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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7661, 20 June 1896, Page 2

That juvenile depravity exists to a very large extont in the chief towns was evidenced during the hearing of a case in the Dunedin Police Court a few days ago, and by alarming statements recently made by the Chairman of the Auckland Charitable Aid Board. Visitors to the large towns must be struck by the number of young girls and lads who roam the streets at night, and this fact may no doubt be ascribed as mainly tho cause of tho social sores which do exist. Laxity of parental control is at the bottom of the matter. Mr William Hutchinson. that " unco quid " old man who represents Dunedin City, has devised a remedy which will' be discussed in Parliament. It is entitled "A Bill to Provide for the Better Protection of Children and Young Persons," and provides that any parent who shall permit any child of his lo wander about or frequent auy street, thoroughfare, or place of public resort after the hour of eight p.m. on any day between the Ist day of April and the 30th day of September in each year, and after the hour of nine p.m. on any day between the Ist day of March in ench year, unless accompanied by himself or other adult person of good repute, shall bo liable to a penalty on summary conviction not exceeding 20a. Any youDg person found loitering about any street, thoroughfare, hotel, or place of public resort after Uie hour of 9 o'clock p.m., and who on bi ing warned by any police officer to dtpart to his hibitalioD, persists iv bo loitering about, shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding 20a, nnd for a second offence within six moulha to a penalty not exceeding 40s, or in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment for any period not exceeding seven days, and for a third offence witliiu six months to imprisonment for any ijoriori not exceeding 14 days. ' Young person,' in this section, mouiiß a pewon, who in the opiuion of the justices is, if a male over the uge of 12 years und under the age of 17 years, and if a female, over the age of 12 yearß, and under the nge of 18 years. The chief objection to the Bill, of course, is its interferouce with the liberty of the individual, but all enactments do that more or less, and it is doubtful whether any measure to check the evil compluined of could be devised which would not do so. Mr Hutchison's BiUi having in view the laudable end aimed at, is worthy of consideration bb

an honest attempt to stamp out juvenile vice and criminality which stalks abroad in maay of our towns.