PRISON GATE HOME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 6

PRISON GATE HOME.

REPLY TO ISLAND.BAY PROTEST. " ; THE OTHER > SIDE. OF THE QUESTION. . By. invitation of-the' 'Hon. "Dr. Findlay (Minister* for Justice), > Lieut.-Colonel Knight (Provincial Commander)- and Brigadier Bray ■(men's social secretary) yesterday presented.to him tho other sido. of the qnestion in the of their proposal to establish a prison •gate home at Island Bay, which was recently the subject of.'a deputation' of protest by residents of .that suburb. After expressing their keen appreciation of Dr. Findlay's fair attitude in deciding to hear both sides.before:ho exprcssed'any opinion,the .officers said that, .they would like first of all to rebut the allegation made by the deputation that such an institution would be a menace-to 'the.'-women and children of tho district. . During the 27 years these institu-

tions had been in existence in Australasia, and located in thernidstVof' : a good'class of houses almost everywhere"'no inmate . had/.ever . been charged with' committing any:<offence; in the locality of,, the; institution.,; It'.was, also ■well known, to all. ,students-,.0f the .question. ;that even!-should ajijr'.inmatV, leave an.;institution refusing to remain under: the supervision of the authorities,'':that : if he, was :bent on: any evil practices.'.he would: nroceed ;«s .far' as' possible from the institution,- well that if any offence, of any was'committed'near the.institution, inquiries "would be made as.to who.had left. ;..,■■-, ■ -.'..■: ■The' Auckland Hom6"\vas seated to;be : most atypical' of .the institution it was ; proposed to' [establish at Island Bay. It received the men from three distinct sources.', First, men who. had been discharged by magistrates on the' ;ground. tha,t-they were worthy of.;a .oha'nco. to reform ; r second,- men who having'.. actually; served,their sentence had expressed their dosire .to 'eonie temporarily under its restrictions and discipline, with'-a'view to enabling theni ■to start- in.'.'some:'honest, occupation in life; third, -men' who made ah. appeal tb'the-Army. to be allowed-to earn at .least a'portionof . their, koep .-'. in 'times of .distress,, and who' exr pected. that it'might bo some weeks before an,, appointment could - -be,; .found. : for ..them., The Auckland.'.Home.had-on an average .about 20' inmates,. of (whom hot more • than onWhird: or even less ,'■ would be composed -' of 'Class No. .2..' ■ The Auckland -institution: had been in its present .position'.'at Ep--•som.fpr.;the'past 13 years, doing a quiet,,good ,work:. .At its inception,, opposition was encountered through l the:, residents not; under- , standing; its,exact' object, but'it was .hot long ■before, their whole attitude' was changed :to .wards it..V '. '/ "■"■'.. .■ .'•" .' •'•'■ " '-,- ''.

3>r. Firidlay .was. shown a number of letters from leading citizens of Auckland, who live in the immediate vicinity of the institution."AH .bore linanimcijs. testimony to the' excellent character of the .inmates, and the institution. Among the "writers were' Mr. A.'Kidd, Mr. J. ;M'Farlan'o, Major Harris, M.L.C., Mr.'B.'Morton,' and; Mr. H. P. Smallbone. The officers next produced a. declaration signed by every ' resident in the' street in which; the institution .'is. situated. It stated, inter alia: 'Tor the time that I have lived here I have not-in any way found it,a drawback to this locality, and feel that our wives and children, and also our homes, ore as secure as'in any.part-of the city." Then came a batch of testimonials from householders in the vicinity, of the Christchurch institution, the writers : including Mr.R. Ellison, ..chairman ■ of. the. Addington- Education Board,, and the Rev. W., S; Bean, vicar of Addington. It was also pointed, out that Addington actually received one class of persons which would not go to Island Bay, as, they were dealt with in the-city of Wellington, '.viz., persons requiring a night's shelter. .Having only., one institution in Christchurck, the •Army had to' use it for both purposes; ;

The'officers, later on,; informed the Minister that-all industries employed in these institutions wore adapted to local surroundings. The much-talked-of rag industry consisted simply of the following :—That the Army sent its officers, 'sub-officers, or employees to collect from warehouses, etc., which were willing to assist the work by giving them the clippings of woollen, shoddy,' or cottons, and porhaps : waste paper. In no case .were, either officers or men sent, out to collect'.rags from 'ordinary households, but they did collect from the better class' of houses in properly-made receptacles useful articles of clothing for the assistance of the men who might become inmates of the institution, and also for charitablo' cases that were being assisted by the Leagues of .Mercy. The industries would consist'of mat-making, pea-sorting; gardening, and salvage work of paper and clippings. During the many years the Army had been engaged in these in- . dustries there had never been one known, case of sickness or any infection arising therefrom. In conclusion, it was pointed out that in Wellington it had been found impossible to • get a.site nearer the city than the one in question on account of the cost of suitable lands and buildings.' Dp to the present time inmates of such institutions had earned only Bd. out of. every Is. expended on them.. This was accounted for by the fact that the industries woro more for the purpose of employing the men's minds and time than to enter into actual comSetition against outside workers. They hod no oubt the place would bo a credit to the, Army, without being a nnisauce in any way. Had the City Council been in possession of the full facts, it would not have passed a resolution of protest. <It was also pointed out that the Army intended, if the homo .were established on the property selected, to greatly improve' it in many directions. Tho. initial cost would be between .£IOOO and X2OOO, at the very commencement. ■ ' '. .'..'• ": , '.