The Star FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1925. FLOGGING AS A DETERRENT TO CRIME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17526, 1 May 1925, Page 6

The Star FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1925. FLOGGING AS A DETERRENT TO CRIME.

Within the last two days, the Court of Appeal has remitted, in part, two sentences imposed by a Supreme Court judge, the latest case being that in which a sentence of fifteen years for rape has been reduced to five years, and an order for flogging remitted. The public are bound to become a little bit anxious in cases of this kind, unless severity is insisted upon. Sexual offences are the most numerous and the most serious crimes in New Zealand, and the tendency in the past has been to deal with them too leniently. As a matter of fact, there arc two crimes that seem to be on the increase, sexual offences and blackmailing, and in considering the remission of flogging in the Shorlland case it is rather interesting to learn that in England, so far from public opinion being averse to that form of punishment, a strong agitation has been launched to make even blackmailing punishable with the cat. There have been several cases in New Zealand lately, if not of blackmailing, at least of something very close to it, and they I lave been treated lightly. Yet this offence is likely to thrive on leniency, as sexual offences have done in the past. When tlu; British House of Commons in March discussed the prevalence of blackmailing, speakers of various shades of opinion urged that the punishment should be made more severe, and the operation of the law more effective. They found a sympathetic listener in the Home Secretary (Sir William Joynson Hicks). He pointed out that the law took a very strong view of blackmailing, the sentence being penal servitude for life. He remarked, at the same time, that it was not desirable, in his opinion, to pass a resolution ensuring the secrecy of names of prosecutors. As regards recent cases, the name of the Rajah in the Robinson case was published in every Continental newspaper and known in every part of the world, except England, before it was announced; and with regard to the Dennistoun case, not two days had elapsed before the judge thought it necessary that the name of Sir John Cowans should be revealed. That showed that any attempt to suppress the name merely led to more curiosity. Any magistrate or judge had the power at present to allow any witnesses or prosecutor to give his evidence anonymously, and the judges could be trusted to use their powers with discretion. It was the Home Secretary’s opinion evidently that not secrecy but effective punishment was needed to check blackmailing. He showed grave concern at the increase in the crime, and mentioned that he had had consultations with the legal authorities of the Government, and they were of opinion that, if the number of cases of blackmail continued to increase, as they had done recently, the Government would have to ask the House of Commons to inflict the more serious penalty of flogging for the offence. Blackmail he described as a crime of such a malignant and despicable character that it might be necessary to ask for further powers to prevent its continued perpetration. That shows very clearly that men of the highest standing at Home regard flogging as necessary where a serious class of offence continues to increase. Members of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand might find it advisable to.consider this phase of a matter that is of the utmost importance to the social welfare of the community.

It is goinjj to be very hard work for the opponents of proportional representation to explain away the results of the municipal elections in Christchurch. Clearly, what has happened in the case of the Mayoralty will be repeated in the election of councillors as soon as the Citizens’ Association ceases to be a focussing point for the whole of the anti-Labour forces of the city. The “ Star ” put the matter clearly on Wednesday,-in reply to a correspondent. “It so happens,” wc said, “ that the Citizens’ Association, as far as the election of councillors is concerned, really represents a grouping of forces in opposition to Labour, but if once a breach could be established in this coalition, similar to that which has placed Mr J. W. Bcanland in the field for the Mayoralty; the majority would very soon find that the Labour minority stood to gain most by the first-past-the-post system.” And now that Mr Archer is elected, while two Labour candidates have topped the poll for the election of councillors, the Citizens’ Association may see the force of the argument for proportional representation, which not only precludes the possibility of minority rule, but also puts a heavy premium on individuality in the candidates and eliminates party make-weights.