MR. POOLE, M.P., AND PAKATOA

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 856, 30 June 1910, Page 3

MR. POOLE, M.P., AND PAKATOA

1 HIS EXPLANATIONS. In flic course of an address in Wellington on Sunday, Mr. C. H. Poole, lI.P. for Auckland West, made certain references to inebriates' homos. These were construed as referring (o '.he Salvation Army institution on I'akafea Isknd, and were challenged bv the oficials ol that institution, and M'r. C. C. Kettle, S.M., In the course of an interview yesterday, Mr. Poole replied to the criticism of his speech. "My reference to the reformative work amongst inebriates was not meant to cast a reflection upon the Salvation Army or any other body in its commendable work," he ?aid, "but considering the cost of maintaining institutions Uiat un- ■ a proper'social system might be un. necessary, it is quite reasonable to point out that many failures take place, and, therefore, the returns for the expenditure are not so satisfactory at they ought to be." Jlr. Poole went on to say that his inference to inebriates turning up at Court the day after their liberation had reference to the operation of the Inebriates Act in England, which had been under serious criticism by magistrates and "Lloyd's Weekly" on the' ground that the number of failures were an indication that the expenditure was scarcely justified. His remarks were based on articles in "Lloyd's Weekly" of Hay 8 last. On page 19 appeared the report of a case being heard at the Clcrkenwell Police Court, and in the leading columns was an article bearing on the case which contained the following sentences:—"Considerable interest has been created by recent criticism of the working and results of the Inebriates Act, and the reformatories licensed urder it. London magistrates, among others, have gone so far as "to declare that the homes are useless, or almost useless, as at present worked," The article went on to declare that very frequently a former inmate was before the Court on the very day of his discharge. Dr. Branthwaitc, inspector under tile Inebriates Act, was emoted as declaring tbait they started with the initial difficulty that 63 per cent, of the cases were either insane or mentally defective. "I was speaking on Surday night," concluded Jlr. Poole, "from the point of riew of the taxpayer. It is still my opinion that if the cause can be eradicated, and it can, then it is a useless and unnecessary expenditure. This is the justification fir the statement that the institutions do not give returns for the expenditure involved in them."