MOTOR CAR THEFTS.

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 29 September 1933, Page 4

MOTOR CAR THEFTS.

The North and South. Island Motor Unions, which have been endeavouring for years to induce the Government to increase the penalty for motor car ‘ ‘ conversions,” are redoubling theiir efforts at the moment to bring about an amendment of the law to this end. The president of the North Island Union, Mr W. O’Callaghan, of Hawera, recently took steps calculated to rouse the most somnolent authority fo a sense of responsibility. Following upon the recent Auckland car-stealing incident, in which a pursuing constable was ruthlessly- sw-ept off the running board by the thief’s action in- purposely colliding with another vehicle, Mr O’C'allaghan issued a circular in which the Press Association account of this dastardly crime was reprinted! within a heavy black border, the remainder of the circular being occupied' with a statement of his own forceful arguments in favour of drastic action- (by the law. The Auckland incident has been' adopted by the South Island Union also- as- a basis from’ which to- launch another attack i:n this l campaign. One of the leading memfbers of the Southern union—who is also a member of the legal profession—has gone to the length of calling upon his fellow-motorists to “take- the law inito their own hands” in dealing with the next case of car-tlieft which comes under their notice and, if necessary, go to gaol for doing so'. This smacks

rather of Gandhi’s methods and is- not likely' to- make an instant appeal to New Zealand motorist's, but nevertheless the outburst does indicate that motorists are fast coming to the. end of their patience. The excuses .made by ■the Department of Justice' for its failure to recommend that the,’ necessary steps be taken to stamp ou't motor -thefts by heavier penalties have long since worn very thin. These excuses are, in the main, -that an increase in -the -present maximum penalty of £-0 fine or three months’ imprisonment would necessitate -trial by jury, thus increasing the expense of prosecution; that jdiflioulty would be exp eric need in getting juries to convict and, further, that “young offenders” might bo too severely punished. None of these excuses is convincing; youthful offenders are as likely to receive as much consideration in the Supreme Court as in the lower Court. The Department would find there would be less -difficulty in getting juries to- do their duty an this class of case than in some others which at present come -before them. As to the plea of ‘ ‘ expense,” that is -the last that should be put forward in a British -country, and when it is viewed in the light of the- heavy losses which motorist's are suffering at -the hands of car thieves every week in the year to say nothing for the moment about the danger to life and llimib —it becomes absurd to the point of exasperation. It is to be hoped that the Motor Unions, now that they are definitely on the warpath again, will l n'ot relinquish 1 their efforts until they' wring from -the Government a promise to take action.