ILLUSORY SUGGESTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23954, 1 November 1939, Page 6

ILLUSORY SUGGESTION

THE PROBLEM. OF CRIME MINISTER’S VIEWS OPPOSED ECONOMIC SYSTEM A SMALL FACTOR (Ter United Press Association; INVERCARGILL, Oct. 31. Opening the quarterly session of the Supreme Court. Mr Justice Ostler, in his address to the grand jury, congratulated the district on the absence of serious crime, there being only three cases for trial, two of which were for consideration, as a true bill had been previously returned against one. In both of the others rape, and negligent driving causing injury and failing to stop—they would have no” difficulty in finding true bills. “It is desirable that all people in this country should take an intelligent interest in, and form sound opinions on the administration of the criminal law,” continued his Honor. “Many sincere people hold the belief that crime is oureiy a medical question, and that if the treatment of criminals were handed over to psychiatrists they could be cured of their tendency to crime. “Judged by the recent public utterances of others, they consider that, though crime is partly a medical question, it is mostly economic, and that when the present economic system has been changed, crime will disappear, and the police can be disbanded. “It is not so simple as that. No doubt a certain proportion of crime is due to mental defect, and in some cases—not many—medical science is able to do something to help such to become normal citizens. The great majority appear to be of normal intelligence, many above normal, but with the moral sense blunted. How could a change in the economic or political system cure them? For over 20 years Russia has enjoyed an extreme form of Socialistic Government, but despite the fact that it has the most severe criminal code, it is unable to abolish crime. Indeed, recent history makes it plain that some of her most cold-blooded and ruthless criminals have obtained supreme power in the State. What could be more criminal than their conduct to Poland? “There is an element of truth in the assertion that economic hardship tends to increase crime, specially against property; yet it persists when there is no hardship. It is surely illusory to suggest that crime would disappear if the present economic system were swept away, and the State became the sole owner of all property and the sole controller of the means of production and distribution. Until human nature is changed, society will always have the criminal as a social problem. He will crop up in all classes and not come only from the children of the poor.”

A vision of a golden age when crime would disappear, made possible only by dissolution of the present economic system, was conjured up by the Minister of Mines (Mr P. C. Webb) , addressing the police officers’ annual conference in Wellington on Thursday last. He said it seemed to him that in a society which allowed some of its people to be driven to degradation and penury, while it allowed others to grow enormously wealthy, crime was inevitable. “We want," he said, “to lay the foundation of a society in which crime will be practically unheard of, and in which every human personality is given a chance to flower in all its beauty.” he added. Crime would then be only the outcome of mental instability, and persons so suffering would be treated pathologically, in the same way as those who suffered from physical ills, the Minister said. The police officer who would do the most good was the one who had a pretty good knowledge of psychology. “After all, your job is not primarily to put people in the cells, but rather to prevent their reaching the stage when that is necessary,” he concluded.