POLICE AND PRISONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 7

POLICE AND PRISONS.

TO BE BROUGHT TJP TO DATE.

STATEMENT BY DR. HNDLAY.

!./^v,* t \-\ I * t *«*.''. , '?.~ r|t ' s M' : - : *>i' ! i*putw'N.i':' ~- ;'■ i : '■■-■>: ■■■-'%-\ ■■-■i: ■'.■'•'■ Chrlstchurch, ■' January ■ 28- "■■'■ 'v Dri Findlay, Minister for.Justice;arrived ,iu town from Wellington this morning, and .attended the social- gathering ■tendered to (Mr.vGifW. Russell, M.IV, this evening;' Iri reporter,:, Dr.'.Findlay '.'stated that,-, at - present,! Lβ ,was ■ engaged in' jrovising.'tlie'police'regulations,' which were': jnow-a-good and had never' .been', reviewed, since they wore''.originally ieazotted.-'.Chahges in'the system, /otouMinß , the process of years, had nebfessitaiod jbringing thfe machinery of the regulations up ,;tb dat-c. 'His object was..to''£nake..tile System imore'workable andoffebtivte, and'ho thought tliat'end .would bo achieved by tho alterations he proposed -to make. ■■-. '■-]■■■'■ .-' v. ,Thellinister.stated that his visit-tb.Lyite]-;ton Gaol ; to-inbrrow\vas the'first of: a series :of '■ inspections: which"'he' intended maWng\6f .thedifferent'. prisons as the, opportunity' of-fered._.v>-As: most' people would, be aware; the.. : questibh- of prison reform and criminology ; ihad ;engaged J a';good' ; dtolof. his. attentiou-.dur-: ■ ing vthe last few,-year's. -'Tho\system 'in' New jZealand had been working satisfactorily,:and;. while, it; might be possible to make i iinprovejments here : and there, ; Ko'did not intend to 'advise: the Government to 'make' any, ekperi-' 1 ,mentsor ; any changes ;that wore not/justified jby. the esperiences. of other.countries.. '■ The. '.new■'.■•■;brahbh ofjtho ; Vsystem"•■ .(tVee-planting ;oamps) had.answered very ,jrell, : ' and, not only. ;had good work~been:done','.but the-.reforma-'tive effect .had; been of :very great value. :P6s- , sibly,;that..branch of. the system: : might be ex■tende'd 'in-'principle..'-: As far as bpuld be cpnitrived,' the system '(tho-Minister folt) should ■.be reformative rather than punitive. ' ■ I!'--D.h-. Findlay said"that;he was 'alsogiving.' ;carieful a'ttehtipri to the question of.homes 'for habitual drunltards, and nvas considering ;several amendments of the law with-the view;of giving- a wider arid -more'effective sphere ito. present homes,: and other, reformatorr es■tablishineiits. Asked how it s was possible to jguard ap;amst tho escape of persons proceed-' iing:-to.'inebriates'.homes,"such as'.had. oi;- ; ,'eurred on one-.of the. co&stal steamers re-■ ■Ceritlyi.tho:Minister: said'.that ho had. been approached by tho authorities of some of the homes that were.doing tho best work,.cither ; cto,.'effoct-an alteration of- tho ,hw (so ■ that .when-a'person elected to go into a home he.| or she. might be conducted to: the destination by a polieeinan)j ;or in -the' altornatiye; to. ask ithfltf tho State should defray the cost ot some jofflcef of the home selected to take charge of itlie person' until thehome was reached. -:: ; ',pr,.-F ; indlay added, that -he,.intended tovisit' Jthe prison camps-, in/ the -'.North- Island arid go jntA ?the question of th'eir future developnient -with Colonel Htimo.;" The "question of emssifijqation .ifiid' selection of pnßQners. -for the !caiiips>as r matt*r. inrolfins; great difficulty (and care. ..The .Minister stated.that, the op-'! jpbiritmciitbf a magistrate to fill .the 1 position J -ideoliried; b.v ; -Mr. Kirk would be ; mado almost jimmcdiately, and, later on; fnrthor appdint;m«nts wbnld bo mado when found ■nocessar'y.i • ■ 'Asked. regarding ,, the rccommeridatibiis of 'th6-'W«llirtgton Law. Society as to poihtment.of .extra/Judges, Dr. Findlay said■ that hs.had no_thinf( tn;add to.'tho'odvetse re-; iport',of the. Chief. JustiCß, in:tho;'mattcr.-■■', Tho! ..'appointment of .'hew Justices' of the, Peace iwould ho consideved' by Oabinof within the uesfc. tew -The -appointment.of -new ■polio'e inepeotore. would:ho.annottnood ftithin the week and probably by Saturday next.