JUVENILE CRIMINALITY.

Northern Advocate, 11 April 1911, Page 6

JUVENILE CRIMINALITY.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Boys' Institute in Wellington his Honor, Mr Justice Chapman, who presided, said that it was a very happy circumstance that the Supreme Court had very little to do with juvenila criminality. Magistrates had more to do with that phase of crime than Supreme Court Judges; but he wa. glad to say the Dominion was remarkably free from that taint. It was a painful duty at any time to deal with juvenile crime. That criminality amoug children was found in a civilised

community was due to the latent savagery of the human race. It was, therefore, the duty of every good citizen to give a little of his time to the work of curing criminals, by doing what could be accomplished when the young population was at. a stage whe.i prevention was possible and probable. This should be a pleasing duty. (Applause. 1 <To prevent the youthful population from becoming criminal it was necessary to cut off the sources of temptation. The Boys' Institute and similar institutions had opportunities ot leading the young generation, who had not the same advantages as the wealthy classes, into channels of good, ho that when the lads grew up they would be a benefit to the world. Everything deDended upon the training. There was always a small proportion of the population criminally inclined, but the bulk of the people—and this v. as in an increasing ratio—was well inclined. He congratulated the institute on the good work it was doing in this respect, stating that he fully agreed and supported its aims. (Applause), Applications are invited for the agency of "Wertheim" machines in Whangarei and the surrounding district, by the New Zealand agents, H. Oscar Hewett and Co., Ltd., whose head office is in Wellington. As these machines are undoubtedly among the most popular family sewing machines in this and the associated Australasian colonies, the agency in the hands of any firm should be a very profitable one.