab the expense of some other department). The increases aro as follows :—Common assaults, 16 ; indecent assault, 1 ; causing bodily harm, 5 ; assaults on police, 5 ; burglary, 5 ; abduction, 2; procuring abortion, 1 ; abusivo and threatening language, 4 ; bankruptcy offences, 4; begging, 2; beaatialiby 1; having possession of house-breaking implements, 2 ; burglary and house breaking, G ; uttering counterfeit coin, 9; cruelty to animals, 14; cruelty to children, 5; deserting and failing to provide for wives, children and relatives, 49; deserters and stragglers from the navy, 27; disorderly and riotous conduct, 27; discharging firearms in public, 2; dissuading witness from giving evidence, 1 ; disturbing public meetings and congregations, 5; drunkenness, 48; escaping from asylums, 2; forcible entry, 4 ; furious riding and driving, 10 ; gaming offences, 7 ; indecent exposure, 5 ; manslaughter, 1 ; murder, 1 ; attempted murder, 1 ; neglected and criminal children, 10; obscene and profane language, 33; perjury, 7; loitering about prisons, 1 ; abtomptod rape. 3 ; receiving stolen property, 7 ; sacrilege, 1 ; sbone throwing, 9; stowing away in ships, 1 ; thefb, 10 ; theft) as a bailee, 10: the'fb of cattle and horses, 2 ; theft of sheep, 4 ; theft from dwellings, 27 ; thefb from the person, 15; trespass, 13; vagrancy 8. Against these increases we have now to place the decreases before we can arrive afc the total neb increase which as wo hate stated is 173. The principal doparbmeute in which a diminution of offences is reportod aro as follows: — Arson, 5; assaulb and robbery, 12; breaches of the peace, 43 ; cattle maiming,

4 ; conspiring to defraud, 3; cutting and wounding 2 ; disobeying orders of.Court), 45 ; false pretences, 13 -/keeping disorderly house?, 5 ; lunacy 10 ; roaltcjous injury to property, 24; obstructing and resisting police, 31 ; attempted suicido, 6; bhefb of post letters 2. The total number of persons arrested or summoned lor the year 1895 was 2,353 against 2,265 in 1894. Among the increases, drunkenness occupies a prominent place. The increase in this offence waa 48, large enough if we consider the efforts of the various temperanco organisations, aided by the Government, to grapple with t.hia evil. Bufc, as we remarked in reference to the riss ia tho number of offences generally which were reported, one cannot tell how much this particular increase is duo to greater stringency on the parb of the police. There is an alarming increase visible in the number of cases of desertion of wives p.nd children and failing to provide for the Game. Indeed, this offence shows fcho largest increase of any in the report, proving that there is great need for the authorities to inquire into the matter. Ib appears that in the colonies here men are becoming more regardless than ever of their responsibilities to their wives and children. They leave them in absolute poverty, whUethey.witb the utmost callousness depart for pasfcuro show. The 'worst of it is that ib is almost impossible for the law to reach the blackguards : bufc when it does get at them ib should make an example of a few, and legislation is much needed to make it more difficult for the delinquents bo shunb their reeponsibilitiea ou to the community. We notice an increase of 33 cases in the matter of obscene and profane language, an increase of 14 cases under cruelty to ■animals, and of 5 cases under cruelty to children. These are all to be exceedingly deplored. Ib is pleasant to turn from these items in tho report to those that show a decrease. In Borne respects at lease we appear to have bacomo more law abiding. There ia not the same chance of our houses being burned down or our parsouo attacked and robbed as there v/as, to judge by the figures published. In 1895 the number of cases of arson decreased by 5, and of assault and robbery by 12. Breaches of the peace declined by 43, and malicious injuries to property by 24, while thero were 31 cases fewer than in tho previous year of persons disturbing and resisting the police. Oue very gratifying decrease is that under the heading of attempted suicide. In 1894, the number of those who aoughfo their own lives was alarmingly on the increase. Now, perhaps owiug to an improved state of trade, people aro taking a more hopeful view of life.