THE CIGARETTE HABIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 63

THE CIGARETTE HABIT.

BOY YIELDS TO TEMPTATION".

AUCKLAND, February 27.

At the Police Court this afternoon a boy of 15 years, who 12 months ago entered orf his working career as a messenger, pleaded; guilty of misappropriating email sum* amounting in all to £17 13s lOd. ,The money was filched in various ways, such &a stealing stamps, retaining money jrivon him' for sending telegrams, collecting small accounts, and so on. The lad's father, who expressed his willingness to make restitution of all the deficiencies, explained that thek boy had contracted the cigarette smoking habit, otherwise he had always been art apparently good lad. He attributed the> dishonesty in a large measure to an effort to obtain the wherewithal to purchase* theee cigarettes. The Bench warned the lad of the mora* and physical danger to boys who contracted! the oigarette smoking habit, and took hinv severely to task for yielding to dishonest? temptation in order to indulge in the pernicious habit. In order that he should notf start with his reputation damaged by con* viction for dishonesty, -the bench decided tot give him another chance, calling upon the father to refund the deficiencies, with courts' CO6tS.