The Star. WEDESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1889.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6482, 27 February 1889, Page 2

The Star. WEDESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1889.

ILarrikinism and Juvenile Offenders.

Is larrikiniem growing in New Zealand P The alarmists think it is, the easy-going think not. The former. point, and with effect, to many instances .which favour their contention; the latter tell of the violence of the Melbourne and Sydney roughs, and ask in vain for parallels from this Colony. Inspector Fender, the cool-headed, sagacious ruler of the police in Christchnrch, warned us last year not to magnify glaringly bad exceptions into characteristic specimens of a general evil rule. New Zealand larrikinism, at all events in the City of the Plains, he put down rather to stray instances of unruly exuberance of animal spirits than to the eruptions of a prevailing criminal element in our midst. There is no doubt that his wide experience entitles any Buch eicpreieion of opinion to great respect., .We may allow Inspector Pendei? to reassure us. . When we come to juvenile offenders and their offences, however, the ease looks far more serious. There is no gainsaying that the Magistrates' Courts give us ; proof far too frequently of the existence of a large amount of depravity among the less carefully nurtured of our rising generation. Burnham, Caversham and other Industrial Schools are our acknowledgment of the fact; the meeting of Justices held afc Auckland, the other day, shows the uneasiness felt there in many minds about the matter. 1 The utterances of the Chriiitchurch Eeaident Magistrate' soon after prove that he is equally alive to the eituation. It is no use to quote statistics showing we are no worse than our neighbours. The fact remains— we are bad in our own eyes. - That position once established, the thing is to find the remedy. . '','.'. '-.i' ,'■'■'■'.[