"TIME TO PAY."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1910, 19 November 1913, Page 7

"TIME TO PAY."

NEW SOrllißfJS tO EMPTY PRISONS.

Mr. M'Konnaj the Homo (Secretary,, addressing Ijis constituents .at Poiitjiowyndd, Monniouthsliire, rejee'ntly, aecordiug to tho "Daily Jifaiil," said lie could frankly acki'ioivledgo his debt of gratitude to tho -tfiiibnist, Nationalist, and Labour members-of Parliament who ■iMivted wjtli like Libbjal Party in assisting .him to pass tho MoutarDefiojeney Aofe . ' . '

Next session ho hoped to bbtaiii. similar -goodwill and support for anpthcr ltteasuro which l'n-igbt pass u'nnoticpd' perhaps,in tho storm of political epntroversy, but which would'liarc, lib believed, ii far-reaching: and most ■beneficial _ effect on tho administration of justice.

The total number of persons iiriprisoncd la-st year throughout tlio bounti'y was fast nnder 151,000.. Of that total about 80,000, or over one-half, were committed, in default of paying a fine: was- a largo number. - There was room; herb for reform on a big scale. "*

AH ovidenco wiejit- to sh'O*' that -ohoo a num.,had lost his cha-rac'te.r and become familiar with prison life liig feiir of convtctioii lost much of its. power as a deterrent against briniOi Wb wanted' to keep tho offenders.but of prison aa long as ,'WO could, and if a fine was a fit ipunishmciifc for the- offence wo ought to loawe no stone- unturned to 'SOcUro its' payment. Indeed, front tlio point of view of the State tlioro was a very advantage jft tho fine being paid.. Tho State, got tho bbJidfit :of the mopOy and V/as at no charge for tho keep bf tho Offender.

But lie tested Ims case mainly upon the bad moral mflnfi-nce of .short terms of imprisonment,. Let Uiojii look at tlio kind of offences foi - which these Btt,ooo persons suffered imprisditmont h).sd> year. In no fewer than 10,000 eases tho cpjvvictions wore for offences against jqlieo regulatio.ns; m orer 1000 for offences under the Highway Acte", over 1000 for offences -under the Education Acts.! and over 9000 for assault. Those offences' might ho roughly char.icterisft.il as of a minor character. T'jmo to pay fines should bo given. TJie desirability of giving time had .been pointed out to magistrates in circulars from the Hoino Office on several oecivsiohs, and many magistrates had availed themselves of that power, butit had not been found possible by administrative action to secure any uniform or consistent method. If any general relief was to bo found for tJio large number of offenders who would be glad to pay the li.no if only they had tlio means, nn ■ ainendtncnt of'the existing law, bptlh as 1 to giving time and accepting instalimmts, \wis necessary.