HABITUAL DRUNKARDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 95, 15 January 1908, Page 6

HABITUAL DRUNKARDS.

DISCUSSION BY SAMARITAN HOME - TRUSTEES (BV TEIiEGnArn-r-JPPESS -'-"'A.'!■ .l! • Ciiristchurch, January 14. i Matter? connected -with tho suitabjhty '.of ' ; the Samaritan Hojna -as-an institutipn -to -■ ? 5 which habitual drunkards should bo commit- 1 ted «ere discusseij ot to-day's meeting of the s trustees of tho Home \ , Mr F Boprd, tho retiring Chairman, [in the courjio'pf some remarks of tljo working':■ = -,v iof the institution;-' said regard -to tlie" ";oVy.: [ work couneoted: with''the habitual'drunkards'< . spuio jittlo (liffiwjlty has ijecji experienced in . . -: keeiping somo m cufjiody, and two malo in- i'v;' mates have, twice succeeded m apd ;; i:, 0)io. woman.. . In. .each ease tho term'of do- 1 . s ■ ' Mention has ;j)oen increased by-the Magistrate, which doutytjesswill . havo :a good .effect. While admitting that the flome a suitable place pf detention for the-cjass of inebriate that we Jiad originally to deaj with nnder ' the Vagrancy' Act, I-think ;t must 'bo recog- ■ fused that i the Moriie is to some extept unsuitable for cases outside-pf that.cjliaxaoter, v " principally ; oil the ■ grovrid that tlie <■ building is not suited for proper classification.;; 'The .■■■■': > force pf -thss-.\vill be l'cadily understood .when' - it ia ipeijtioned ,that" wo have at 'present ;m r. " \ • pur custody ; inmate? i M'ljose only . offence against noewty is that periodically, they are addicted to; dnnk, but -u'lio,' undor conditions,.: are haijl'-worK'jng, respectable - v piemjiers of - the coinnjunity/- and a term of , two, in the'present surroundings'capnot bo c9nsidered as satisfactory.- In my. opinion jt .13 ..desirable-' that: l some hotter provjsion (should be mado 1 by • J.!je Gov,eramenl for dealing with the better clas§ of such cases/ leav-.. - ■ ing the Home to deal with that class.that ■ would under^onginalr.conditiojiS'bo senti.toit ■ • under the Vagrancy t Act. : -Tho- ablo-bodicd ■ male inmates are kept busjly ■ employed - m •. T.he -garderiy^^Jut'therjo 1 Is ;* iiot''fiiafficieiit v' jvorX. ;• V; there to giyo full employijieijt,;and the ques-... tioji of providing more work m the Homo for those.wno aro able-to do it Should boconsidered " * , ■ Further reference, supieet was made • - at a later„stago m Iho proceeamgs ■ Mr. B, P. Manhiro said he did'not-object to the increased salary t° the attendant, but vho did: object r to keeping - the habitual drunkards. , The people of Addmgton' were ' i beginning to murmur about these absconders, a.nd''tho'ipoiier they were got'-nd of froni, the institution . the better, it -.would 'be. fot all concerned. -The Home was 119 place fop men of their description. They .were sitting piak- ; lug-their pads ljajf the day. If thoy went out ajid saw othef people tho trustees might be sure that tliey-became unsottled. :He himself had seen articles passing over fen.ee at the back, 111, regard to which at was questionable whether they should "be allowed. In justice to the Department, to tho Home, 1 ' and to the men, the Government should ba asked to relieve the Home of tlieso habitual ■ drunkfirds. - He. behoved that there was a : petition being got up to that effect. ' Mr. Board said that thoy should look -at tho question m a fair way, nnd in the interests of tho inmates and tho Department it must bo.recognised that the place was-aTto- :> getlier unsuitable for some ,of the peoplo ; committed. Ho quite agreed with Mr. Manhire that they should ; appeal to .tho Government to provide-moro suitablo accommoda-' tion for habitual drunkards. As for the vagrant class,: there could bo no more' suitablo placo than tho Homei Jiut : it wi>s not right to-send respectablo men to herd with' that class. , - ■■■ ' . :