JUVENILE CRIME.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1924, Page 4

JUVENILE CRIME.

XFCI.FCT UK l)i:i'i:C'll Vl-.s

CbD Dc.riDINKS KXIM.DDI-'.D

In a lecture delivered before the tjiicen-land .lii-tiie.s' Association recently on juvenile mime. Dr \\ . ID Sylees. fonilei - !y of New Zealand, said that drimes were trn'onhit' to two s-iUrce.s lieredily and euvironment. Kuviri nineni, and e.specially education might bring out all there was in a man. i.ul heredity predetermined wlmt there was to 1.-iing mil. The lei Hirer said that formerly people used to say that the iio;|iiireincnt,s of one generation could be passed on I;v actual inheritance to the next. Fxl eetant mothers Used t i read the classics in ill-del- that their children should Ik- horn with a marked taste lor good literature. All biologists were now agne:l that aiiptiied i linraetors are not inherited. ‘■KN.KITS" IN( IM-'.ASINC.

There was no evidence whatever to show that the human race had improved since the daw n of hi-tory ; wlmt had hat pallid was that "e lived under improved coi.diticns. Fit: li imp. roved coiiilffioiis. tie- le; lillt-r In-Id. weie disas-

trous ft r’ the race, because they won* enabling many degenerates to live and beget children "ho would certainly lijivi- | eri'iied under former conditions. The unlit were so proiifiic tlnil they were increasing mole than twice a* fast, r.s the lit. who had to support tli,-in. When a human lio-e emerge,! lis.ai J.arbari'in into ci\iii'iii ion it had ils liigia si ipubly a.s a race, ieianse natural 'election had lor age.- been eliminating tin- degenerate and unlit, 'limy i. 0..; sic'lit lit-' In; Nature's s •!;• lion tic n-oii- linmaiu- methods o! segre»,-t ion of defective i liililreu. and steriii- :i l i-in by X-iays cl iiicsi of the insane aa-l degem rate a lilit.s "li.i Wole ll' l .segregated. 'I lie oj. 11 111 i- 1 ie do i line that we could improve the quality ol the race hv odmaticu and more lu-aitiiv sntiToiiniliiigs had been explo’.led MI'FsTIUN ii|-' HKDKDn V. KlCe'.lC; -'. h-..!i d:t v. t !•♦ -ie-tiller ■ell I tie- go: Ik • out; I all tec mental ami ]!iy--ii.a.l i-liui'ik let - cii-.s v.lueii an individual inherited from ancc.stois. subject to tin- modifying itilluci.ee ol previous scmiml unions, bi l tin- elm i-aet mist ics mipiired b\ an indivnlim! dining I: Ls iiietime wene no tt ia :c mil led liy the g"i ni ii-li.s. In tel l di-al ini. the i liavai lei.s of [lie iv.a individim!s iutermingli d, and reiiiailicd oiaistani, but -.-i:uc v.cie ii. n:in-: in . ami ni her-, mient. .) lot how lea 'iy gciM-tatiiill.s of M-iei led l.iecdim; wire rei|ttired to elimii.ate any i a.I liercditaf l , u:i!ity was unknown, lilt " lial w;;l. lam,-, a was that when a dele -I ive C.I-; M ceil con 1 jued with a ICO liml toll if Cijlial | cteary its virulence v.: - ii laced l\ half, while i ombiimti'ui will; a gci ni i ell Inn ing ihe same ill fe t:ve ipl.i.iU imrea- .il llm virulence in pioporti-ui to ile-ir relative potencies, •| he bt l -! ei* saiil that i-o-ry .-! iid s.jiulil b- taught tile dilfercnce between ri'-bl ; : I xiroiig. A ‘ i.v wb.) iabe'.-itc I criminal iii'tin.-t niiglit. by Mlflaliie tii. iiing. a . ii 'ullimci.t self-i ant lid to bin ome a m -fill member of the i oiiimiinity. The i-riininal recoi-ik were a soicmii ccmleiiiiiai ion 111 lice I logic: I of defective c'aibliee. ('lll l-'.K fir STICK'S CUM MKX'TS. in 1 rop-osilii' a vote ..f tinttik.s J >

tile leeturer. liis ll'nunii- Chief Justice M: Cawley said lie aw rood with Dr Synies wh.-o that geiulemau bail Used the term ••idiotic'’ in dc'i-iil-Jig

our ticat nii'iit ,:f di-fcctive cliiMren. Iniprisonmciit fir alcoliolisiu was full!- 'I'D.- iline bad come v.l-in greater at ten t ion Aind-i lime to be given !n the mediinl ;t'' d-t ii the lleatnicnt: of clinic. The jmiieiniy. instead of l-;-:ii--. iv. ■ ttin-il solely from ti e ranks of those conversant with ordinary law. .- in aid. in tlie ca.se of those dealing with crime, be eipiipped with scieniilic knowledge m appreciate the views of scientist'.