INEBRIATES’ HOME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1093, 7 September 1912, Page 3

INEBRIATES’ HOME.

Sir. —As we ourselves labour under most unjust treatment, and as there is a wasteful expenditure of public money in the upkeep of this Home without any adequate results, and as these conditions are brought about by the mal-ad-ministration of the Act, both by the Magistrates’ Courts and by the Justice Department (more particularly the latter), we appeal to you either to send a competent reporter here for the purpose of investigating our grievances, or to urge a public enquiry into the Home and our sentences. You will notice that under section 18 oi the “Reformatory Institutions Act, 1900,” very great powers are placed in the hands of the Minister of Justice. In fact, he can really do whatever he pleases. The chief means of procuring release is by political influence and not by the fitness of the man himself, We have petitioned Parliament and every member of Parliament has been written to and arguments in favour of the petition can be seen at the Ilcnse i f Representatives. We appe.-d io yuu to look into the matter at once, as we are satisfied that it is only through the press and public opinion that the red tape of officialdom can be set aside and justice administered. We

understand that the Salvation Army authorities are iu sympathy with ourselves and against lengthy terms of detention. Six months is the time agreed upon by all parties as sufficient to rebuild most men. However, iu our petition we ask only that men should go out if physically fit in six months, the fitness to be judged by the visiting doctor. —We are, etc., Inmates. [The signatures of 57 of the inmates are attached to the letter, and we are informed by the writer that a similar letter has been forwarded to forty other newspapers in the Dominion. — Ed.H.]