THEFT OF FLOWERS

Grey River Argus, 10 December 1938, Page 3

THEFT OF FLOWERS

FROM PUBLIC PARK. . GAOL AS PENALTY. AUCKLAND, December 9. “There is so much thieving cf plants and flowers in parks and reserves that sometimes the gardeners have to be detailed to watch,” said Sub-Inspector Fox, in the Police Court, when George Brown _ pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing five plants, valued at, 6s, the. property of the Auckland City Council. In this case, two men were on special duty in the Auckland Domain last Sunday, and they saw the defendant take some chrysanthemum slips from a box, said Sub-Inspector Fox. When they approached him, he produced the slips from beneath his coat. Those in charge of the gardens were given considerable trouble owing to thieving, the Sub-Inspector added. “I take it that the stealing of flowers from parks is prevalent and is seldom detected,” said the Magistrate, Mr C. R. Orr-Walker. “I cannot accept the defendant’s statement that he thought they were useless. “This will show that people cannot thieve from the public gardens,” added the Magistrate, in imposing a sentence of 48 hours’ imprisonment with hard labo.ur.