REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT AND THE PRISONS BOARD

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 43, 15 November 1926, Page 10

REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT AND THE PRISONS BOARD

THE INTERESTS OF THE PUBLIC. I noticed by your paper this evening, the Hon. Holleston’s reply on behalf ol the Government to the Rev. Howard Elliott’s challenge to. hold an inquiry; including the actions of the Prisons Board in releasing certain criminals before their terms of imprisonment were completed. The Minister of Justice states that the Government does rot intend to allow the matter to stop. That an inquiry into the conduct of the prison officers and the treatment) to prisoners, re preferential treatment to : . Bauine, will bo held. Now, I as one of the general public (and 1 may say 1 am far from alone in my opinion) want to know why all this side-stepping on behalf of the Government—why try. to push the blame on the prison officers? What do we care so much re their treatment while in prison, so long as they are not treated with cruelty, but are kept there and so prevented from again committing their crime. But what we do want and demand from the Hon. Rolleston is an inquiry into the action of the Prisons Board in releasing them as they have done, not so much Batune, for, after all, his crime was pecuniary, but McKay and Baker. . Surely every parent in this Godl s own country” will rise up in a body against the release of one meh as Baker; a man who hqs betrayed the innocence of little girls, not once, mind you, and then, to be released in less months than his crimes number. And again, the man McKay, who h.V his crime proved himself a beast, anu certainly deserving no more consideration, yet he is given his freedom. Surely there is a grave wrong here.. The Hon. Rolleston says the. board is composed of citizens of the highest repute and for this reason the Government refuses to set up a commission to inquire into its actions. Well, there is only one way for the Hon. Rolleston to again secure the faith ol the community—that is, to give the members of the Prisons Board an opportunity to prove to a doubting public before a commission, that they are not only citizens abve repute, but citisens sufficiently capable to fill, the positions t»hey hold on the Prisons Board. They must have had reasons for releasing these men.- Why not give them the . opportunity to clear their good names? ... , Mr. Dallard, in his letter a few nays ago. told us that the Baume case occupied practically a week in the Supreme Court. Now, I would like to ask why this country is put to all the expense of Supreme Courts and the expense of Judges’ salaries when the Prisons Board can. at their pleasure, undo all they stand for? tt u I do not know the Rev. Howard Elliott, but. through our papers I wish him to know that he has the public with him and we ask him not to be satisfied with half measures What. the public want is an open inquiry. into the release of these men; this ana nothing else will be suffic,e ’^-'^ I A^TT. C ”