LOVE OF PUBLICITY

NZ Truth, Issue 1105, 3 February 1927, Page 5

LOVE OF PUBLICITY

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) ' TN the dock there stood an undersized youth with a receding chin. " His pet hohby seemed to he the conversion of cars, and Senior Sergeant Edwards had nothing good to say about him. His record was such that it went to show that m some respects the law is- an ass where the youth of N.Z. is concerned. Magistrate Hunt at the Auckland Police Court said that the Probation Officier's report was a bad one, but that he was reluctant •to allow the youth's name to be published as it would only be penalising the father, who was a very respectable man. . ■ " • The father remarked that the silly youth appeared to like % r seeing his name m print, and he did not ask it to be suppressed for his ..son's sake but -for Jus own. , "Some of these youths seem to take a pride m getting into the public eye. It gratifies their wrong-headed vanity, " observed Magistrate Hunt. "I have an idea, however, that ;, their fathers would look after them a good deal better if their i names were not suppressed when they come to Court." * The joy riding, youth, who showed no signs of shame,' was 1 consigned i;o the; Borstal Institute for three years. "Vanity is the besetting sin of these boys, and the mention of their names m the papers pleases them," said S.M. Hunt when the boy's father again asked for his name to be suppressed. "I've even been asked by men m prison for copies of the papers: containing the accoaht of their trial." He acceded to the father's request. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii