TREE PLANTING STATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 152, 18 June 1908, Page 2

TREE PLANTING STATIONS.

SENSATIONAL ALLEGATIONS BY A PRISONER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Wednesday. A prisoner who served a portion o; his sentence at Dumgrce camp, Marlborough, states that lie was one of the leading spirits in a campaign of persistent and systematic breaking of ine rules of the camp. He had a number pf grievances against the administration of the prisoners generally, and therefore endeavored to be brought before the Court to state his case. He alleges that a section of the men had an absolut ily free run of the place, although, everybody was expected to keep within certain boundaries. As soon as things were fairly quiet in his cabin he and his three mates would unscrew the Io:!v from the door, and three of them would roam the country to their heart's content, the other man remaining in the cabin to re-fastcn the lock in case of a warder trying it at any time during the night. The officer, however, found i-.it what was going on and padlocked me door, but. the prisoners continued Co gain liberty by lifting out the window frame. The inmates of other cabins adopted similar means to get out into the open air. This man further stales that prisoners robbed the station and rabbiters' camps, .stuck up people for money and toliacco, killed sheep, thivw some of their tools into the river, smuggled drink into the camp, and buried bundles of trees instead of planting them. They also cut the roots of some trees before putting them into .he ground. THE STORY DISBELIEVED. Wellington, Wednesday. The Minister for Justice doubts \ lie truth of the story told by the ex'prisoner of the Dumgree tree-planting camp regarding the, conduct of prisoners. This is the first he has heard of it, and it is a remarkable thing people alleged to have been stuck up never reported the occurrence. The Minister defends the treeplanting system, and, while admitting that defects have been shown to exi't, he contends they are far outweighed by the, advantages.