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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 534, 1 May 1878, Page 2

Mb. CRAWEOBd made some very judicious observations at the Police Court yesterday when ' passing sentence on three juveniles convicted of petty larceny, particulars of which appear in our report of .the proceedings. His Worship pointed out the desirability, if not absolute necessity, of some institution being established here in the nature of a reformatory, to which youthful criminals could be sent for a'fOwl years, where they’would be taught useful trades under proper training and - discipline. At present the duty cast upon magistrates of administering justice to youthful culprits is a difficult one. It seems hard to send mere children to gaol—boys of nine Or ten years old—especially if ; they have to mix with older offenders; and on the other hand, to discharge them without punishment may be mistaken mercy, and only be the means of accelerating a downward career, possibly, only just begun, and which by the application of salutary but not 'excessive punishment may be arrested. At present there is good reason to believe that there is in this colony, and especially in Wellington, but a small proportion of crime of any kind. The great' majority of the population are in comfortable circumstances,: have plenty to eat and drink, and are earning fair wages, whilst others are inaffluent circumstances, and very few indeed can be termed,paupers, although here, as everywhere else, there - is; a small percentage of them. This being the case there is little temptation to crime, especially that of theft. Writers on criminalities say that, as a rule, if you fill'a man’s pocket and his stomach, crime will bo absent from his heart, and in the main they are probably right. Some no doubt are naturally or hereditarily vicious, but these form but a small proportion of the population hero; and, as a rule, tho rising generation are well brought up, and present a striking contrast to that of Melbourne and some other centres of population in Australia, where tlie larrikin element is so strong as to; have become a national nuisance, requiring special legislation. As notwithstanding our comparative immunity from larrikinism, wo are not wholly exempt from this evil; which may possibly bo a growing one, it is certainly right and proper that it should be nipped in the bud; and as sending boys to gaol is not a desirable course to pursue, some other means of dealing with them should be adopted. It seems to us that tho suggestion of the Resident Magistrate as to the establishment of a refor-: matory is a good one, and well worthy of the attention of the authorities.