The Daily News THURSDAY, MARCH 25. PRISON REFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 51, 25 March 1909, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, MARCH 25. PRISON REFORM.

The dry bones of the Justice Department and prisons administration have been rudely distorted since they were passed into Hu keeping of the lion. Dr. Findlay a few months ago. Already it is well known that an earnest attempt ie being made to evolve, a more scientific form of treatment of criminals, anil

with that end in view Dr. l-'indlay has been for.bome time acquainting himself nt lirst hand with the atmosphere within the prison walls, while the opinions of Judge*, of medical men, experts in mental diseases, and criminologist!* have and are being sought with a view jto the effecting of improvement* in a I-system thi.it cannot have been said to I have been curative in it* effect. Dr. Fiiullay last week delivered a highly interesting address in Dunedin on the subject of prison reform, during which

he briefly traced the enormous change which Jias come over the natioiial- mind, and still more the national heart, regarding the treatment of the criminal. Modern penology recognises that the permanent welfare of society i:i respvet both of life and property mu*t in do way bo sacrificed to the well-being or interests of tlw prisoners. Prison reform, indeed, jus Lilies itself chiefly on the ground that its methods, rightly applied, will reduce crime, not increase it. It is clear, however, that a punishment that may deter possible offenders may have jiwt the opposite effect upon the offender, for the punishment may so destroy the offender's self-respect and moral sense and degrade him so as to inake him. a confirmed criui'mal. During recent years it has become jjrowinglv recognised that the chief way to reduce crime is to reduce the number of recidivists, not chiefly to deter first-offenders,' for the, greater number of crimes arc | atill committed' by those who have already been subject to prison punishment. The chief characteristic in the advanced system of reform is classification, and it is interesting to observe the difference between tilie ideas of the present and" the late Minister for Justice on the subject. Speaking on the annual Prisons Report in the House 011 21st

August last year, Mr. McGowan said that "nothing would delight him more Mian to 'bear a good, explanation of

what classification meant; but so far lie liad. not had it. . . . The Elmira system in America had been referred to, and .four yvai's ago that system had

Ibeen, held up in the Parliament of New Zealand as one that this country ought to follow. But before adopting it he had obtained all possible information on tihe subject, and lie found i'rom the reports that the Elmira system was not proving satisfactory. It was the same with regard to the Borstal system, which could be very easily managed in a country like Great Britain, but not here.

where the conditions were entirely different. It would therefore, be very dillieult indeed lo bring about the "elnssi- . fication referred to." Mr. MeGowan's successor lias shown, at all events, that ■lie lias some idea of "what elassilivation meant," and,, further, by his utterances, lino recognises the "wonderful results" ■of the Elmira and Borstal systems. But, now that the new Minister for Justice has spoken out and practically approved the contentions of the reformers, ,the Irablic will expect -definite action, to follow. The following passage i'rom the report of Dr. Find,lay's address has a painful suggestiveness; indeed, with its direct reference to a.n individual case, it seems to appeal to the common, conscience anil to the common pity:—"The defects of our system were due largely to a lack of proper classification, as was instanced by a ease that had come under his notice in the Auckland Gaol. There he hail seen in prison a young lad of eighteen, who, judging by his face, might make a splendid type of man. At the present time, being just under eighteen, lie was kept by himself, lrnt soon, Avhe.il s«e reached the stipulated age, he would be turned into association with hardened criminals and those who knew the Auckland Gaol knew what that meant." The thought of the probable contamination of that lad, and of others like him. must make Dr. Findlay feel very uwoinifortahlc; indeed, it should make, all of us uncomfortable and perhaps just a little bit ashamed. Sentiment may have improved; thoughtless hatred of the criminal may. for tlm most part, be a thing of the past; "t.lie sheer pity of it" may address a successful appeal to the heart of modern philanthropy; but as regards practical amelioration, how much remains to be done, seeing Mint it is possible for a lad of eighteen ("who, judging by his face, might make a splendid type' of man") to he deliberately "turned in" to herd with hardened criminals. Dr. Findlay indicated that among the reforms lie proposes are the utilisation of our smaller gaols for first-offenders and oi' the larger gaols for the older and more hardened otTenders. He would extend the tree-planting system, but would al- | low no one. to he transferred to a treeplanting station unless he ted the

gaolers recommendation and was examined by the hest "alienists" in New Zealand and pronounced by those experts to be a fit person for the camps. He also hoped to establish reformatory farms, where under strict discipline a •; 01In ff '"'l would be made to work and taught farming, so as to be able to take Ins place aftertvardis on a farm, either as farmer or farm lalborer. Tn conclusion. lie said that we must set ourselves as a p C op] c to see ttmj . our rmii'°r ' l,l " 00(1 , tinu: aml wit liout any [evolutionary changes, were brought into line with what had done so milch good ill other parts of the world

