THE MOTOR THIEF

Evening Star, Issue 19583, 15 June 1927, Page 10

THE MOTOR THIEF

OTAGO MOTOR CLUB’S REMIT SEVERE PENALTIES URGED That the members of the Otago Motor Club have been goaded beyond all patience by tbo senes of car thefts which have occurred recently was proved last evening at n meeting held in the club's rooms. „ , ( Mr A. I. W. Wood stated that an important matter which would bo dis-1 cussed at the next meeting of the 1 South Island Motor Union would be the illegal appropriating of cars. By | the present wording of the Act dealing with this matter it looked as thought tho misappropriation of cars was not a theft. The members of, the Otago j Motor Club should add their voices to those of other unions in order to have the offence severely dealt with. He urged that magistrates should increase the penalty. Mr W. Wright said that some cases were not as bad as others, and that ho would not caro to insist on imprisonment as a punishment. However, cases of car stealing were all too frequent, and those who paid taxes should claim more protection. Mr S. B. Macdonald declared that imprisonment for the first offence could not be too strong a punishment. Tho danger to human life had to be taken into consideration. There had been far too many accidents arising through drunken men stealing cars. Tho Chairman (Mr A. E. Ansell) said that, at present .the feeling was that stealing a car was merely commissioning it for temporary private use. | In the old days horse stealing was punishable by hanging, and he did not see why drastic steps should not be taken to put a stop to the present evil. The stronger the authorities were the more quickly would the menace abate. Human lives were at stake, and the Government should be made to realise the dangers of the day. It was finally decided to add to a remit received from Nelson concerning this question a resolution that there should be a penalty of imprisonment for the misappropriation of motor cars. The present law shoudl Se amciiQed.