SUPPRESSION OF NAMES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 324, 9 April 1928, Page 8

SUPPRESSION OF NAMES

Sir,— • I was very much interested in reading m a recent issue of The Sun a magistrate's attempt at justification of his actions m suppression of the name of a young doctor, and the refusal of suppression in two other cases. The doctor was not only drunk in charge a oar, but had an accident while m the act of driving the car, while

one of the others was not even in his car when arrested, but had merely left the hotel and gone up to the car. Apart from accidents or anything else, I consider, and I am not alone in the consideration, that any person who is found drunk while in charge of a car, or even under the influence of liquor, should not even have the chance of paying a fine but should receive a stiff sentence, and no suppression of names under any consideration. The Act for the suppression of names was passed to give magistrates discretionary powers to protect and assist young people who through acts of indiscretion and ignorance, brought themselves into conflict with the law for the first time. What I would like to point out to the magistrates is that the struggling business man has just as fine feelings (and perhaps finer ones) for his own, his wife’s and his family’s good name as the well-to-do man and his family. There is as much honour among the poor as among the rich. Let those who do wrong pay their penalty and not be protected by the magistrates. SQUARE DEAL.