Two Boys and a Safe

Levin Daily Chronicle, 9 April 1918, Page 4

Two Boys and a Safe

A SPECTACULAR EXPLOIT. MAGISTRATE MAKES SOME COMMENTS. The moving pictures came in for some more criticism in the Auckland Juvenile Court on Saturday morning, when two boys, aged 14 and 12, were charged with having stolen a smal liron safe. It was explained by Chief Detective McMahon that the father of the boys was gardener to a gentleman who owned a large residence in the suburbs. One day the boys entered the house, the family being out of town, and went upstairs. There they discovered a small safe weighing about 1001b, and conceived the idea of stealing it. They rolled it downstairs, but in doing so made such a noise that their father, who was working outside, had his attention attracted. He got a number of people together, and cautiously searched the house for burglars, only to see a cupboard door open and his two small sons emerge. They put together a very good tale in explanation, saying that they heard a niose and saw a mur-derous-looking man leave the house. They hid in a wardrobe,-sand then removed themselves to the cupboard. Later, when questioned by two constables, they made a full confession. In answer to a question by Mr Frazer, S.M., as to whether anything in the moving pictures had led them to try such a spectacular theft, one of the boys mentioned the title of a film "The Voice on the "Wire."

'' I thought so,'' said the Magistrate, "The film censorship has done a certain amount of good, but there is room for improvement in the direction of distinguishing between pictures suited to general exhibition and those which ought to be shown to adults only. Pictures showing crime have a big effect on children—we have had countless instances in this court. Naturally they do not have the slightest influence on adults, but they do inflame the imagination of youngsters. Acts like this one are prompted simply by the instinct of imitation, which is in every boy. I don't suggest that there is anything wrong, so far as adults are concerned, in the picture that has been mentioned, but I do think that a little knowledge of juvenile psychology would be very useful in carrying out the censorship. Mr P. S. Shell, juvenile probation officer, remarked that parents might show more discrimination ever the sort of pictures they allowed their children to see. He thought the idea of special shows for children was a very good one.

Mr Frazer: The trouble is that one can't tell from the title what a picture is like. One must depend on the censorship. As the Chief Detective expressed a very high opinion of the beys' father, and stated that their home surroundings were of the best, they were admonished, and the case was adjourned for six months, during which they would be under the general supervision of Mr Shell.