THE VALUE OF REFERENCES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 231, 23 June 1908, Page 11

THE VALUE OF REFERENCES.

' Judge-Docker,' of New South Wales, has : frequently/drawn attention to tho indiscriminato .maimer in which references as to char-: actor are distributed, apparently without any . attempt-..being . made to verify the statements niado therein. At tho end of.a case, at.tho Quarter Sessions in Sydney tho other morning His Honour made some very pointed remarks on-the subjcct. A young man.who,had pleaded.guilty to breaking and entering.;was. brought up for sentence, and; various.letters of reference wcje handed up to lis to his-good qualities. "I : ticeV' said'tlie-Judge, ''that soveral of these references wore " writton ' "since you 'were' charged, . and by persons who must have known that you intended to guilty. It is, grossly unfair of people to do this, and it really amounts to a fraud on tho public.' It'is only ..right that,-you should try to get, employment, and that your friends should assist you in the-endeavour, but not in this way. You are represented in ono letter as being 'honest, upright, and woll-oonductod, and -warranted to givo satisfaction to your employer.' Another letter, dated a month after the' offonco was committed, recommends you as 'an honest and reputablo lad.' I am at all suro that if a person employed you on tho-strength of these references,, and you then robbod him, that the people who made suoh statements would not bo adjudged guilty of fraud. I am sorry to sco that one ofVtlieso letters was written by a priest." His Honour ooncluded by saying that in tho oircumstanoes hn would not hand , back tho references, as tho.v might be calculated to deceivo peoplo. . Tho reforencos wore then destroyed.