CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 79, 1 April 1908, Page 5

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

TWEX.VE STROKES WITH A BIRCH ROD. JUVENILE CRIME MUST BE \ DETERRED. The two lads w_o were convicted last week of boarding two or three motor yachts anchored in Mechanics' Bay, breaking into the cabins, perpetrating mischief of one sort and another to the extent of between £6 and £7, and ending up. with transporting all available benzine to the launch Rawa, came before Mr. Kettle, S.M., at the Police Court this morning for sentence. A fishing cruise -was the prime object of the mischievous pair, and the unfortunate Rawa was turned into a sad looking little hooker through the vain but strenuous efforts of the two self-constituted engineers to make the machinery work— an overturned tin of graphite, the turning on of the benzine tap, and other incidentals to the opening of this proposed fishing excursion on the informally borrowed launch, all contributing to the rapid fall of the little craft from the' virtue of trimness. • When the matter came, up this morning, Mr. Singer, who appeared for the boys' parents, said that reparation would be made for . all damage done, and he further suggested a thorough birching as an excellent corrective for the lads. Mr. Kettle agreed that a whipping was the best thing that could be done for the boys under the circumstances. It was the first time he had ordered such a punishment, and he greatly regretted having to make a start; but juvenile crime was becoming so frequent that it was imperative that rigorous steps should be ta_en to deter it. Things were going so far with young people in the Dominion that unless the Courts resorted to some more drastic methods, crime would become alarmingly common. The boys in the present case were lads of respectable parentage, and with nothing previously against them, commitment to an industrial school was not in his opinion a desirable remedy under such circumstances. The order of the Court would be that each of the boys receive twelve strokes with a birch rod, delivered by a constable in the presence, if so desired, of the boys' parents or guardians. So many young people had been before the Court for various offences during the last few weeks, went en his Worship, that the. time had arrived when whipping seemed to be the only suitable remedy, and if that were not effective they must try something else.

Mr. Kettle then instanced once more the urgent and almost absolute necessity >tfa police launch for the Auckland Hart>»ir. Not only was it required for guarding vessels lying in port and for ever ready assistance in the event of accident, but equally for the protection of the harbour regulations and for the better security of those who have property anchored in the water, said his Worship.