TWO STRIKING RECOMMENDATIONS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1206, 15 August 1911, Page 4

TWO STRIKING RECOMMENDATIONS

BY THE GRAND JURY. When the grand jury had-- completed their work at the Supreme Court yesterday, the 'foreman informed his Honour (Mr.' Justice Chapman) that they had 'two representations to make, and his Honour replied that ho was prepared to receive any reasonable suggestions. Tlio first recommendation was: \ That the grand jury views with alarm the largo number of sexual offences continually coming before the Courts—especially against young children, and is of opinion that theso olFonces should be treated with more severity, and by tlio administration oi corporal punishment where necessary. His Honour said that tlio same recommendations had- previously been made to him in Auckland once, and in ono or two instances corporal punishment had been, administered. Tho difficulty was, however, that theso.men were often "weedy looking" individual,s,' arid, tus the. lash had to be given uudor medical supervision, it was sometimes the case that thoso who deserved it were not fit to rccoivo it. Tho second recommendation. was that (he Lands Denartment should make it known as widely as possiblo that it was illegal to accept a bribe to abstain from bidding at a Government laud sale. His Honour considered that the only way to effectually do so would bo that such a notification should be read with the conditions at tlio timo of. tho sale. Ho understood that it had been advertised, but he would pass tho recommendation on to the Government.