Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1923. DOMINION’S DUTY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1923, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1923. DOMINION’S DUTY.

11 is Honour, Mr. Justice Sim, is io be commended for the sentences he imposed at the Dunedin criminal sessions of the Supreme Court, on tin 1 men Ilayne and bind, convicted of offences that proved them to be real dangers to society. Ilayne’s imprisonment ends wlmt was a great scandal, not only to Dunedin, but to the Dominion. Whatever opinions may be held about the ethics of birth control, there should be unanimity of e.m demnation of the nefarious practices by Ilayne. It would be flit!.'? to pretend that there is such unanimity, for the police found it most difficult to get Ilayne convicted. It was well-known what he was doing. but adequate evidence was difficult. io get, as naturally his “patients” were as desirous of secrecy as ho was. Only when a fatality occurred, or nearly occurred, was Ilayne in any danger,

and in previous trials, lie found juries very merciful. Mr. Justice Sim commented on the strange reluctance of previous juries to place the sanctity of their oaths to record verdicts based only on the evidence given, above consideration for a proved miscreant. Such reluctance has helped to strengthen the case of those who advocate abolition of juries in certain criminal trials. Even in this last Dunedin case, the jury attached to its verdict a recommendation to mercy. AVhy, it alone knows. The Judge said that lie felt himself bound to honour the jury’s recommendation, but, happily, he did not unduly exalt it, and the law will no more be laughed at by this horrible trafficker with the unborn. The crimes of Lind, who received a similar penalty, were also dreadful, if not quite so bad as Hayne’s, yet here there was no difficulty iu getting a conviction, with no suggestion of mercy. In relief and congratulation that these two criminals will be under lock and key for a few years, the community should be introspective and ask itself if public opinion in the past has done its part to keep the Dominion’s social and moral standard as high as it should be. Hayne had a no monojioly of the work by which * he earned large sums, and his init prisonment does not mean that t, there is no necessity for further vigilance. Few crimes are more horrible, and if rumour is to be believed, few are more general in 9 this country boasting high ideals. Something is “rotten in the state of Denmark,” and to lie calm . about abortion but shocked at, say, picture shows’ effects on juveniles, is as straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Public opinion must .support the police more in any action against offenders. This adherence to greater moral cleanliness would be reflected in jury s’ verdicts, and if Judges followed the worthy example of Mr. Justice Sim, the result would be an overdue clean-up. Admittedly, the subject is unpleasant to discuss, but the increase in the particular crimes under review, with the ever growing number of indecent assaults, especially on children, make it imperative for more energy to be shown by would-be reformers. Squeamishness and reticence arc being paid for, meanwhile, by human life. The crime may be cen-turics-established, but that is no reason for its continuance, other- • wise other forms of murder, thieving and fraud could be excused.