AUCKLAND VINDICATED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 196, 18 August 1913, Page 5

AUCKLAND VINDICATED.

NOT MOST CRIMINAL PROVINCE REMARKS BY MR. JUSTICE COOPEBIn delivering his charge to the Grand Jutv at the Auckland Supreme Court .—lis morning, Mr Justice Cooper said he regretted the amount of serious crime as disclosed by the list of indict—lents, but he wanted to say that it was not reasonable to suppose that Auckland was the most criminal city in New Zea.----1 land. The province was exceedingly | wide and large, extending from the North Head to Taupo, with many large centres of population and industrial activity, and it was not surprising, though regrettable, that the charges of crime investigated at the Auckland Court every quarterly session appeared to he laTger than in the other centres. Auckland was a much bigger district and more populous, with a -lore casual class of population, and closely in touch -with Australia and America, with criminal- from other countries landing here. In justice to the district, his Honor added that it wss not treasonable to say, under the circumstance-, that because there was a larger number of cases at each session in Auckland than at other centres, that Auckland was necessarily possessed of the largest proportion of criminals. ir i say that in justice to the province of Auckland," concluded his Honor. —