Newsletter N.S.W. Waging Losing Battle On Vandalism

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30085, 20 March 1963, Page 8

Newsletter N.S.W. Waging Losing Battle On Vandalism

[By FRANK PUDDICOMBt, Special CorrupunAmt N.Z.P.A.I SYDNEY. In addition to fighting hooligan gangs, New South Wales is waging a losing battle against a wave of vandalism which is costing the State millions of pounds a year.

Here are three reports from this week's newspapers: Two youths set fire to a carriage of a speeding electric train in the southern suburbs of Sydney. The blaze, which gutted the interior of the carriage, caused damage estimated at thousands of pounds. Vandals set fire to a public school in the suburb of Deceyvilie and damaged other-school property. Child vandals at the northside suburb of Wahroonga desecrated a church and reduced a nearby nursery school to shambles. Child Welfare Department officials say the fight is hopeless because so few vandals are caught. In the cases quoted above, the culprits were not found. An official report released last week covering the year 1960-61 estimated that vandalism to public and private property in New South Wales cost at least £500,000. Now, the figure is believed to be in excess of £2 million. The 1960-61 report said that education department’s loss was £120,000. Investigations carried out by the

Sydney “Doily Telegraph” show tosses in stood of school buildings alone now exceeds £BOO.OOO a yeer. Other large Government services, such ae the P.M.G. and the State railways, are suffering huge annual losses through wilful damage. Two distinct types of vandate plague Sydney. One to the under-priviledged child, often a dullard from a deS reseed industrial area, who i eMUy led into anti-social rampages. The other is the uncontrolled child of relatively wealthy pareTOs who likes to belong to a mob indulging in crime for “kicks.” Nine juvenile guidance teams work in Sydney and Newcastle but they say the amount of constructive work they can do in the antivandalism fight is extremely limited while they have so few youths to work With. The director of School Medical Services, Dr. N. Solomons, ssid much vandalism in Sydney was committed by groups of youngsters, rather than by individuals. “It to a kind of mob psychology.” be said. Dr. Solomons said it had been noticed by the child guidance teams that nearly all apprehended vandals were first offenders. This could only mean that vandals did not repeat the offence once the root of their problem had been discovered and remedied. Dr. Solomons said he could not recall a single instance in the last 18 months of a boy in New South Wales being referred beck to a child guidance clinic. In State Parliament, the Minister for Education (Mr E. Wetherell) urged that police “get tough” with Sydney vandals—along with the hooligans. Hie premier 'Mr Heffroni promised government support for police in an all-out war on hooligans and vandals. * ♦ * £25 For Franchise Because of the growing number of accidents by drivers in the 17-24 age group, a few insurance companies in New South Wales are now making vehicle owners pay the first £25 of motor accident claims if the driver to under 25. Other companies are considering the same step. Of 600 licences suspended by the Department of Motor Transport between September and December last year, 64 per cent was in the 17-24 yeer age group. The biggest insurance body in this State, the National Roads and Motorists Association, (N.R.MA.) has made no decision on adopting the new insurance plan pending the analysis of statistics on the relationship between the sge of drivers and the number of accidents.

If the new plan eoroeg into force, parents and bustoess houses win automattceliy become liable to pay the first £25 If their vehicle te demaged while being driven by someone under 25, Over the years, insurance (><nneni<w m New South WadeT have increased the franchise payable by the owner for accident damage to

hta vehicle first to £5 end then to £lO. One Sydney insurance company to refusing to accept new business if drivers under 25 still paying off their ours do not agree to pay the first £25. It is certain that if the N.R.M.A. adopts the “£25 plan,” the smaller companies will follow suit The NUMA. to one of the largest companies tn the world handling motor vehicle insurance business. Last year its premiums too - led £7.661199—and it finished the yeer with a surplus ot £37,781. * • ♦ Defence Budget That the Federal Government will increase next year’s defence vote to regarded as certain. However, guesses by Canberra correspondents on the size of the increase vary considerably—between £lO million and £35 million. Pressure of events in South-east Asia and public demand for greater internal strength are the reasons for the defence expansion. The Federal Government has been accused of being “tardy” in its awarneas of the weakness of our armed services. Observers here say increased strengths of the three armed services are necessary because of Australia’s growing military and political commitment m the Asian sphere. The growing awareness of danger has already expressed itself in orders for a new guided-miasile destroyer, four new submarines, new transport for the Army, helicopters, and other equipment. It has also prompted the Prime Minister (Sir Robert Menzies) to set up a special defence committee of Cabinet.

The Sydney "Sun’s” Canberra correspondent says the defence budget in the next two years will be directed in particular towards turning the Royal Australian Air Force into a really affective striking force. This envisages a decision to replace the obsolete Canberra bomber with an air* craft of great offensive power, like Britain’s revolutionary new TSR2. The. correspondent also says Australia to moat imlikely to adopt a unified commend defence system on the lines now planned in Britain, in spite of expert advice that it should do so.