“AND CRIME WILL BE NO MORE’’

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 254, 27 October 1939, Page 8

“AND CRIME WILL BE NO MORE’’

VISION OF HON. P. WEBB ADDRESS TO POLICE OFFICERS ( I’er Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 26. The vision of a golden age when crime would disappear, made possible only by the dissolution of the present economic system, was conjured up by the Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Labour, addressing police officers at their annual conference. He said it seemed to him that in a society which allowed some of its people to be driven to degradation and penury while it allowed others, to grow enormously wealthy crime was inevitable. “We want,” he said, "to lay the foundation of a society in w'hich crime will be practically unheard of and in which every human personality is given a chance to flower in all its beauty. Crime would then be only the outcome of mental instability ana persons so suJfering would be treated pathologically in the same way as those who suffered physical ills." The police officer who could do most good was the one who had a pretty good knowledge of psychology. "After all, your job is not primarily to put people in cells, but rather tG pre-vent their reaching the stage when that this is necessary. "As most of you Kiiow, of course, I know something of prison life from actual experience.” said Mr. Webb. ‘4 have been associated with many police officers as friends and I also have been under their charge. Some of those whose duty it was to arrest me were among my best friends. They ; had to act according to the law. f acted against the law and they did . their duty by apprehending me and I : have no feeling whatever against them for so doing, faced with similar circumstances. I would do the same to-morrow and some of your members would do the same as they did. I would not blame them. I would bla»ie them if they did not arrest me.”