REFORM OF CRIMINALS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10195, 24 March 1911, Page 5

REFORM OF CRIMINALS.

r TRIBUTE TO DR. FINDLAY. '

REMARKS BY A JUDGE,

GISBORNE, Last Night

At the Chamber of Commerce banquet last night s some, interesting re--marks: oir the difficulties qf; reforming criminals were made by Mi* v-Justice Chapman. Hesaid that so far-as the judges and magistrates were concern? Ed they had really very little to do with the question of reform; they coUld only exercise the j>owers rested in them.,lf | one would tell him how to reform the criminal he .would tlianfi; him quickly enough; There were, however, in New; Zealand. men connected with the administration of justice who, without professing to know how to reform those tonforturiato people, were really trying to solve the problem. Ci;ime and its treatment had for many years to I 'him. a very depressing thing. As a boy he' had seen crowds of criminals ' marching between the* Old Bailey and ■Newgate. Th&y all"looked like ruffians;' ■6f various kinds. He Used' even then -to wonder if it was possible to do any-i :,thing foivthem. Was it veally possible that they, could be reformed? A great many people asked themselves the question, hut none could. a.nswer the question save those; who said : -"re* form." To this day there was the sama problem, and it had not been properly answered, but there were earnest people in this country who were really trying to answer this question , aiid trying to put their ideas into practice. He gave credit to the Hon. Dr. Findlay as being the first and foremost among them. This matter was a blot on civilisation. No other country had, however, done much better. He did not say one could go far in the matter-of reform of hardened criminals, but ifc was possible to try to do something in the case of those who were in the budding stage. They ooukl see if something could not bii done by making them work in a rat iona? way. If something be dpjni> in that way a greiat deal would, have li sen achieved. Crime was, however, not a serious disturbing factor in our daily life; as a matter of fact the criminality of our country was trivial,but we feel, and ought to feel naturally, that something more should be done to try to eradicate criminals ] who are a standing disgraco to civilisar tion. ' . ' '