MANY CRIMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23574, 7 February 1940, Page 14

MANY CRIMES

AUCKLAND DISTRICT SUPREME COURT SESSION "DEPRAVITY AMONG YOUNG" CHIEF JUSTICE'S CHARGE /m ; - Comments that the number and rhafscter pf primes in the Auckland district afforded grounds not only for the (deepest regret but also the searching for reasoni were made yesterday by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, in his charge to the grand jury in the Supreme Court. -"You will be forced to the conclusion that all is not well in this district," His Honor said, "and that thero is a good deal more depravity among tho young than probably any of your experience would hs},ve imagined." It was the first occasion upon which he hac( presided at tho opening of a criminal sitting at Auckland, His Honor said, He had hoped to congratulate thp people of the district upon a comparative freedom from crime. How- _ ever, there was no cause for congratulation arising from the calendar, which held 24 bills of indictment involving 26 persons. ,• Qflences Against Girls "There are no fewer than 10 sexual cases included in that list, he continued, and at least five of them affected girls under the age of 16, and in two cases girls of under 12 years. This by no means exhausted the quantum of crime in the district during tho last three months, since there had also been 73 persons committed from tho Lower Court on pleas of guilty in indictable cases, and sentenced in the Supreme Court. There were three cases involving negligent, .driving, two of them involving deaths. In all probability, His Honor said, these represented a small proportion of tho accidents which happened through the alleged negligence of persons driving motor-cars.

The Petrol Restrictions "I don't suppose there will be so many in the three months, but that will not 'be because people have become better citizens, only because of petrpl restrictions," His Irfonpr said. The civil and criminal cases arising out of driving accidents gave him . cause for wonder whether the methods of dealing with the problem ■were right. He sometimes wondered if the system were not beginning at the wrong ,end. '

''Should we not try to stop the evil at 3 much earlier stage?" Sir Michael Myera concluded. "After all, negligence or carelessness on tho part of a driver v of a motor-vehicle is often a progressive disease." Speed Through boroughs There were.laws on the Statute Book prohibiting a person from driving at more than 3Q miles an hour through boroughs, and. His Honor apprehended, it was necessary for tho safety of those >ho used . the highways. He believed that . perhaps : instead of fining people •los and" for breaches, if fpies •were prpgressiyely 'increased fropi week to week up to £lO, it probably wqtjld soon st'pp the present craze for speed "boroughs? Persons iyho drove jnotor-cars should be imbued with' the spirit of good citizenship and obey the Jaw. tYS " , "•* Grand Jury Empanelled

The 1 following were empanelled as the •grand K. N". Buttle (foreman). 0. Arthur, L. I. Asher, C. Hrßaffley,* iir. Colebrook, G. Cooper, J." W. Frpter, M. Gojdstine, J. M. Hardcastle, J." Gl Hirst, w. J. Litherland" J. McCulloughj jP. Nathan, W. J." Osborne, T. "ty. Sflcock, D. G. StotVfcer," T."H. Torrance. 3 Sis Honor reviewed » number of thifT casps" to be presepted, and the grand jury retired to cpnsider the 24 indictments. The only bill rejected was that against an elderly man, Andrew Jamieson, "who" was charged with indecently assaulting a girt aged 11 at TQrHay on October 27, 1039.

LIGHT HAMILTON LIST NO GJtAVE OFFENCES [feosi our own correspondent] ' "" HAMILTON, Tuesday "I am very glad to bo ablo to tell you "that the bpsiness tQ cprrje before you is very light indeed." said Mr. Justice BJair when addressing the grand jury 'at the opening of the Supreme Court sessions to-day. His Honor" said there were no cases of a grave character, and he was pleased to note there were no charges relating to motoring accidents'. In one was charged with Attempting to assault two boys, but the s6coHd and last case was one in which three men were charged with the theft of a large quantity of liquor from a* police,'cell at Taumarunui. THe grand jury returned true bills in both" cases.