ALCOHOLOGY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 131, 12 September 1910, Page 6

ALCOHOLOGY.

CRIMINALS' REFORM. (Published 'by Arrangement). In many countries much thought is now being wisely and. humanely given to the question of how to reform the man or woman, or boy or girl, who has lapsed into crime. Mr. Winston Chunchill in England and Dr. Findlay in New ' Zealand—two very a>ble men—have lately propounded schemes for this purpose in their respective countries. It strikes one, however, that before, or alone with efforts at reformation, there should be some serious attempts at prevention, for pievention is better than cure. WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF CRIME? Some evil passion or desire in the mind of him, or her, who becomes a criminal; 'because that evil passion or desire was not duly curbed; or perhaps shunted oil into the right channel when what, ungiuided, leads to crime might under wise control be a real virtue instead of a vice. It is safe in saying that the very ibest of us has rising- within him, or her, sometimes a desire for sometime which is not right; but the good judgment or the right principle of conduct acts as a restraint or a guide. What is it that so often perverts, deadens, paralyses that good judgment or sense of right and fitness? According to the best authorities nothing destroys the higher and nobler powers of man so much as alcoholic drinking. It is the alcohol that lets the evil passions loose, and then follows crime. All criminologists are agreed in the above, though they may differ as to the extent of the influence alcohol has on the whole. Let us hear a little of what Lieut.-Colonel McHardy, C.8., chairman of the Prison Commission for 'Scotland, has to sav. In a paper read at the International' Temperance Congress in London last year he showed from ihis own experience as Prison Commissioner that alcohol was the great cause of crime. In offences against good order the great majority were the outcome of drinking; then in] the petty 'theft class lie found from 50 to 60 per cent as drink-caused. It is often said, however, that the more serious crimes need sober criminals to carry them into Here Colonel McHardy

was very careful. He made a personal investigation into the cases of 50 longsentenced prisoners at one time, and great care was taken to eliminate error so far as it was possible. The results were that 34 per cent, of the men were saber at the time the crime was committed; that 34 per cent, of them had before the crime been engaged in a drinking bout; that 32 per cent, were to isome extent tinder the influence of dlrink just consumed. It is not suggested, he says, that a man in a state of actual incapacity from drink could carry out a burglary, but rather that-these house-breakers were stimulated by alcohol, or had their sense of right and wrong and of responsibility weakened and impaired. He made several other strict enquiries into the antecedents of the same class of criminals—the expert criminals—with the general result that from 50 to 7*6 per cent, of these crimes were committed when the criminals were more or less under the influence of drink. He found, however, that there were some teetotallers among) them, but only a small fraction—from 6 to 14 per cent, of the whole series of enquiries. When he went further and enquired into cases of murder and culpable homicide he found that 84 per cent, were associated with drinking. Our own Chief Justice, lately in Auckland, said something similar: "About half the crime in the Auckland calendar this session was attributed to prisoners having been drinking, or being under the influence of liquor." Another high authority, quoted by Colonel McHardv, said: "I do not know of anything which could be put in the place of strong drink which would approach it as a crime-producer." It =eems almost unnecessary to offer proof of all this; everyone knows it, though everyone does not realise it. Does not reason say that it would be better to prevent the crime by preventing the possible criminal from using that which is the great crime-pro-ducer? If we could so preach total abstinence that we could win this class (and who are they?) to it we should anticipate, in a large measure, the wise schemes of Mr. Churchill and Dr. Findlay. Dr. Legrain, of this: "There seems no more hopeful cure (crime and insanity) than the voluntary giving, up of this brain poison. There is no means of general safety of greater value than prohibition. United efforts are justly directed! against such poisons as lead and phosphorous, substances far less dangerous, with a view to their prohibition. With far more reason should similar efforts be put forth I against alcohol. To refrain from doing this would be a distinct sign that we mean to bow before the modern deity, Mammon."