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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 927, 17 October 1879, Page 2

The state, nature, and condition of crime and criminals m New Zealand is one among the many interesting and instructive returns issued by order of Colonel Whitmobe from the Government Printing Office at Wellington. The reports, which are very voluminous, state that the detective branch of the service has been largelyincreased, and comprise men of intelligence and great shrewdnes. Men who are unwearying m tracing out

and bringing to justice criminals who have exercised extraordinary ingenuity m evading a successful pursuit. A large increase m the constabulary force of the Colony will be asked for m the present Pai-liament. The facilities offered for pursuit by means of railways, and of detection by the electric wires, cut two ways. The one enables the criminal to get quickly away from the scene of his operations ; the other often enables him to put the detectives on a wrong scent. It appears that m this Colony, at least, poverty is not linked with crime. The greatest offenders who have been convicted are not among the poor ; but among those criminal only by inclination and training. Neither is drunkenness the great cause of crime ; as it is shown that the most serious and infamous offences, such as murder, rape, and indecent assault, are com' mitted by men who have led sober lives, and were sober at the time of the commission of the offences. And again, crime is far from being traced to ignorance — that is deficient education — of the criminal classes, many of whom have been well instructed. The cause of crime m young women is love of dress. In old woman love of drink. The love of dress m young women leads to prostitution, and prostitution leads to graver offences. Women who drink and commit crimes are for the most part those who have been abandoned by their husbands, or forsaken by their children. Married women living m the homes of their husbands seldom, hardly ever, are found among the names m the criminal calender. Gambling leads young clerks and shopmen to rob their em- 1 ployers. If the compulsory clauses of the Education Act were put m force, it is considered that juvenile crime would be reduced by more than one half. Boys become vicious, and eventually criminal, who are allowed to hoi'de together m the streets after nightfall, for which parents and guardians should be made responsible. There are eighty-eight police stations m he Colony, and one policeman to every 104 of the population of the North Island. The cost of maintenance is 3s. 6d. per head of population per annum. In 1877 the number of offences which came to the knowledge of the police was 6,059, of which 205 were committed for trial, 4,853 summarily convicted, 747 discharged, and 5,805 prosecuted, leaving 254 offencces undetected. In 1878 9,726 were reported, 184 committed, 5,241 summarily convicted, 910 discharged, 6,335 prosecuted, 392 undetected, showing for 1878 667 more offences known, to the police, 21 less committed for trial, 388 more summary convictions, 163 more discharged, 530 more prosecuted, and 137 more undetected. The apparent increase is to be attributed to additional population, also a more correct system of recording crime, and is principally confined to minor offences. The cases committed for trial before the Supreme Court were 21 less than m the previous year. The ordinances m force m various provincial distriots for managing towns and other populous places are dissimilar, meagre, and ill-adapted for present requirements. The provisions of the Act for the prevention of the adulteration of food, drugs, and selling or exhibiting for sale, adulterated or unwholesome food or drugs, can only under the existing law be enforced by the Inspector of Nuisances or the Inspector of Weights and Measures. Where there are no persons holding such appointments the Act ceases to take effect, and Wellington and Auckland .are the only places where there are legally appointed analysts. Inspector Shearman says : " I respectfully beg to submit that the Act be amended, and that an analyst be appointed for each of the large towns, principally to check that nefarious and growing evil of adulterating liquors." Superintendent Weldon, Middle Island, reports that there are 276 men of all ranks, including dirtrict constables, but exclusive of gaolers, and posted at 108 stations. Thus, estimating the population of this island to be 270,000 or thereabouts, it gives one policeman to about every 978 persons. An increase of six stations has taken place. Out of 7,431 cases reported 6,954 offenders were arrested, leaving only about six per cent, of undetected crimes. The number of places licensed m this division for the sale of liquor, irrespective of that sold wholesale, shows one retail licensed house to about every 210 of the population. Inspector Weldon observes : "As there exists a general and detective constabulary to cope with crime, so ought there, m my opinion, be established a branch of the force to be known as Revenue Police, specially to administer the licensing law, the law dealing with adulteration of food and liquor, the prohibition of illict distillation of spirits, smuggling, etc., and with the information derivable by each branch of the service, and the whole working m co-operation, obviously the usefulness of the department could be immensely increased. Fires are of such frequent occurrence, and so little is to be gained by inquests thereon, that the mode of investigation is falling into disuse. The chief causes for the many fires which have taken place are assigned to accidents, combined with carelessness, and wilfulness to obtain the amount of insurance. Not unfrequently are insurance companies blamed for taking heavy risks which tend to divest persons holding policies of insurance of interest as to their loss."