The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1907

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1999, 7 February 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1907

In their charges to the Grand Juries at Wellington and Auckland their honors Mr. Justice Cooper (at Wellington) and Mr. .Justice Denniston (at Auckland) last week remarked upon the prevalence of sexual crimes as shown by the calendars. In Auckland out of twentytwo charges nearly one-third were of this class, and in Wellington, though the exact proportion was not given, they were said to be “in'considerable number.” Dealing with these his Honor (Mr. Justice Cooper) remarked that “it was a blot upon our civilisation that them never is .it sitting of the Criminal Court witlixnii one or more of these charges being included in the list, and in the majority of cases the offences wore against young girls. In the two cases iu which the Chinamen were charged, the facts which would be laid before them, would, he had no doubt, disclose a deplorable state ■of immorality—immorality not only ■ oil the part of the two persons alleged to have committed the offences, [ but on the part of the two girls on whom the offences were committed.” 'These two cases give a fair idea of 1 the condition of society in the »''hinese slums of "Wellington where ■ , ’ticking of tho very worst kind ‘ cja 'ttsed, and unspeakable de--13 pi at. unchecked and unprayl y gv the female particicontrolled m. to be un dor pants therein 1 / rs . For this the ago of sixteen , t] china _ ■condition of things . u , , have men are responsible, s* ~ n • swarmed into that and o^ber in such numbers tli have practically taken 1’ session of certain trades . the exclusion of British subjects. . walk through the Chinese dens . Haining street and other slums oi tho Empire City any night will couyiiice anyone who is not a depraved person himself of the awful state of morals in those places, and the sickening spectacle of seeing European women and girls consorting with human vermin in the opium-saturated hovels is one of the most ghastly and appalling sights that one can witness Yet it may be seen whenever curiosity or other object prompts one to pay a visit to those dens of infamy conducted by a reliable guide who “knows his way round.” The China-

man’s business makes him a liouso-to-houso visitor, and ns his code of morals is not of tho standard class, ho is over on the look out for chances to alluro tho unwary with his blandishments and deludo thorn with lii.s sickly smiles into tho dons that aro always gaping for tlioir reception. His innate cunning saves him from mistakes that would laud less cautious adventurers in gaol, and ho usually succeods where other less practised seducors would fail. His proverbial industry and cleverly assumed innocence affords him a thick cloak wherewith to screen his great villnny, and thousands of gills are ruined before the public gaze is turned upon that direction or is able to penetrate the cloak with which lie is surrounded, and which tho law is slow to ponotrnto. Occasionally one gets caught in tho meshes of tho law, and on this occasion wo find a braco of them accused of their crimes before a Judge who is horrified at tho details sot bofore him. II tlieso wore isolated cases ono could - readily understand tho reluctance of ! respectable people to treat the Clunky as ho deserves to bo treated as a rulo on account of the moral dangers that accompany any contact with him; but, although tho Courts records do not furnish a plethora of convictions, his natural habits of living afford unbounded, examples.of depravity; yet respectable people eontinuo to support and encourage him in tlioir midst until, as wo have said, certain classes of trade havo entirely fallen into liis hands. It is clear thoreforo that tho public have not yet realised the full measure oi danger resulting from business contact with a class of people who havo no standard of morals, and whose presence in a community is always a inonaeo to nil that is good, and upright, and virtuous. If the public could only bo brought to realise this the boycott would be at once applied, and “tho blot upon our civilisation” of which Judge Cooper spoke in liis ohargo to tho AVellington Grand Jury would be removed without the intervention of the law. But after all the community, like tho individual whose house, though not all glass, is in part not impervious to a projected stone, should protect its own transparent parts before it commences to fling missiles at the windows of the Chinaman’s den, and the “considerable number” of sexual offences committed by Europeans destroys the consistence of throwing stones at them before putting its own house in order ,desirable though it is to make a start towards improvement somewhere. The problem presented by tho increasing number of crimes of tho description referred to is not an easy one to solve; but there is a cause for it, and the first thing to be done towards minimising the crimes is to discover and remove the cause if that is possible Apart from the moralist aspect of tile question, it is a serious problem, and one upon which purely punitive measures will have little effect so long as society tolerates the presence of tho reputed fornicator and the wily seducer, and withholds its ostracism until they happen to be convicted in a Court of Justice.

The Gisborne Racing Club’s summer meeting commences to-day at the Park Racecourse. Tho finest flower show ever held in the colony was opened at the Exhibition yesterday. The Auckland Garrison, Gisborne City, and Salvation Army bands were proceeding by the Alaiiuka laot nigh’; for Christchurch. Mr. Harold B. Carr is gazetted as Registrar of the Native Land Court at Gisborne in place of Air. John Brooking, retired. Hataraka Rangi lias been arrested at Tolaga Bay, and remanded until Tuesday next on a charge of stealing from Messrs. Holder and Lockwood s shipping store. Alessrs. AV. and E. Broeklobank's Hangaroa property lias, through the instrumentality of Air. AV. Lissnnt Clayton, been disposed of to Air. Claude Sainsbury. An advertisement elsewhere announces prices at which kapoc beds, pillows, wire mattrnsses, etc., can be obtained from the Spot Cash Bedding Factory, Auckland.

