ENCOURAGING CRIME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 13 January 1932, Page 4

ENCOURAGING CRIME.

Due chiefly to the fact that the punishment meted out to wrongdoers in the Dominion is very light there is an increase of serious crime being recorded. Murders and impudent crimes continue to occur and the perpetrators remain undiscovered. Were the Bench to make the punishment what it should be there would soon be a substantial falling oft in crime in. New Zealand. The United States of America has tried pampering the criminally-inclined and that nation stands out as the most crime-stained country in the world. New Zealand has adopted a similar policy, and the only outstanding result of our ridiculous methods has been an increase in crime. South Africa has commenced to scrap its p licy of attempting to reform criminals —for the saying once a criminal always a criminal has much truth in it—and now the lash is being brought into use in connection with those who steal motor cars; in the Dominion we refer to this class of stealing as conversion of a car —apparently we must not offend the sensitive feelings of the criminal. Our Judges and our Magistrates need to be made of sterner stuff. We want more justice and less sentiment in our dealings with criminals. Greater support should be given to the police in their efforts to keep down crime, and when once a law-breaker is found guilty he should receive such punishment as would make him hesitate to repeat his offence. Giving probation to thieves and spielers is only encouraging law-breaking.