DRUNKENNESS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3528, 24 August 1926, Page 4

DRUNKENNESS

WHERE NEW ZEALAND STANDS. The number of convictions for drunkenness, including drunkenness with disorderly conduct, during 1925 totalled 7702 against males and 404 against females. In addition, convictions were entered in 1.546 cases of applications for the issue of probation orders. This information is contained in a report which has just been compiled by the Statistics Office, Wellington.

Of the 8106 convictions for drunkenness during 1925, 7,744 (7,350 males and 394 females) were arrest cases, while 362 (352 males and 10 females) were cases brought before Magistrates by summons.

Among the New Zealand-born population (including Maoris) there is evidence, states the report, of less drunkenness than among persons who have come from abroad. It will be seen that in all except the highest and the lowest of t'he age groups given in the following table the percentage of convictions of New Zealand-born males is lower than the corresponding percentage of population, while the reverse is, of course, true in respect of males born outside t'he Dominion.

Dealing with arrests only (males 7350, females 394; total 7744) it is found that the number of distinct persons convicted of this offence was 4783 (4561 males and 222 females), or 02 per cent, of the total “arrest” convictions for drunkeness.

The total convictions for all offences (arrests only) in 1925 were 13,848, but the distinct convictions amounted to only 11,719, the former total including 2129 convictions for multiple charges against the same person. Of the latter, 1119 were in respect of charges dealt with at the same time as the offender was convicted of drunkenness, the principal associated offences being: Number of Offence convictions. Common assault • • Theft • • 46 Wilful damage • • Assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police . • • 105 Indecent, riotous, or offensive conduct •• 158 Obsfeene, threatening, or abusive language ' • • 87 Vagrancy Breaches of Licensing Act .. ax> In addition there were 56 cases where a prohibition order was issued against a person convicted, at the same time, of drunkenness. . Drunkenness is usually met with a fine, and returns for 1925 showing tnat of the 8106 persons convicted of drunkenness as many as 4972 were fined, while 850 went to gaol in preference to paying the fine, 198 were peremptorily imprisoned, and 37 (inducing 19 habitual drunkards) eonmitteed to a Sa - vaJon Armv Home, or other such institutions. Tbirtyj-fmr convicted persons were ordered to come up for sentence, no fewer than I,JBo were convicted and discharged, while 2 were placed on pobMion and rn order was mad 3 a2B eas-