PRISON-GATE HOME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 739, 11 February 1910, Page 6

PRISON-GATE HOME.

lt THE OBJECTION OF ISLAND BAY. iv •■■ • • - ■- .- ■'. ' o' '-•• '•'■.'■ '■ ■ ' r. " CONFEEENCE PROPOSED. - . n A deputation from the Island Bay Vigig lanoe.Committee waited on .the City ' s Council last evening to protest once more y against the establishment of a Salvation I' Prison' Gate Home at Island Bay. ' '; a Deputation's Case. I- Mr. W. C. Chatfield pointed out that 0 over '100 residents had attended a recent s meeting at which .the .matter. ; was.first II brought up.-- Mr. Justice Edwards .had a been present, and. he : expressed-- himself '- very strongly against the idea. ApetiI- tion had been sent to the Minister for V Justice, and' had been signed by 250 people : - resident at.lsland'Bay, .the.majority of tjie signatories' being ladies. - Since that s agitation had'taken place, things had • quietened, and; thero had: been consider- " able surprise in-Island Bay, when -Coin-: -' missioner. Hay, of the Salvation Army,. ' hail expressed the dpinion.that the agi- - tition was : purely a■'. temporary,, protest,. ". and "the expiring kick of. class'distinc' * tion." •On Saturday last,' added.Mr. Chat [■ field, the secretary of the Eesidents' Coin- \ riiittee endeavoured to arrange for a con--1 fei-ence with Commissioner Hay, but. he ' was snubbed. No conference could bo ". brought about, the Salvation' Army-hav-. ing ignored-the committee, and'declined '■ to meet them.- .They-were still prepared to arrange 'a,conference : ivith..the'SalvaI tion' Army .[officers,., hut. meantime .had ' come t6.ask the council-for'[assistance.. . The City ■ Council'had \ power .to prevent k the-establishment of a, glue, factory in' residential parts/, and surely they ought . to possess the right to protect, the people [' from criminals. ■■■ The- secretary-, of ; : the r committee'(Mr. C. Qdlin) had. written; to 1 Brigadier Bray as. follows,, and awaited a reply: l -"'.. ! : ...-' ; .-'. '.:' '.'■ "-":''. ; ;• "I am' instructed by,;, the Permanent ,' Committee, representing the residents and ■ ratepayers of Island Bay, to formally 1 ask ; you whether,your Army management-has', 1 ; determined, as-.inferred from recently-, ■published-remarks,'to ;establish• a Prisoh- . gate Home .'on the property acquired- by your, Army iri-the Island'Bßy-districtay-district of , Wellington. :;-. ~'\.;y. ''":',' •':■{-. '' "As-you'are aware, advances were made on behalf of the-residents to bring about: a friendly conference'during the recent visit of your Army'. Chief if-Staff,- 'Commissioner .Hay,-which.-my committee yen ; - . tures to 'think 'should have received' consideration, and courtesy. '' , ' ,V', ; "My committee further'considers'that after the strong'and inflnential'expression of .public, opinion' against 1 ' the • establishment 'of such a. Home; .it'is reasonable to' ask whether.'the published*; remarks at- . tributed.-to Staff-Commissioner 'Hay;'are ' .to'.'be' taken' as an indication, of your Army's'-ihtentiou-'to:establish-,:. a.PrisonGate Home upon the property referred to, or, whether sveh remarks do. n'ot.'repre- ; sent the'intention-of your: Army manage'm'e'iit. ''.-!.:-: '.: '■'■; •■■•.-' ; .-v' , '"• , " ■ -' ■ '■: ■'./ . ''In the event of- the former, or failure to receive- any. definite, reply .from: you., my. committee.desires me to say.that.it is the intention-of the residents and pro-perty-owners' to make every effort to resist the establishment of such a home, at ■Island .Bay .'to the fullest, extent of. their power and'-influence..',, ..:',• '."'■-, "-]':■■'<■.. s'.'*on; the other' hand, I- venture .to, express a-hope that your Amy managemeiit mil" carefully consider the: wisdom ;.and effect of ..ignoring, the - strong,, expression' of public-opinion iupon .the matter,; and will decide upon, the property for purposes.,to-which.exception,could not' be" taken. ; In this latter, connection, I, am sure:' my committee would : still. to "confer' - with .you. upon -the subject in a reasonable and broad-minded way. But, on-'the.other hand-,-I'can--'assure,you-the feeling-is'extremely strong:and hostila to theestablishmenfof 'a, Prison-Gate; Homo Bay., i-*,-..•'-- V .„-.■' " : ■ . "Ishould begjad if you will faypurmewith an."early, reply to place'before my. :committee."':. ~'■':: , ': :.'': , i . : , ',-, ',: „'- are not narrow-minded people, continued'Mr.,Chatfield, objection'to offer-if the homo is "used,' • say.for' 1 the'accommodation, of sick ; Army , people. .We are willing to'have them if they will carry on some decent and peacethere. If ; they won t-gi.ye us'an- answer,, we "shall just have to treat them Germans,' andlj 'go -for ''them!. Feeling on'the matter is 'just as strong-to-day as ; when' the agitation occurred, and we have come'-to the City Fathers,,ask- . iing.'vthem ; to': preserve. from this big bogey that'threatens us", ~i , . ■ A,The; deputation then .withdrew. .';';[ Motion ,to ;Set ; Up.a. Committee. ":

