GRIME IN N.S.W.

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11660, 26 October 1923, Page 5

GRIME IN N.S.W.

STARTLING INCREASE LARGE PERCENTAGE DIRECTLY TRACEABLE TO GAMBLING. “LIVING WITHOUT WORK.” Hj Telegraph.—Pres* Assn.—Copyright. SYDNEY, October, 25. The Attorney-General, Mr T. R. Bavin, in moving the second reading of the Crimes Act Amendment Bill, quoted startling figures regarding the recent increase of serious crimes in New South Wales. In 1901 the number of convictions for serious crimes per 10,000 of the population was 34.1. By 1917, it had gradually dropped to 28.9. Since that year there had been a steady increase, and the figure reached 39 in 1922. The number of persons tried before the Higher Courts in 1912 was 993, and m 1922 the number had risen to 1946, the increase being proportionately much in advance* of the increase of population. These incieases hid occurred in spite of the greatly widened network of mcial and religious agencies, a stronger and more efficient Police Force, and the spenduig of. four times as much on education as was spent in 1301. INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING. It was impossible, Mr Bavin said, to assign any one particular cause for the increase of crime, but he believed it could safely be said that a large percentage of crime and dishonesty was directly traceable to gambling. The increasing hold that the spirit of gambling wai gaining upon the people was tending to produce a class of man whose effort was to live without work. Another cause was the uncertainty of punishment—he might almost say the certainty of no punishment in regard to a very’ large number of crimes. He quoted figures to show that, for four years up to 1922, out of 2146 persons tried at the Sydney Quarter Sessions, only 919 were convicted. The bill aims generally at tightening the administration and effectiveness of the law against crime. POST-WAR EFFECTS. In the course of Mr Bavin’s speech, Mr W. F. Dunn (Labour) interjected, suggesting that the increase of crime was due to the increase of unemployment and of slums, and also to the decadence of the influence of the churches and their work. Another Labour member pointed out that there had always been an increase of crime after a big war. Mr Bavin said he did not deny that the war had something to do with the increase.