INSURANCE FOR GAOLBIRDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1923, Page 2

INSURANCE FOR GAOLBIRDS.

SYDNEY, May !>. Strange stories often drift up from Woolloomooloo, which, by prescriptive right, is tho haunt of some of Sydney’s most doubtful characters. The police have just “released” a new story, which treats of one of the most extraordinary mutual protection societies in the world. No doubt if it we.ro registered it would carry tne title “Criminals’ Insurance and Benefit Society.” It is a co-operative organisation conducted by the bad men of the “Loo”, who pool funds which are to be used to bail its members out of the cells and to assist their dependants financially should they overstep the bail mark. The knowledge of the existence of this strange society came to the police by the constant recurrence of bail money from one source for quite a. number of different men. It is believed! that tho membership is confined to the specially qualified bad characters of the “I-oo,” mid that each member pays a certain percentage cf his earnings, or booty, into a common pool under the charge of one man. The pool can only be drawn upon by the consent of a committee. It is altogether a clever idea and helps the class concerned l>y lending a ceitain amount of license to their depredations. The police recognise that in some respects the scheme is quite legitimate, but they are also aware that it does harm in that it stimulates crime. Consequently they are paying a good deal of attention to the matter, but so far have not been able to ascertain whether the society has gone to the length of arranging accident insurance to provide against failure to “pull off a job.” __________