“FALSE FRIENDS”

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 19 October 1933, Page 7

“FALSE FRIENDS”

AGITATORS LOSE CASK

THE CRIMINAL YEAR. The annual report of the Police Force of the Dominion, presented to the House of .Representatives on, Tuesday, shows several decreases in the criminal statistics of the country. The number of offences reported to the police during the calendar year 1332 was 35,368’, representing a. decrease of 1312 on figures of 1931. The chief increase was under the heading of petty thefts, which increased by B<JB. On the other hand there was a, decrease of 818 in the complaints of drunkenness and the decrease of 55 in the ease of burglary and housebreaking in regarded as satisfactory m view of the increase of 345 recorded in these offences the previous year. Ihe steady decrease in convictions for drunkenness is being maintained, and it is noteworthy that the arrests for this offence m 1932 are the lowest since 1878.

On March 31 last the number of permanent members of the force of all ranks was 1106, being a decrease of 28 during the year. There were 89 temporary constables appointed, an increase of 66 during the year.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr W. G. Woblmann, comments that there has been a marked reduction in the social unrest of the previous year. “The small anti-social element in the community,” he says, “is evidently losing its influence with the genuine worker, who has discovered these agitators to be false ffiends.”