TO WORK OR TO GAOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12544, 11 April 1904, Page 4

TO WORK OR TO GAOL.

Since we unite in condemning the police for what the public regards as incompetence and inefficiency it is only just that we should be equally unanimous in commending them for energetic and intelligent action. Under the latter category should undoubtedly be placed the attempt now being made to clear the city of that worthless class which since it does no work and has no visible source of income, evidently lives by theft, swindling, or cheating. We have frequently urged that this class is the chief source of the temptations under which such an unfortunately large number of youths fail in our cities, and that we cannot expect to check what is officially asserted to be an increasing degeneration unless we weed out the idling undesirables whose comfortable appearance is absolute proof of professional criminality. It is an absurd thing, in a community where work can be had for the asking, to permit idling vagrants to boast that it is easier to live by fleecing drunken men or by cheating country visitors than by honest toil. We are pleased to see that the police are taking steps to remove this notorious blot from Auckland, and we trust that their action will become so usual and systematic that all these undesirables | vail give our city a wide berth.