BREACHES OF THE LAW

Taupo Times, Volume 20, Issue 7, 28 January 1971, Page 5

BREACHES OF THE LAW

A drastic system to enforee the payment of penalties for law breaches is being' worked out in high circles. It follows the report of the Justice Departmeat committee 011 fines enforcement. This made the following points: The switch from prison sentences to exemplary fines for younger offenders is good only if the offender's debt to the commimity is paid. Too many young offenders avoid payment of fines either because they do not have enough money or because they decline to amend their way of life to do so. For these the committee recommended recovering „ fines from wages, from realisation of assets, and from pressure applied by driving disqualification. :!•' Work It Out A11 eminent authority suggests that fines are not the answer, unless they are related to something in the possession of all offenders. ; An assessment of an offender's debt to the community, he says, must be backed by the assurance that he can and will pay. The periodic detention system has proved that it is feasible for a young offender to work off his debt to the community. An extension of this scheme on the lines of the No, 5 scheme existing during the Depression would mean that offenders would pay in labour what they could not pay in cash. "We don't want the prison j camp atmosphere," the auj thority told me. "But there j are many jobs related to ; national and regional public

works which would lend themselves to this method— and hard work is the best method of meeting obligations." ^ >! >; The Commonwealth As predicted, the conference of Commonwealth leaders worked around, after early compliments and generalities were exchanged, to an attack on Britain's reported intention to sell arms to South Africa. Those lovely, meaningless phrases like "tough bargaining" about- this and about a formula on racial discrimination adorned correspondents' dispatches. What actually happened will remain obscure, until someone with an international name, who hasn't been near the conference, will define the issues. In the meantime, most of the diplomatic sweat being generated in Singapore has been related to a formula for the final statement which will be acceptable to all. But the Commonwealth, whatever it is after last week, still stands. * sjc :!'• t'fi Anniversary Day The Capital worked through its Anniversary Day last Friday — and then clclsed on Monday to celebrate it. There were no gatherings at national shrines, and nobody paused even briefly at the Centennial Memorial on the Petone foreshore where the first Wellington settlers landed on January 22, 1840, or at the nearby Celtic cross where the first service was held. Wellingtonians either went to the races or scrambled to be first out of town by air, road or sea. A quick check revealed that only a small percentage of people knew what the holiday was about. Three who answered said: "It's in the award. I'm paid for it." That seems as good an answer as any. Most early settlers have no grave to turn in anyway— since they dug up Bolton Street Cemetery to make room for the motorway. * Stabilisatioii The year 1971 has come in with an all-out drive to stabilise the economy. The price freeze, plus its extension, have been balanced with strong and somewhat tense whispers concerning what amounts to a wage freeze. If this happens, the president of the Federation of Labour, Mr T. E. Skinner, will not be unprepared. He is now in Antarctica as a guest of Operation Deep Freeze. But meetings at heads-of-department level traced an odd pattern right up to Anniversary Day. When you see relays of meetings lining up between the Minister of Labour, the Manufacturers' Federation, and the Federation of Labour, plus the top brass of Treasury, Industries and Commerce and the like, you can bet. something positive will come of it, and soon. My bet is a modified award procedure which would amount to a. wage freeze. $ ❖ % Another Bali H'ai Frustrated Wellingtonians are thinking of rechristening

Somes Island, in Wellington Harbour, Bali H'ai — after that fantastic, unattainable island in the musical "South Pacific." For after more than a century of seclusion, it is now more unattainable than ever. People who put so much as a foot on the island have been threatened with prosecution by the director of the animal health division of the Agriculture Department. The reason, of course, is that Somes is now thoroughly confirmed as New Zealand's principal animal quarantine station. The new structures there include a maximum-security building which cannot be entered or left unless the candidate first strips, showers, and is disinfected. The forbidden island is a constant temptation to harbour yachtsmen and others — but it's really

an unattractive place, I'm told. % ❖ National Anthem There are signs that a widespread campaign to preserve our National Anthem is developing. One handwritten letter I reeeived recently calls on the citizens of New Zealand to unite against the machinations of Jaycee International to talk us into replacing the tune. I'm a little baffled about the intensity of this appeal, which is linked in to our British heritage, the demise of the Empire, and all the rest. With all due respect, I seem to remember that the anthem originated as an 18th Century music-hall ditty, and I have never liked its crudely - expressed sentiments. But as a symbol it

has meant something. However, our New Zealand nationhood has its importance during this time of Britain's self-imposed withdrawal. So . . .

— N.Z.C.N.A. News Service.