PRISON CAMPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 177, 25 July 1908, Page 4

PRISON CAMPS.

SOME KSTRAORBDJABt SIW] DISCREDITED BY TBE IOJogJ FOR JUSTICE., '^f (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Btttl The Minister for Justice has than once called upon to put upass?B of the prison camp system. ing Mr. Hemes said he had good for asserting that the utmost alah?*| vailed in that part of his eWhJ* 1 ! wl>ere prisoners wore sent tree-planting. It was originally derilS tliat only well-behaved men 'con -J of minor offences should be sent to \Y 1 tapu. but in the kindness of his Vljj the Minister for Justice had ieiteMlS the privilege, and desperate criiiS were committed to the camps. TVtoJ and children were in continual tear ;■ the fact that a dangerous character *"■ at present at large did not BeivfiJ soothe that alarm. Yet the Minisit>ri!J made no apparent attempt tn jJ*M about a desirable change. -^fl The Hon. Mr. McGowan, in reply «,J| that it was not right to say prison camps had not been Dangerous criminals were not sent Some of the men had been long sent2jj prisoners, but where tiieir behaviour?!! been exemplary the officers had "«!■ power to recomend them for removal 11 the prison camp. In the case of ttuß man Smith. who had recently JubbijH from the Rotorua train, this. prisoSll was sent to Waiotapu because he nwH not sulEciently a lunatic to be.'gent \M an insane hospital. The expertmQtll however, was not found to be a sqkkl! and Smith was being sent back to tody when he managed to effect hll escape. The stories of alarm among t&m tiers, added Mr. McGowan, were iiMi well grounded, and he had been infonat(l| by a man at Waiotapu that there *Jm no unrest in the district. ,:■! Mr. Massey said that things happeajjlj at Waiotapu which one could hardly lieve possible, and might be taken at ~M\ chapter out of a novel. He had. gooiil reason to believe the men in camps (wit ried on in a moot extraordinary masa^ll Tliree or four of them were locked bjj I at a time in small huts. They' Yertjl not under the eye of a warder, but Tor! I simply left under lock and key fort^i l at a time. The men had no difficulty.j|] I getting out of the huts, and went" oj j I night after night bent on burglarising 11 expeditions, returning to their huti bc< 11 fore daylight, being entirely unsuspeetij, 11 The Hon. Mr. MeGowan said hehadne'; I knowledge of any such I he did not believe that they were bue| I on anything but wild stones. || I