JOTTINGS BY THE WAY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3796, 17 August 1936, Page 8

JOTTINGS BY THE WAY

(By lan Rosach.) The existence of three football codes, Rugby, League, and Association, is being emphasised more than usual this season, in that representative teams of each from overseas are visiting the Dominion. Each claims that their own particular love is the best, but I think that they would love the first the best were the other fair charmers away. There is not room in a country with a small population like ours for each to flourish healthily or to attain strength sufficient to hold their own against the world’s best.

The long delayed decision in the Mareo case brings a notable episode in New Zealand crime, to an end. The decision was the only possible one—after such a lengthy delay, but it apparently was in keeping with the Labour Government’s antipathy to capital punishment. Do those who so blindly oppose capital punishment ever think of the victim, who has been ruthlessly and suddenly sent into eternity, without a moment’s notice? Do they ever consider the feelings of those near and dear to the murdered one? “Mere sentimentality” I can hear some one say, but let such a tragic happening occur to one of their family circle and I venture to say that they would be feeling very sore over it. Far too much maudlin sympathy is wasted over murderers. That is my viewpoint. A Mr Roy Calvert (an opponent of capital punishment), published a book on the subject in 1927. He states that a study of 208 murders revealed that one fifth were committed between 10 p.m. and midnight and nearly one half between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Nine out of every ten were committed by'men, 42 per cent, of their victims being their wives, and 38 per cent, their mistresses or sweethearts, i Motives are placed as follows—drink, quarrels, rage, jealousy, intrigues, revenge, robbery, extreme poverty, illegal operations, removals of obstacles to marriage and sexual passion.