The Government intend to acquire under the Land for Settlement Act, the To Arai Estate, near Gisborno, containing some 10,091 acres (states a AA'ollie aton correspondent). Among tlie passengers by the steamer Manuka yesterday were Air. T. R. Aliller (member of Lloyd’s London), and Mrs. Aliller and maid. They are making a tour of the colony. Tho first race to-day will bo delayed a few minutes from the time originally advertised, so as to enable people by the 12.20 train to arrive in time to sec the first race, which lias now been fixed lor 12.40 p.m. The following team will represent To llau in their match with Union this afternoon: AV. 11. AA’ack, J. H. AA’ack, D. At. Gorman, G. Cox. H. Callan, J. A{onk, O. R, Olsen, H. Andrews, AV. Andrews, H. Alaude, and J. AlcColl. The return from the social on Tuesday night, though yielding a profit, did not clear up the whole deficit in the fund to send the band to Christchurch, there being still a shortage of about £ls when accounts were cleared up. The Band left bv the Manuka last evening.

The first two heats of the Poverty Bay Rowing Club’s Single Sculls, for Mr. Broad’s cup, were rowed oil last evening, when A. Pritchard (IBsec) defeated H. Taylor (15scc) after a good race. The second heat resulted fn a victory for T. Sheen (15sec) over J. Webb (ISsec). This was a very closo finish, Webb having the lead all the way until within two hundred yards from homo, when Sheen put in a fine sprint and won by a quarter of a length. To-night McGufFic meets Murray and McLeou meets Somervell. Wo have received a bulky volume of print' from -the Government Printer containing, the whole of tbo correspondence, letters, and telegrams relating to the death of the Right Hon. R. J- Soddon. These include communications from trotting clubs, private companies, mayors and public officials, rifle volunteer corps, cricket clubs, football clubs, private individuals, including natives. There is also a tangi chant performed by the Hon. James Carroll, and which covers about two and a-lialf pages cf foolscap. The whole thing extends to 287 pages of foolscap of printed matter, and the cost of printing 3000 copies, not including compilation, is £lB9 14s. Tho volume as it stands is of the deepest interest to tho Seddon family.

The draws for tho Gisborne Rowling Club’s handicap singles are: J. Pettie 02) v. Redstone (10), Miller <S) v. Neal (9). Harding (7) v. Harris (5), Williams (6) v. Corson (5), Oman 02) v. Pavitt (S), Anderson (7) v. Witty (4), McGowan (5) v. It- Crawlord (8), Primrose (12) v. Fordyee (12), Ponsford (2 behind) v. Crawford (2>, Dodd'(6) v. Craig (4), Nicholas (2; v’. Ambridge (61: Byes: Simson 2. Martin 3 behind. Birss 3, O’Meara 10, W. Pettie 4, Cussen 8, Wallace 4. Coleman 3, Hagen 10, Gaudm.scr.. F. Pettie 6. Euro 5, Robertson .2, Hookey 4. Bright 4, E. Lewis 8, Wilson 11, Hennessy 2, Paitriclge 12. Boulton 11, Morgan 10. The comniittce want tlie games started at once, as any in tlie first round not played by Thursday, the 14th, will ij-3 forfeited.

At tho Police Court yesterday morning, Henry Phipps pleaded not guilty to a charge of being found drunk in a public place. Constable Hancox stated he saw accused drunk on Mr Taylor’s premises. Mr Taylor took him off his property'and lie was arrested on the footpath. Accused jjgid that he asked for a doctor, tins was refused, as it was not deemed necessary. Constable Doyle corrobo - ated the previous evidence The Magistrate inflicted a fine of £1 and 4s costs. Accused was furtlit- cl ... Hh procuring liquor during the c - tr of a prohibition order. ConHancox and Doyle gave simistable -g Accused stated that lar % v> , ’ bad been supplying.liquor Mr Taylo ofit . The Magistrate to. him fo, P x w £ e investigated. .Acsaid that wc red licensed premises, cused had en 1 bad been inflicted, and a small fii. •'1 Heliberatelv broken. The law had bet “.v+ed and fined the He would bo com g' Si 0 r 30 days’ sum of £5 and cos jLp ’must be put imprisonment. A St Accused to breaches of this k J i f ' a7C liquor was recommended to r- - alone altogether.

The number of births registered in AVellington during the past, month was 299, a.record for this district.

The Secretary for Agriculture (Mr. J. D. Ritchie) lias loft AVellington for Rotorua, lie has boon suffering I loin a leg trouble, and- will take a course of baths. Ho will probably bo absent from AVellington for about six woolen.

Tho Stock Department has taken action with a view to making it known that it is ail offence for a storekeeper to sell at liis promises milk produced at an unregistered dairy. A line of £1 with £3 10s costs was inflicted. The Timarii Herald states that a Nipi'tli Island dealer has been operating in South Canterbury, and lias purchased several thousand two-tooth ewes, to be shipped north and there fattened. The price lie had to pay would not, however, leave a largo margin, and does not necessarily indicate more extensive “deals” iff the same nature. The owner, in getting rid of his flock for lack of pasture, stated that the forced sale mount a straight-out loss to him of £750.