MAGISTRATES' SENTENCES
SIR,—A typist employed by us was recently unwise enough to steal a dress (valued at twelve guineas) from an Oxford Street store. She has been employed by us for some years, and we have always found her to be a quiet and respectable woman—in any case it was her first convic-
tion. The magistrate sentenced her to one month's imprisonment, without the option of a fine, and, in spite of the good character we gave her, this sentence was confirmed at Quarter Sessions. I opened my evening newspaper a day or two later and read that a woman of approximately the same age was convicted at a neighbouring police court of stealing from another store a dress valued, admittedly, only at five pounds. According to the lepart she was not sentenced to imprisonment, but was fined seven pounds.
This leaves me to pose two questions: Is it psychologically sound to send a hitherto respectable woman to prison for a first offence of a comparatively minor nature? Cannot the responsible authorities issue a directive to magistrates so that there can be some degree of uniformity in sentence in cases similar to this? I have been careful to make no comments upon the learned magistrate's decision, but let the facts speak for themselves.—Yours faithfully, RONALD OWEN. Rowe, White and Co., Ltd.,
4 Lloyd's Avenue, E.C.3.
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