CAR-CONVERTING PENALTIES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 87, 9 October 1935, Page 10

CAR-CONVERTING PENALTIES

He who increases knowledge increases sorrow, and he who increases wealth increases crime. In a simple state of society, only a limited num-i ber of tilings are worth stealing, because simple society does not possess much movable wealth; in many parts of Africa the only movable wealth was the people themselves,, hence the slave trade. But as civilisation climbs upward, the number of handy things that can be taken away increases, and Shakespeare's "snapper of unconsidered trifles" finds a lucrative trade. Horses and cattle are- movable wealth, as every border thief once knew; but civilisa-l tion did not produce perfect material'for. thieves .'until it produced fast motor-cars complete with every comfort and parked them in the streets. Realising that it had done a novel and daring thing, civilisation hesitated and began to tinker -with the laws. A horse thief is a horse thief, but a man who takes a much more costly and dangerous article merely "converts" it, and the penalties on "converters".have been rather mild. This attitude of leniency the new Police Offences Amendment Bill pr,oposes to put an end to so far as penalties are concerned; and, if it passes, the converter may meet with, far severer punishment than is permitted at present. The stiffening of the penalties is not before its time; possibly it is overdue. The existing penalties are insufficient deterrent as regards the crime of converting, and indirectly help to promote other crimes. Possibly "converting" of cars will continue to be easy, but the consequences will not.