Councillor ; Cohen ; moved that <a_ subcommittee, •consisting ' of" the. Mayor;' Councillo'rs Luke, i M r Laren, Cohen; Atkinson;; Tl'evine,'--aiid Fletcher,: be"6et up'to con-fer-with'the'residents of the Bar,"and' tho;' Army authorities,'and. ; repqft toi .the council..' : '-'- ':■■'.'' '"-'V,, '■ ' ' . ,Y'ii ; ' ..Councillor ..Fitzgerald seconded, the motion. •■'■'■'■■■ "< ■'•' "'■■. :;' ~ '•-'" :: 'Councillor' Fletcher• thought the. coun-cil-'should "hasten.-slowly. ■■■■They.-had heard one side-of the question, and-they should-hear:the other.-: He'happened to beJbn ; a. committee which : waited, on •Brigadier'Br'ayj',and. it was then stated, ■that" the- very same opposition, that was bein? raised'to the starting'of the homo at Island' Bay had. been raised in-every place at which a home had been proposed. ■ Councillor Luke supported: the-setting up, of the committee. It. would . mean letting "in touch- with; both.'sides and ; bringing;.-them 'closer. together...;.-'; .-''■ - : VX.,''.,';;-'A-'Prondunced-'Opponetit.'''. ,'.; {■;■ ; - Councillor Hindmarshthbiight.'the council should, pay.-:some/ attentioh.r.to the wishes 1 of : the people"' of -'Island'. Bay,, who, were 'directly,; concerned, in -'.the 1 \ matter. The home' was .a'menace-to-..the peace and ■ happiness :.of the residents : of the Ba'y.V Perhaps,- if ..there had'not been: so. niiich'- fuss made about the 'matter' the' feeUhg'of.'-.insecurity.: would' not 'have been so ■ pronounced." He.. did-,-hot .believe :in the methods .of the-Army, and he did;not believe thesGovernment should allow.; the particular class '.of ■, work that • was beingdone ;.to pass.into ■ the.'hands' of private people..■'• ini ; his'-opinion,-' 'the'. Arihyi did not go into-tho worlt : as-philanthropists, but. because' there' was-money an.it. As he' had'said,' bo''did. hot- believe-in .the Army';' he;ha'd,!heard : women.in the Court say-that they w;duld '.rather:; Bo.' to , gaol than -into the Army: Home. ■' Money-ma'k-ing\was,.'-lie;'believed,:-to VaMargq-''.'extent .behind-.'their, philanthropy.' If; they'per; sisted''in ; «stnblishing' the home- ;atthe ,Bay,' •ho.'felt.'BufeVit''would»,-be,'.the 'very worst - day's■ wbfk, : 'they■had.' ever 'done. •in Wellington. '. He pers'tmal)y. : would use his best.endeavour,'to tiirn all.'the''subscrip-tions-possible', away from-. the.' •■Army, if they', persisted'.in '.establishing -'the home.' Ho' hoped' Iho' "council''w<>uld:. face'the subject properly,'arid,';• notwithstanding that .the •Salvatibn^ : Army .>was strong- and influential ■ in' Wellington, ' would ;assist th'e-'pepple" of the, Bay in resisting 'the formation 'of the"-home. -.-■■ ..'.:.',;;''.: V ; :

'v' '■';■'-. '!The.Waves of ;;r^ ','.' Councillor .Smith* said it 'was' all • very iwell'te'say'you "dorilt'wan't"' the 'home in' your''own', particular ■•• district, but whereV he asked, .was: the .home, to .be' placed?. The eijiehses 'would'be altogether was iplaced' in'.tlie city .itself.'■' He -thought, it would 'be-a difficult'matter.to'step-' the." surge of: the waves' of ''reform' simply-; because of' the, objections of-theipeoplo-of.'a'.wjrt'ain^dis-trict. : ■.-■"''. ' ' •■■' '■'• (•'" '"'•"'•'.'-'' ■ Councillor M'-Laron- thought .that if "acommittee .was'set u'p.it'cbuld"confer with all'tho' parties, 'and. it-.should do: it :m : the interests •■ of. : the city.' '''...-•'• •'■-'.-..' ■ " The- Mayor '• (Dr:.Newman) :> mentioned, that' Brigadier 'Bray : had. called on 'him; and stated that a .decisionion the. proposal would be deferred. They were then v/riting to ■AustTaUanvheadauarters, and nothing would be dono until Commissioner ' Hay arrived.:' "If the'motion..is carried," added the Mayor, "a'conference will be'hold, daylight will be put into, the matter,-and tnevwhole thing'will be thrashed out." -."■•'' •;'■ .'-. > ' ' I ... The motion was then earned,unanimously: .i: ' •■: ...'-' : •■'•- ■ ■ ■■''■■ ; -,.-." I