CAR THEFTS.

Shannon News, 26 October 1926, Page 1

CAR THEFTS.

DRASTIC PUNISHMENT .WANTED. The motoring pages of the .Now Zealand newspapers are now devoting much of their space to the question of motor ear stealing, for the matter is causing , grave ; everywhere. Most of the writers, without offering any suggestions as to how a check can he put on the practice, go on to point out that the unlawful conversion is steadily increasing. One writer, for instance, follows up his statement that 80 cars have been stolen in Auckland in six months, by quoting similar figures for others places. All motorists know the danger they run in having their ears stolen nowadays and there will be no relief from this until much more drastic punishment is meted out as a deterrent. Solfar the Courts have been too .lenient with car stealers. It is admitted that most of the cars stolen are eventually recovered, thoigh mostly in a damaged condition, and in more than 70 per cent, of the cases the culprits arc never caught. Those that are arrested should pay the price, and perhaps a little rough treatment would act as a warning to the others. A correspondent to a city paper recently suggested that a car thief should be taken to a public park and tied up to a tree, and a bellringer sent round the town to tell the people that a motor thief is there, and bring along the eggs and the like. If this suggestion was carried’ out the culprit would think twice before he took another car. It is surely time more severe punishmc.it was handed out.