JUVENILE SHARPERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9246, 13 January 1916, Page 4

JUVENILE SHARPERS

A case which came before the Juvenile Court on Tuesday creates tho uncomfortable suspicion that some of the contributions by the confiding public to juveniles in the streets on various patriotic pretexts have simply provided the latter with unaccustomed pocket money. In this case the police alleged that two hoys, posing as scouts, had collected money from soldiers about to embark for the from for tho purpose of dispatching telegrains to relatives, buying fruit, etc.. and had boldly appropriated all the coin entrusted to them. As for the fond farewell telegrams of the departing soldiers, they were torn up and distributed to tho winds. Could any conduct more despicable be imagined!' It is sad. indeed, to think, how our simple, brave-hearted volunteers are being miserably "taken down" on all sides when they come to Wellington. One of the boys—a lad of twelveappears to have been masquerading in a scout suniform without authority, and it would have been interesting to have learnt how this uniform was obtained. An officer who appeared in court made ;it clear that they had nothing to do with the boy scouts, who on duty are armed with passes, and are supposed to take no reward for services rendered ' to soldiers. Yet this precious pair, when arrested, had over £f> between them. In regard to one of them, it turned out that m the past he had been found selling patriotic badges in the streets, apparently without authority. People will now be set wondering how many of the children who swarmed the streets at carnivil time were induced to improperly collect money and thus take a first step in crime. The folly of indiscriminate giving is clearly shown by this belated case which has cropped up. It can be readily understood how criminals .can be manufactiured by easy■going methods -which tempt youngsters to appropriate what does not belong to them.