DECREASE IN CRIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 10

DECREASE IN CRIME.

REMARKS BY CHIEF. JUSTICE.

- EFFECT OF HIGH IDEALS.

[BY tix^oraph.—ows COHBESTONTJKNT.] Pjumiebston- North, Tuesday. Some observations on the decrease of crime in New Zealand were made at the Supreme Court this morning by His Honor the Chief Justice. "I find," he said, "that as the country gets settled, and all those institution!! that make for the improvejmnnt of our social life are founded in the | midst of our people, crime decreases. We cannot expect to be free from breakers of our laws. We receive a" population from countries not accustomed to our social life, and we ha,ve in. our midst some people of weak wills and weak intelligence, and it is not surprising, therefore, that we have offenders. The very fact that wo have crime in our midst should show us that we aro not all equal in mental, moral, or physical ability, and that there must be an everlasting struggle to train the weak that they may become strong. ' Just as it has been said the poor will always be found amongst humanity, so it may be said that offenders will also always be found as long as human nature is what it is.

"We may congratulate ourselves that, taking this Dominion as a whole, crime is

not increasing, but is decreasing relatively to our population. It would not have, been surprising if it had increased, for our country is- getting.. more closely settled. Cities and. towns are becoming larger, and it has been found that this often tends to an increase of crime.'

" Serious crime has •■ decreased . in our midst, and largely so, compared with the increase in pur population," continued the Chief Justice. "This has not happened in. all countries. In 1912 there was an increase in crime in Scotland, and in 1909 in England and in Wales. This is the latest year for which I have seen the official judicial statistics. It is stated that serious crime has increased there in this century, whereas in the last century there was a tendency to decrease.

."No doubt our struggles to keep high our ideals.of social life and of social duty have helped us, and our maintenance of our schools and our many other social institutions have been of immense service to our people. If crime does increase in a community, there is something wrong, which it is* the duty of. the peoplo to discover and remedy; but- if there, is a decrease in offences we may assume that things are not out.of joint in regard to Our social institutions." ;