538
third quarter of 1903.
7.
The punishment for the more serious
cases would necessarily be heavier than that in common larceny
cases.
8.
It is difficult, taking into consider-
ation the circumstances of each case, the fact that ordinary
larcenies have diminished but more serious offences increased,
and the presence of previous convictions, to say whether the
average sentence for offences which have increased has in-
creased during the past quarter.
9.
The only figures placed at our disposal
show that the sentence of the Senior Magistrate during the past
quarter in respect of offences grouped under the heading of
entering and stealing, stealing &c., in the Gaol Return have averaged 22 months as against average sentence of just over a
month passed at other periods by Messrs. Hazeland and Kemp.
As regards minor offences, the most
numerous are those under the headings, of Opium, Hawking,
and Unlawful Fossession. Two other schedules which we attach
show
10.
(a) that during 3rd. quarter 1903, Opium cases had
relatively largely increased, but that the ratio of persons
imprisoned for non-payment of fines remained constant:
(b) that relatively more Hawking offences were tried
during the 3rd. quarter and that the ratio of imprisonment had
risen from 14.84% to 21.14%. This offence, being on the in-
crease, the Senior Magistrate raised the fine and the alterna-
tive period of imprisonment:
(c) that the 3rd. quarter is chargeable with a rela-
tive increase in cases of unlawful possession, and that in that period the ratio of imprisonments has risen from 70% to
86%
F
4