YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144085, 2 May 1913, Page 4

YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS.

FLOURISHING IN WANGANUI. Per Press Association. WANGANUI, May 1,

The undesirabledabs of moving picture lias more than once been hold responsible for inciting juvenile crime, and, according, to 'statements made it seems' that the evening continaation classes may, in • certain cases, be indicated as abettors of the same. For some time past there has been a series of petty robberies and burglaries in the town and suburbs, and though it had been established that it was the work of boys/ the' latter for some time were “slim” enough to' avoid capture. Finally,, however,' they were tracked down, with the result that three lads faced the Magistrate tiiis morning. Counsel for 'the defends (Air. Treadwell) pleaded for leniency, saying that he always dreaded seeing a boy committed tu an industrial school. Such a course tended to make him hard and callous, and sometimes led ultimately to his appearance in higher courts. While cheap novels and a certain class of moving pictures-tended to cause a certain amount of juvenile crime, ■ he thought the opportunity to do so was chiefly due to young people being allowed on tho'streets at night. Some of them had to attend compulsory classes, and, if .they went straight home from the classes, no doubt the latter were an excellent tiling., They did not do so, however; they loitered about town. One thine led to another, and ended in wrong-doing. It would bo a good thing if curfew legislation were passed to deal with.hoys and girls. Detective-Sergeant Siddells said that in his thirty-five, years of experience he had never had more difficult eases to deal with. Ho agreed wish Mr. Trendwell in testifying to the general good character of the lads, and seconded counsel’s suggestion that the boys should be convicted and ordered to oome up for sentence ivlion called upon. The Alagistrato said, however, that ho had the interests of the public to look after, and ordered six! strokes of the birch for tho chief offender. The father of another boy undertook to birch his son. and, on this understanding, he was discharged. Tho third escaped physical punishment on the ground of delicate health. '