WARNING TO PARENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19694, 28 July 1938, Page 7

WARNING TO PARENTS

CONTROL OF CHILDREN

THEFTS FROM BICYCLES

"If children come home with articles of value they should be questioned as to how they got them and not readily believed if they say that the articles were given to them," said Mr. E. L Walton, S.M., this morning when such a case was called before her in the Children's Court. One boy was; charged with the theft of a bicycle lamp and two were charged jointly with the theft of two generators and another lamp from bicycles parked in Gisborne on dates from June 5 to 20 Detective G. A. MeWhirter said that thefts of the kind were difficult to detect as most of the offences were committed at night. It was possible that the boys took a great pride in their bicycles and wished to fit them out in the best manner they could. In defence of one of the boys, Mr. K. A. Woodward said that there was no suggestion at any time that he had been out of control. There was no vice in the boy.

"Petty thefts are a nuisance to many .people and have to be stopped," said Mr. Walton. "Often boys do these, things and do not realise just what they are doing and then the parents wake up and realise that they have not exercised the control that they should have done or that there was something wrong in their methods of training their children."

Questioned If he had inquired from his son how he came in possession of the light and generator, one of the fathers said he did not notice the light until one evening and did not have a chance to pursue his questions before the detective arrived at the house.

Both children were placed under the supervision of the child welfare officer tor a year and were ordered to return the recovered property to its rightful owners.