MOTOR THEFTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 253, 26 October 1933, Page 8

MOTOR THEFTS.

PENALTY TOO LIGHT.

HEAVY LOSS SHOWN.

DISSATISFACTION WITH UW.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)'

WELLINGTON', this day.

Profound regret at the statement by the. Minister, of Justice that the existing law relating .to motor car conversions appeared to prescribe adequately deterrent punishment, and that -what was required was more vigorous ■ application of the existing penalties, was expressed to-day by Mr.. O'Callaglian and Mr. Johnston, the respective presidents ■of the North and' South Island Motor Unions. It was laid down by the canons of punishment, they stated, that the maximum penalty was provided for worst cases only of a particular class of offence. Therefore it seemed that magistrates could not be blamed if they inflicted, as a general rule, penalties well below the maximum fixed in the Aet, : because -Parliament, as the Police Offences Act indicated, did not regard conversion of a motor car as a serious offence when it fixed the maximum penalty for stealing a car at three, months, while the maximum for stealing a dog remained at three years. They interpreted the Minister as meaning that a person of 25 years committing an offence was liable to a; maximum of three months, whereas a man of 23 and under was. liable to three years. *We motorists feel that such propositions 'as these bring the law into disrepute," they added. <'Tlie figures show that the conversions definitely are increasing. During the last five years motor vehicles to a .value of £400,000 [have been stolen, and,scores of pounds' worth of damage has been done to vehicles. Heavy expense has been .incurred in recovering property and vast inconvenience has been suffered." They considered the offence would not be stamped out until the law took a more serious view of it. •