THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public. Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1928. CRIME WAVE IN AUCKLAND.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5364, 14 December 1928, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public. Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1928. CRIME WAVE IN AUCKLAND.

Seldom in the history of Auckland has burglary and theft, of more cr less magnitude, beep more prevalent than at the present time, and in numerous the perpetrators have not been discovered. Passing, valueless cheques—as did the two men Stewart and Kitching, arrested the other day at Kaitaia, who are also charged with the Westfield hold-up—-is unfortunately quite a common practice, and* as a magistrate recently remarked, those whip cash cheques without discrimination deserve to be victimised. Still, in the fate of the many cases which have quite recently been before the Courts, tradespeople continue handing money over to strangers. It seemA incredible, but it Is done almost every day. Even the names of the drawers of those remote cheques are unkno.wn to those who cash them. Almost every day, dr night, as the vase. may be, house-breaking and robbery in some form or other is brought to the knowledge of the police. It seems strange that people, reading every day of robberies of one sort cr another, do riot exercise more caution than they do. Householders when they leave their homes —night or day —should see that their doors and windows are securely fastened. It is no uncommon practice for thieves to ■make a survey of likely premises during the day, so that they will be more familiar, with their nefarious work at night. In some cases men adopt the role of canvasser with the same end in view. In the earlier years of Auckland, even in the days of the Thames goldfields, where there were all sorts and conditions of men from all parts of the world, theft was almost unknown. Probably plundering wquld not be so rife as it is now were it not for the interposition of depression. Men who perpetrate these acts of rqb-i bery, sometimes with violence, are probably “down and qut,” without food or shelter. They become desperate, andi their, plundering proclivities have no limit in consequence;. With the premised help for the unemployed from the new Premier, sir Joseph Ward, outrages such as we have recorded will become less prevalent. Country districts are not the huntinggrqund of these precarious gentry. At any rate, Paeroa is fortunately hot on their map, for robberies here are seldom heard of, and, speaking of our own people, we can at least say we have an honest population.