CORRECTING CRIME

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24554, 9 April 1943, Page 2

CORRECTING CRIME

VALUE OF PUBLICITY COMMENT BY JUDGE "The investigation of crime according to the general policy of our law is conducted publicly," said Mr. Justice Call an yesterday when refusing to grant an application for the suppression of the name of a young woman who was sentenced for theft.

There were two reasons, His Honor said, for this publicity. The first was that, when persons of hitherto unblemished character and unsuspected of any tendency to dishonesty were suddenly found out to be otherwise, the community was entitled to be warned against them. The second reason was that the knowledge that publicity would have to be faced if the criminal law was broken was one of the most potent deterrents against crime. The power to suppress names should be exercised sparingly and with great care. His Honor added that he 'would be disposed to entertain such an application if he were dealing with a technical offence against the law, obviously without moral wrong, or in a case where the offender had plainly been led by an overpowering mind, and there might be other cases.

CIVIL DEFENCE

SYSTEM OF TRAINING (0.c.) HAMILTON, Thursday Civil defence was discussed at a largely-attended meeting of local bodies' representatives in Hamilton. The Mayor of Hamilton, Mr. IT. D. Caro, presided as district controller. He said that before the new training commenced the E.P.S. personnel had to be regrouped into what would be called front line personnel, while the remainder would be classed as reserves. The training course was compulsory for front line units only. They would be required to put in 30 hours over a six months' period arranged as weekly parades. No compulsory training scheme was laid down for the rest of the district and it was left to each controller to arrange for his own district and also to develop its training scheme, using the warden's handbook as a basis of general instruction to all units.

HARBOUR FINANCES PORTS AFFECTED BY WAR (P.A.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Thursday Opposition to any mode of assistance that first required port authorities to eat into their financial reserves was expressed by members of the New Plymouth Harbour Board to-day when considering a plan for financial help outlined in a letter from the Prime Minister, Hie Rt. Hon. P. Eraser, to the New Zealand Harbour Boards' Association. The letter offered a Government subsidy to ports adversely affected by the centralisation of shipping as a result of the war. Mr. Eraser wrote that it was clear that during the current year assistance would be required in several cases. It had been decided that those boards requiring Government assistance should be asked to submit a copy of their estimates for the current year, with an estimate of the amount of assistance necessary.

Generally, he said, the subsidy paid to any board would he restricted to the additional amount required to meet essential maintenance and other current expenses after all reasonable economies had been effected and use had been made of any reserve or other resources that could be made available without placing the finances of the board in an unsound position. Any board granted assistance would be required to work on approved estimates for the period covered by the subsidy. "The letter only goes to show that a board must be bankrupt before it can get assistance," said Mr. S. Vickers. Mr. F. L. Frost said it should be brought to the notice of the Treasury tbnt Auckland had shown £500.000 profit and Wellington about the same. "They have taken our trade." he added, "pnd I consider they should be levied to pay us."