WHOLESALE THIEVING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 50, 28 February 1923, Page 11

WHOLESALE THIEVING.

FAMILY PLEADS POVERTY. MAGISTRATE NOT CONVINCED. (By Telegraph.—rress Association.) CHRISTCHCR( H, Tuesday. Fatcnt shoes, with high heels, silk stockings, two rubber dolls, a bottle oi shampoo, and other things of similar sort, were arranged on the desk at the Magistrate's Court to-day. They were the spoil of a shop-lifting expedition, two young men and Ttiree women being called to answer charges in connection therewith.

The party, which consisted of a mother, her two sons, l.cr younger sister, and another young woman, had descended on drapery establishments in the city. The reason assigned for the offences was poverty. All the accused pleaded guilty.

After hearing evidence the magistrate said: "I should be very sorry to learn that things are so bad in Christchurch and Lyttelton that people become so poor that, through their poverty, they leel they have no other recourse but to steal. I can quite understand that in certain circumstances that do not apply so much in New Zealand poverty may lead to theft of foodstuffs. I should be very sorry to hear that reason advanced for thefts of this kind. For instance, what has shampoo to do with poverty, unless such an article be for selling? Again there is a lady's companion among the articles stolen. The accused will be remanded for one week for a report by the probation officer."