ARMY THRO’ THE AGES

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11786, 24 March 1924, Page 7

ARMY THRO’ THE AGES

JUVENILES OF 19241 TENTS ROBBED BY YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS. CORDIALS AND 2000 CIGARETTES. “Twenty years ago you boys would have had a sound thrashing and it would have been the best thing for you,” declared Mr C. R. Grr-Walker, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, when ten juveniles, whoso ages ranged from eight to 14 years appeared before him, charged with the theft of eighty bottles of cordials and 2000 cigarettes from a tent during the recent pageant at Newtown Park. Statements made by the offenders in which they admitted their guilt were read in court. No one had been left to guard the tent and Hie Worship remarked that the boys had fallen to a certain amount of temptation. “1 am sorry to see such young boys here,” said His Worship in admonishing the youths. “You boys have all your future before you. Most of you have started to go to colleges, but you have not Inaoe a very promising beginning.” He wanted to help the boys, and not damage their future. If they came before him again he would order them to be /birched by the police, not a very pleasant thing. One of the younger lads, a boy of eight, hurst into tears at this stage, and on permission being given by the magistrate, he was removed from the court by his mother. Several of the other lads appeared to be 1 about to follow, and tne parents who were in court eyed their hopeful offsprings with looks that seemed to suggest that matters would be warm when they got them In the privacy of their respective homes. The juvenile probation officer said the parents of the boys were respectable, bard-working people, and the boys for the most part were as decent as the average boy, but had not stopped to consider ihe seriousness of their actions. His Worship stated that he would not enter any convictions, but they would know what to expect if they ever appeared again. The parents were ordered to make restitution at the rate of £1 each- Two of the lads were placed under the care of the probation officer and the rest discharged.