CRIME IN NEW ZEALAND.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2141, 6 May 1914, Page 9

CRIME IN NEW ZEALAND.

i Sir,—-As a novico in statistics, I read with considerable interest the figures of 1 Now Zealand ■crimo quoted by Professor Mackenzie in your issuo of April 30. 1 1 note that while he constantly speaks of "convictions/ 1 tho tablo on which ' ho relies is headed "numbers received into prison." This may well bo a dis--1 tinction with a difference.. I believe that it is not an'uncommon practice in ' New Zealand for an accused to bo found guilty, convicted, r,nd, discharged with- ! ottt further penalty. Such cases would 1 rightly be counted in a table of "arrests and convictions." But they could not bo used for a tabic relating to num--1 hers received' into since they 1 did not reach there. None the less, they committed and were.convicted for, in statistical language, "crimes. It 1 may bo that if the two classes of cases ' were added together, thdy would agree with, for examplcj the table of "arrests aifd convictions" for 1012 to bo found in tho current Year Book, p. 268, which gives the total convictions (under age of 20) as 285, as against- 129 quoted by Professor Mackonizc. The point that I here raise is one ofsohto importance, because, if well founded, it will be clear that statistical quotatiops by the Professor and Sir R. Stout cannot bo accepted as reliable. If not well founded, I shall be interest-, cd to, read tho Professor's explanation'. Perhaps at the same time he will also tell us whether "crimes" now dealt with in tho children's Courts wero counted in the lists he and I have quoted; prior to 1907.—1 ani, etc., • NOVICE.