SOCIAL QUESTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 138, 10 June 1905, Page 6

SOCIAL QUESTIONS.

PREMIER REPLIES TO DEPUTA-[( TIOXS. (Bt Telegraph. —Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHUKCH, this day. j] In reply to a deputation of social re- j ( formers who waited on him yesterday.'] the Premier said that the Government ■ ( intended to take- action which he hoped , would have preventive effect in connec-l, tion with v crime that had lately been much discussed in the newspapers. He' , j thought the law was defective. He hadj-j i every reason to lielieve that the case j. ; brought to light T. E. Taylor was' , not an isolated case. It was the duty of i 1 i the Government to perfect the law. and ; make, it much more effective. In respect 1 ' :to thai question New' Zealand was lv- i hind the English law. It was a matter ; iof little moment whether legislation was ' i introduced privately or by the Govern- : ment. but tto? quickest was for the Mm- < ! ister for Justice, to introduce legislation i Jas soon as Parliament met. In respect i Ito other matters, he thought something 1 should be alone. He hesitated in making i the laws too drastic, but there should be provision to deal with those matters. jHe was prepared to allow discretionary, I power with 1 lie Ki?nch. There were cases when? on :i second ofi'enc-c only imprisonment in<H the case, hut there were! others where the magistrate might use.' j his discretion. He had long felt that the. sending of young people to gaol was a, great mistake. In all the orisons there should be provision for proper classifica-i I tion. Youths of ten went to gaol, and I then" began a career of crime. It. was ] likely that some children if sent to in-, dustrial schools would contaminate 1 •others in cases where the character was! jso far gone as to leave a baneful effeci • on other children. There should be an ' institution severer than the industrial '■ school, but not so severe as the- gaol, so that those young people could be educat- ' c<l and weaned from a life of crime. He ' would consult tlv Minister of Justice, ' and sec if sour' , rteps could not bo token ' in the direction desired. A home for ''de- j • feetives" had been established in Nelson. He hoped that it would be In work- ' ing order soon. Mr. Ell and other raem- ! hers hail repeatedly urged the matter on • Parliament. There had been some difiieulty in regard to selection, but it was a • go-.;<! work. :ip»l should Is? continued. In \ ngiinl to ghing powers to judges and 'magistrates, as suggested, he knew that ■ then , were numbers of people who at- ; trnded Court* when what they culled a "Vpicj"' case wa> to be heard. There i would be no lor> to anyone, and no fear of injustice being done if such people I were ft?nt out of the Courts. The judges 'land magistrates should be allowed to 'order out of < ourt all people under 21 *l years of age.