A ROTOROA PROTEST.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 9

A ROTOROA PROTEST.

r ■ |. IRKiSOME CONFINEMENT. (By Telegraph.—Pailtamßttry Reporter.) WELLINGTON, ibis day. A letter appeared in a local paper this morning from the inmates of Kotoroa Island, complaining of unjust treatment and protesting against unnecessarily long detention.

lu.terviewed, the Hon. A. L. Herdman (Minister /or Justice) said he was being constantly besieged by people who get to Rotoroa asking to be released. Although he has power to release after a certain .period of time, h(i did not tare to interfere with Ike discretion which magistrnles have under t»<* A<»t to order confinement of inebriates at Rotoroa and PakatoH. The working and control of i the institution is in the hands of the Salvation Army, the Government com- i tributing towards the maintenance of the inmate* committed by court and paying expenses to and from the klajjds" If the institutions were' going; to do any good work in the direction of performing people, they must be confined for a considerable time. He had this morning instructed the I'nder Secretary of Justice to rcwnmimicite immediately, with Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., asking him to go to Rotoroa, make an insfiJCtion, and report to him upon the condition of affairs a3 ■soon as poiSMble. "■ My own personal belief is that these men, after spending six weeks or two months in the institution, get restored to health, and, being in exuberant spirits, desire to escape from confinement, hence the agitation for release," eaid Mr Herdman.