TOO MANY YOUNG THIEVES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16530, 14 September 1921, Page 7

TOO MANY YOUNG THIEVES.

COMMENT FROM THE BENCH. Comment on the increase in crimes against property was made by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court to-day. William Rennie, a young man, charged with the theft of two pieces of harness, pleaded guilty to stealing one set of winkers and guilty to receiving another Bet. The police stated that Rennio had been loitering round town for some time, doing no work. The Magistrate said that a deplorable state of affairs existed. On looking over recent statistics, lie had found that one crime had increased more than any other, and that was crime relating to property. Offences against persons had not increased but crimes against" property had increased 50 per cent, and he was sorry to say that bv far the greater number of offences had been committed by men between the ages of twenty-one and twentv-five. It looked as if a great many young thieves were growing up in tho Dominion. There was only one wav to deal with crime of this kind, and that was to impose severe sentences in cases which came before the Court. On the charge of stealing a set of winkers, valued at £B, Rennie would be convicted and sentenced to throe months’ imprisonment. On the other charge he would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon any time within six months.