AUCKLAND NOTES.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2124, 25 October 1875, Page 2

AUCKLAND NOTES.

FBOM OUR SPECIAL COBBESPONDENT,

The Auckland Gaol. There have been two or three enquiries into the conduct and management of the Mount Eden Gaol s neither of which can bfi looked upon as having a satisfactory termination. This result has been brought about through various causes. The immense power placed in the hands of the gaoler, the inevitable punishment which would follow any prisoner giving testimony, and the certainty that in all matters of dispute the visiting justices would act upon the suggestions or recommendations of those placed in authority, are strong barriers against the redressing of abuses or wrongs in public establishments of this class. And first as to The Gaoler. . The present, official is undoubtedly a man of ability, education and intelligence, but his old exploded military notions are still preserved and invariably followed. I have it upon undoubted authority that in walking round Jthe prison grounds, if an unfortunate prisoner should bjfcany chance neglect to salute him, he instantly goes to his office and has the offender brought before him for disrespect. The prisoner may not have seen him, but seldom, if ever, his word is taken, and as a consequence, he leaves with a bad mark against his name in the gaol records, which for aught the outside public know, may be the means of keeping him in prison until the expiration of his sentence, when otherwise he might be liberated before.doing his full punishment. A gaoler should be an active, strong, and healthy being, but at Mount Eden the reverse is the case. Mr Eyr.e is a mere human skeleton, continually ill, and unfortunately not much more than able to crawl about; and to give the control of an institution like this to a person so placed, is, to say the least of it, bad public policy. We all know that continued iudisposiliou has a strong tendency

to make such a person crotchety; peevish and excitable, and it may,", therefore, be reasonably concluded ; that i many will be sufferers by his sweet temper. In my opinion Mr Eyre should be called upon to resign, arid his successor appointed. It is generally known that; thehead warder has to do a considerable portion of.the duty which should be pejrforniecl by the gaoler, and this oughtvnot to be permitted. I dp not know" :the Chief Warder, but, from what orib heart'of him, he seems well qualified tb take his senior officer's place. '"/■ J There is little doubt but these gentlemen are perfectly harmless administrators of justice. One of them (Mr Benjamin is-very Beld«m^he^rff*dF Ih public, whilst the other (Mr Cheeseman) is before^ thei public just now m rather a prominent character, ag he is going through a process known «r "whitewashing." Why he.should continue to hold a judicial appointment is best known to himself. These two justices dispose of all gaol cases fcrougbt- before them and inspect the different portions'of the institution monthly. The time of their monthly inspection; for days previously, hence everything is put in apple-pie order, and satisfactory rejSOrts SolloM Wat dd your readers'imagme that these worthy geutlemen would think of asking the prisoners if they had any complaints? iNot « bit of it; they are above that —in fact, during the examination the different grades are standing in a line awaiting the word •• dismiss." The official visitors making so free as to talk with murderers, felons, fire-raisers, perjurers; &c. I The thing is impossible. I can only say that home experience, so far as one's reading goes, is entirely in unison with Inspectors, Governors, and those whose*H special duty it ia to visit prisons, ito enquire every day if prisoners have any complaints to make, and as a result a kind word, a gentle»reramder, or a desire to do what is asked, if reasonable, hate a greater j tendeucy to promote good discipline and lessen prisoners being brought up,for petty offences than any other course which those entrusted with the direction and control of gaols could adopt. Some time since, when Mr Reynolds, one of the present ministry, was in Auckland, he, in- company with Mr Swanson and others, paid a visit to Mount Eden, and your readers will hardly credit that even the prisoners awaiting trial were put into line in order that they might be-looked carefully into. Now if thi3 is not military discipline with a vengeance, I do not know what is. It is monstrous to adopt such a rule, arid so much absurdity was there in it that Mr Swanson has got the credit of telling Mr Beatey, the warder in charge ioi} theprisoners at the time, that if he were one b| them (the committed) he would absolutely refuse to fall in. General Remarks. It is high time the General Government appointed an inspector for the gaol, as the_ visiting justices are at sea as to.its internal management. The number of warders should be increased, as they appear to be overworked. Two of theni were lately found asleep whilst on night duty, one of whom had 14> days' 1 pay stopped, but the punishment in the other case lam not certain about. Officials attached to such important institutions should receive no punishment less than immediate dismissal for such neglect of duty. There is too much of the gaoler's views embodied in the prison regulations, and until they are revised and improved by a move competent authority grievances amongst the prisoners will be the rule. I had intended to go somewhat more in detail into many matters which should be ventilated, but this would occupy too much space in the present communication, and I sh«ll therefore postpone doing so until a future occasion.