Untitled

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9038, 3 March 1908, Page 4

The pains and penalties inflicted on convicted persona by our Court show, indirectly, but surely clearly enough,, how utterly wrong is our whole system of treatment of offenders against public laws. However proper the conviction may be, it is not going coo far to say that in most cases the punishment imposed is absurdly unjust.. Neither the Legislature nor the Bench make any genuine effort "to make the punishment {it the crime.'*' The "Pooh-bah" in the Mikado informs his hearers in. a. Ha&y socket way that he proposes to make tAe billiard player dwell in a dungeon cell on a spot that is always barred, bat as we have said, neither our Legislators, nor the administrators of '' justice" display any laudable intention of a similar character. Taice, as a trumpery instance,, the fining- of a person for riding a bicycle on the footpath—it costs the poor man a day's wages at hast; money that the man's wife and children may need for the purchase of bread; but the wealthy man—to what extent does the infliction of the fine punish him? The retailer- of vile hams is fined £lO, while the adulterator of soldiers' food and the manufacturer of worthless weapons escapes scot fcee. If the " Pooh-bah V' system were carried out, the retailer of decomposed hams would, of course, be compelled to eat them, and the manufacturer of worthless weapons would be placed' in the forefront of ' the foremost fighting line, and provided with some of his own manufactures. Such a system is not practicable, but nevertheless there should be some effort made to ensure that offenders against the law shall be justly punished as well as justly convicted.