LAST YEAR'S CRIME.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10499, 6 July 1910, Page 6

LAST YEAR'S CRIME.

FIGURES KROM THE I'OI | ( REPORT. J ' By" Telegraph. (From Our Own Correspond ml 'Wellington lul\l The annua! report upon (In ,\ force and iis'operations wis pi I to I'nrliameiii. to-day. Dunn f the number of olfences reported \y police was 23,030", an incu isc t on the figure:-', ol tin l pr< \ ion f The proportion of olfences to tin jf lation was 2.32 per cent., as if--2.33 in the previous your t ( nuF ing upon the increase under i J headings tlio report 'states that f .•>:ne been mostly confined to 11nr .vious.form of crime, such as asj breaches of tlio peace, diunkii'' sly grog-selling and vagi\\ni\ \ l there has been a gratifying dc<f under tho heading of burglary aiu tain classes of theft. The pou<i » of arrests or summonses'rosultin J all offences reported during tin go under review is 95.61, tho iignrfl the' preceding year being 0") (V! m The number of offences repmt.H each police district was as follufl Auckland <>OG3, Thames 719, NH 1994-, W'anganui 2554, Wellington || Greymouth 801, Christehurcli M Dunedin 211G, lnvercargill 520. M The serious crimes reported -4M a decrease on tho previous ycarM figure:; being 006, as against "5!iH decent and sexual oilVllces M|S totalled 432, as agailist 387 tlu.9 vious year. There was an inci-cjH [ 314 in the number of person:, Ml cuted for drunkenness during Owffl as compared with the previous «

It was found that 40.89 per cv, ; the males''and 73.78 per cent. ~ females had previous c.onviefiui. corded against them, and 7.45 p.'; of the males worn not_ permanent dents in tho Dominion. The number of arrests for drtinkeuiHs 10,657 (9875 males and 782 f.-ri; as against 10,3-13 (9037 nudes an females the year before.

Taking the four principal d alone, tlm number nf ccnvictit i: drunkenness were: —Auckland :in< urbs, 11.78 malos,' M .)b' females; \Y< ton and suburbs; 2035 mal"s females ; Ohristchureh and Mil 709 males, 109 females; Dune.lii suburbs, 578 : males, 'OS In Totals, 4560 males and 493 in The number Of convictions :i. hotclkoepors was as follows: land-'l2, Thames' 5, Napier 9, \\ mii 9, Wellington 17, Gre.vinnui Christchureh 7, Dunodin 8; total

■There were '235 prosecutions fc grog-selling, ' resulting in 151 <■ tions,' against 158 prosecutions :u convictions the previous year, fines imposed on sly grog-sellers ing the' year 1909 amounted to 15s 1 , as against'£l7-19 15s in 190S The direct cost to the Domini detecting and prosecuting sly sellers during the year was £10! 6d, this being £1207 15s (id less the amount of fines imposed.

There were ?3!) prosecutions i ing in 20S convictions during tin under the. gaming laws, agains prosecutions and 184 convict ii> 1908. The question of licensing makers, says the report, will ha be very seriously considered, and restriction must' be placed ' ii|:,r many undesirable characters wli der 'the present law follow tin l'ession of bookmaking.