CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR 1907.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 65

CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR 1907.

-BENEFICIAI* EFFECTS OF LEGISLATION, i The police return for the " year just i closing will not be .completed until the middle of the first month in the new year, | but in course of a conversation with a member of our staff on .'December 30 Inspector O'Brien stated that from a cursory glance over the booke he observed that in the Dunedin district there would probably be a alight increase in the less serious offences; but, on the other hand, there will undoubtedly be a decrease in the more serious olaases of offences. "The Habitual Criminals. - and Offences Act, 1906," the inspector said he regarded as being one of the best pieces of criminal legislation^ ever enacted in the Dominion. ""It has," be said, "up to the present brought aboutmost beneficial effects, and it -is more iihan probable it will continue ,to do co. It has ■ certainly struck terror iiito criminals from the Commonwealth, who made it a practice to visit -this country from time to time ifydo what they termed 'the round'— that is, i they landed at Auckland, and visited every ; town southward to the Bluff r or vies versa* „ j and picked «P *H the booty they could lay ; • their hands upon! That kind pi thing has j i waned very considerably sinoa 4be act -came ] into operation. A few ,pf these oriminala ' I have come to grief in New Zealand, and ' iliay have cpmmunjioatotl Kith iheir assg-

ciates on the oilier" side, "strongly adrisirigj them to keep $.wsy. if they have any respect for their liberty. As regards New Zealand criminals, tihe law has certainly affected them in the same way — particularly is thia the case with the sober or calculating criminal, who is always regarded as the most dangerous; and he will not now taka anT risk, saying that the result, may be 'Kathleen Mavourneeji — it De years, and 'it may be for ev6r.' " As'xegarcls the- minor' offences,- there were increases in breaches of the peace, breaches of prohibition orders, and obscene language; but it is only the drunken criminal, who will now brinij himself under -the category of an habitual offender. The Gaming Ac< of ISO?, the inspector said he also regarded: as a very useful piece of legislation. sX already it had made itself fe^t in Duhedin^ /by entirely doing away with 'street betting, and had abolished what was known as th« common betting house, , one of the latte/ having entirely closed its doors. An6theif statute, which nobedy seemed to have IJakerf any, particular notice of, had been produc< tiye of a great deal of good. This was thW Firearms' Act of 1906, .which -prohibited tbJß{ use "of firearms by persoW under the ags{ of 16. Before the passing of that act the( police received numerous complaints- from; ! country farmers about valuable stock being" wounded and,, in .some cases, killed out-, right by the reckless use of firearms by^ young persons.f Since." the "act came intoj v force there had not been one such complaint received for every 10 received pre-, vious to the passing of the act. .From thia it might be gathered how "much ' the f armer, 1 had been .relieved by the passing of such, ' legislation. Juvenile crime, he was sorryj' to cay, had been very much on the increase^ -'during the 12 months.' It was difficult tof ' account for this in some instances, but in' others there was no doubt that parents did; not exercise sufficient control aver thei< children. That referred to children 'be^ tween the ages of I 10 and 16 -years. Tha , provisions Tinder the' Police Offence* Acjf dealing .with, vagrants and members of the|, criminal class who habitually consort wit& one another had ako been a law which, had; been instrumental in keeping a troublesome class in check.