Prisoners' Paradise.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7992, 1 December 1905, Page 2

Prisoners' Paradise.

UFK AT WAiOTAPC (.'AMI'. Lite in the Uaiotapu camp is 'described jii an ! vrl;cle m the (Miristcluircii Press. written bv one who lias. so be says, been an unfortunate compulsory inmate. The impression left by the article is 'that the prisoners are a great, 1 deal bettor oft' than those in Hie gaols. They live ! iu lints, containing- four each, and ire unlocked at half-past six in themorning, have breakfast a-quarter ol an hour later., and set off to'work clearing the ground or planting* trees at half-past seven. At ten there is a ' 'smoke ho." and lunch, eonsJistiivg of lea and bread. is* taken at noon, when there is an hour's interval. The men get back to camp for dinner at live in the summer, and four in winler. I'Yi iu 'dinner until half-past sewn, continues l lie .Jivriter. the hh a are practically free, being allowed to walk about the camp grounds or occupy their time as they please. Some ndulge iu swimming, some in reading, while others .will take a stroll together, or meet in one of the huts, and have winging', etc. Thi. men are allowed to have musical instrum-. Nts sent to them. and a-t times u very good evening's amusement i.' provided,» some of the .men being players of no'mean order, At halfpast seven the men return to their respective huts, ami the key is turned oti them for tile night. On Saturdays the men return to the camp at twelve o'clock, and the. afternoon is spent by them, in various ways, the occupants of each hut generally appoint one of their number to clean up Die hut, seme go out collecting firewood. while others will be seen decorating the inside'of their huts with pictures and knick-knacks, to give than as homely appearance as I possible. Hy the tune tea is ready the camp and the men, with theii usual change of clean clothing, pn*svivt quite a neat and iid,\ appearance. Of course, no work is'done on Sun-days. All the huts are unlocked as usual (or the day, ami occasionally Divine service is held, in the ifternoon those who are entitled to .vrite to their rebvt-ons or friends are allowed to do so. As far as the work performed by the men is con•erned, some of them certainly deserve great credit. Some nun work day after day as if they were bein& paid the highest rate of wages, although no onv is expected to 'do work equal in quantity to what a paid man would -do. Still a fair day's work is looked for. atvd it is amazing the. amount of work sonic of the men do on the food tiicy get. At limes sopie of the men are callid before the 'gaoler to 'give a rea son for the small amount of work done, but.'as a rule, live punishment is nothing more than the stoppage of a week's allowance of tobacco or a canton, Some of tin* excuses given for insutlicH'nt 1 work -done ari. very amusing. One of the nun, 'on licing asked'how it was that he Ivad done so l-iHk* work, replied that tlw wind was against 1 him, and theiv some days later he was again con'ron'ted >vith the same question. Tins gaoler pointed onl thai there was no wind against him this time. "No." replied the man, '"but 1 did 'not-have, the wind with me."