1954 NEW ZEALAND REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MORAL DELINQUENCY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS _Laid upon the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave_ BY AUTHORITY: R.E. OWEN, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, WELLINGTON.--1954 20 September 1954. The Right Honourable the Prime Minister, Wellington. Sir, Having taking into consideration the matters referred to us on 23 July 1954, we submit herewith the report and recommendations upon which we are all agreed. Accompanying the report, for purposes of record, are four volumes containing the evidence of the witnesses who appeared before us and a large file of the submissions which were made in writing. We have the honour to be, Sir, Your Obedient Servants, O.C. MAZENGARB, Chairman. R.A. BLOODWORTH } J. LEGGAT } G.L. MCLEOD } Members. Lucy V. O'BRIEN } J.S. SOMERVILLE } F.N. STACE } _The Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents_ CHAIRMAN Dr OSWALD CHETTLE MAZENGARB, Q.C. MEMBERS Mrs RHODA ALICE BLOODWORTH, J.P. (_Children's Court_). Mr JAMES LEGGAT, E.D., M.A., _Headmaster, Christchurch Boys' High School_. Dr GORDON LOGIE MCLEOD, LL.B. (N.Z.), M.B.Ch.B. (N.Z.), D.P.H. (Eng.), _Director, Division of Child Hygiene, Department of Health_. Mrs LUCY VERONICA O'BRIEN, _Vice-President of Women's Auxiliary of Inter-Church Council on Public Affairs: Arch-Diocesan President, Catholic Women's League_. Rev. JOHN SPENSER SOMERVILLE, M.C., M.A., _Chairman of the Inter-Church Council on Public Affairs_. Mr FRANCIS NIGEL STACE, B.E.(Elec.-Mech.), B.E.(Mech), _President, N.Z. Junior Chamber of Commerce_. SECRETARY LEN JOSEPH GREENBERG, O.B.E., J.P. _Contents_ _Page_ I. Preliminary Observations-- (1) Sensational Press Reports 7 (2) Press Reports from Overseas 8 (3) A World-wide Problem 9 II. Order of Reference and Procedure followed 10 III. Narrative-- (1) The Hutt Valley Cases 11 (2) Cases in Other Districts 13 IV. Has Juvenile Immorality Increased?-- (1) Difficulties of Comparison in Absence of Statistics 13 (2) Unreliability of Available Statistics for Comparative 14 Purposes