CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 205, 27 August 1912, Page 8

CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

(To the Editor.) Sh-, — your issue of the 24th August under the heading as above, the promised statement regaiding the prevalence ol crane in the Auckland district was given by the Minister for Justice, in answei to Mir. Myers' question as raised by him on the floor of the House. The Minis ter read a menjorand>_m on the subject by the Commissioner. Amongst othei things, tne memorandum states: "There are undesirables who follow gum-digging coal and go.d mining, sawmilling, and b_sh_ell'ng, for a time, and at othei times become -criminals." Now, I pro pose only to deal -with that portion ol 1 the Commissioner's report which deal* with the sawmill and bush workers. Al ' the outset I wish to state that I cer \ tai-lv disagree with, and take exceptior ' to, t!/e stigma, olaced upon the aawmil and bush workers, as contained in the I Commissioner's report. Any person ill! conversant with the conditions of life o the sawmill and bush workers woalc ■ naturally (after reading the Commis Burner's report) arrive at the condiwior that a great percentage of the said work ' ers were not fit to be at large. Then is no denying the fact that Aucklanc . has enjoyed an unenviable reputation foi having a largsr rumber of prisoners foi ' , trial at its quarterly sittings than anj other centre in the Dominion. Ther .are many reasons for this; why th.n -should the "ommissioner single out saw ' mill and bush workers, coal and goi-: 1 -miners? lam ready to admit that thi ! workers named form a large proper " of the population of the Auckland dis trict, but at tne same time am pre - pa led to challenge any pa-yin to provi t thai sawmill and bash worke**-i on 1 greater offend*-**- against the laws o f the land thj.il a.t_r other section of work 3 err. That »a in proportion to the -i ire . here engaged ir the industrieslawyers doctors, and commercial men include-!.— , I am, etc. EDWARD PHiRfAN, „ i Secretary Timber \V<__e_3' Union.