THE MAJJ NAVAL RACE, or!'",,.,'.''- U cO,,^ kw <'' that the people •b iid i,'l ar ° ,lraril - v Vnil.l. 'two or "'"•n'' l| ' S W,lWl «»l r-rT ion ~ou" < ,s: that niiiintnu i l " n ,,Io «;». sky-high in ten S■, i' iT 1 ' 1 ' 01 ' W,U| ' U'ousoad® of e ■"m'nZ <[ ym "r- " ,m > we <,are not Tl • ? 'V ,n,W ~re civilised. Jh' age instinct is exactly the same TT, i," a il° n as 14 ia in ' t,l(! schoolboy IlVthe tleVv'T \ li,lC !n tho d ™t anildir ns Ms * b °°> SpUs (leflan « V, nil dares his enemy to cross the line line itm ', ,8 /T"' r not cross-the appears in ill'! ?'? a ""me and mira*. fiennanyandTlah/a,'"';,;'; 1 ;

V fcvi-risl, building of"battlftill?|)s OI !!v •in-.HtTin.!'! r ,SU su l )rcraat T mav bo r.n'h 1, "" l' 0 "?? T resß rvc(l. It is 0 In demonstration of ability to 'I - t . . na '.' oll 11 'leadly 'blow ■" ' ae, „ maintained. Tt is wicked •" I <• world's greatest genius sll o„, 111.1.1 sl.vjniff rt-evices than in anv otW ">rm of work. Britain, ahvavs accused <litf lOr n,r, tio " SI ° f St ° lidit >' aml *h'- ' f ? sses aw y Mation in'con- * tiu* or destructive! enterprise The W 7 , oUlw " itllation is reason , ««e .owJopwPflt of DPenliar

of in'nti ' • t0 Hpeinl enormous suras " a#TOl f v e ]« l)ml , nt i 8 ' >,H 2? be ?" usei of tho innnonsp lmsiii!«omn». Indicating whatßritnin'sYi w i.«w tlm Miimate* for its upkwi) fa-nl jmleetl, the sum allocated by Parliami'iit W thirTv7 ePj ™" nw "Vone hundred t' i TV 115llho » pounds sterile, 'tu Tm TtWIV f 1 / 9 I,r( ' ntll awv. I JBBB Bntam spent fire times ns much on her navr as Oormanv was do ,i flntaia'ji 1907 expenditure was rfv .

ramiong. Germany 13 able, ilieipforo, t 0 Klicnil noorly Imlf as much. as Britain. , iiml it seems to to the intention or that rouiitrv to still further increase t-lic cxTM'inlitilro. In peace time tlie German I -\avy i, eoncentrated in o<ne fleet in ™"?r n i, mileMi Brita,V * Navy is f" au li"" tl ' l ' waterways of tile world; in"S - 'r 7' Iy i formi,1 «We 'flßlit"V stop 111 disfaTit waters. The sm«»es--1.10111 is. of course, tlitit a "reat fleet wJricl, is not übiquitous is not necessarily a skilled navy, and that it exists probably with tlie solo p„,.|, olie of cnn in# troopsliips ami pio-tpcthn* them There is, of course. lieMdes thiM.'ennan navy, the Austrian navv, which would almost certainly he mciwed, in case of war. 'J'he Emperor of Germany is nlprays credited with bloodtliirstiness. aiid n-iy of Ids reported speeches breathe slaughter. But at the moment Wilhelm ] 'comiwinds only the contempt of his

people. Germany j s dominated by the soldier. It i s -quite probable has no real desire la obtain a naval supremacy, which would only Ik- worth while to a nation that desired expansion of territory. Germany has not been, a successful coloniser. ' The military element lias always entered too largely into her schemes. Military meu playing at civil administration are as a general thing unbelievably stupid, as ' [ wilwess Britain'* handling of civil lmsi- ' nesis in South Africa. One point to be remembered, should Germany uver attack Britain, is that her entire naval force will be available and that Britain 1 must fight her without weakening our outposts. But there is also to be remembered that Germany will use her navy for convoying troops and will be thus handicapped* It might be possible to destroy both Germany'is army of invasion and its conivoy at one time, Germany had Tio thought o'f a great navy "previous to the accession of the present Emperor, and the small navy she possessed was under military control. The w.liolo modern development has taken place since 1888, a7id the army looks upon the navy merely a<* a method of protection during transport. One doesn't quite understand why William | of Germany should want to 'fight with : his uncle Edward or why nations cannot mutually agree to dispense with the barjjarities of war. The wicked thing about war is that the liwst men of the nations are those who are selectedl to be blown to pieces and that thousands of people who never would be missed stay at home in. safety. If only the criminals and lunatic*, the physically unlit and tin* decadent fought, we'.l and good, bul why the earth should be profoundly stirred into anticipating war because a lunatic Emperor began building a navy in 1888 is beyond comprehension.