SHOP LIFTING.

Otaki Mail, 10 January 1923, Page 4

SHOP LIFTING.

POSITION IN AUCKLAND.

Auckland, Friday. Shopkeepers in Auckland are agreed that the shops were never freer from the shop-lifting pest than during the recent Christmas rush. According to most of the business

people who were questioned, the planning of improved supervision of sales on and outside the counter, and the policy of “warning off’’ where the symptoms were acute, and of tactful

but very obvious trailing iu doubt!ul cases, had helped very largely to head shoppers off from temptation of picking and stealing. They are of opinion that with the

continuance of improved observation, combined with the warning-off system in doubtful eases, and relentless'public-

ity in detected cases this class 01 crime will be kept to a minimum.

As an instance of the preparedness of shopkeepers in this respect, it might be mentioned that on Christmas Eve, -when one of the big houses was crowded and the electric light suddenly failed, a row of lighted candles and half a dozen shop assistants appeared like magic round the cash register, and almost before the shoppers had realised what had gone wrong the affected department was like a fairy chamber, aglow with dozens of wax lights, llie transformation scene was not a matter of entertainment, but one of sheer hardheaded business.