THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 7

THE COUNCIL.

REFORMAYbRY INSTITUTIONS. Tho < ATTORNEY-GENERAL, immediately on tho,Assembling of tho Legislative Council yesterday afternoon, moved the second reading of trie Reformatory Institutions Bill. Ho said that tho' lav at present was in an unsalisfac tory state, in recirjl to the treatment of in ebfiates- and falleiC' romen A man or woman might; bo almost continuously drunk, yet un less 'an*, offence was committed, or the person would make an application for himself 01 herself, there was no means of applying re formatory methods. A magistrate could send a, map who had been thrice, convicted of dmn kennels to tho Pakatoa Home, He had vis ltod this institution, and believed the treatment'to" be excellent. At pre*cnt ( a magistrate could ,ssnd a man to such nn institution for 2C yoart That power was too wide Magistrates usually committed offenders for one or two years, and reports were obtained as to their progress, so that their release could bo di rected v.hen,they wero regarded as cured He understood that tho Salvation Army was about i to open k women's homo at Pakatoa. Committal to Institutions. , i By the Habitual Drurifcards Ao\ 1906 (now incorporated in'the Police Offences Act, 1908), provision was made whereby habitual drunkards,' after being convioted lor drunkenness three times within nine months, might be ordered by a magisirate to be detained for reformatory or ourative treatment in institutions under 1 private management, and specially • uthorisod by the Governor for this purpose. Under this Aot the Pakatoa Home had been «stabhaW bv the Salvation Army. The Bill Vould iopesl this legislation, and in the same matter. Private',, establishments might, as hitherto, be licensed as inebriates' homes., and habitual inebriates (including persons a'ddidted to the excessive use of drugs) might be ordered to be detained therein in tho following ways.—(l) On the application of the inebriate himself, (2) o_ his summary conviction before a magistrate 'of drunkenness and certain other offenses .connected with drunkenness; (3) by the magistrate or. the complaint of a relative' of the inebriate, supported by the statutory declaration of two medical praotitionets; (*) by ft judge of the Supreme Court on the convionon of an inebriate in that Court of any offence whieh has been committed under the influence of drink, or of whioh drunkenness ,was a contributing cause. Relsass'on Probation. He r regarded' the last-mentioned provision, which was new, as very important. The pencd of deteritlon would vary irom six months to two 1 years.' Provision was made foi tho transfer,, dischargo, and'release on probation of persons so detained. There was already probation as a substitute for imprisonment of hTst Offenders, but what was proposed to be ( added,; widelycbut wisely t in connection with the indeterminate sentoneo, was a system of probation after imprisonment The Bill proposed to apply this pnnciple to inebiiates The requirement of thioo conuctions in nine months' beforo a person can be treated as an habitual'inebriate was to ba abolished in accordance'mth the recommendation of a Departmental Committed jrhich recently;reported on^tho matteT to th'o Imperial Government experience to bo unnecessary and mischievous iVnothor wipoitaiit .section was that which provided,, for tho establishment of reformatory homes to which womon oi girls might bo committed ior certain -specified oitonces instead of being, imprisoned, or. after tho expiry ot b term "of imprisonment If tho Bill wero passed—and tha Government hoped to pass it this scssfon— we should havo a law t'riat Svould be abreast of tho law in any part of the Bn tish dominions. Councillors Approve. > x Tho Hon J T. PAUL (Otago) Said tho Bill would roalo for betterment, and it -was practical \ and' rccessary Ho believed that the State .would ultimately havo to take cvor the 1 reformatory work which was now done by private institntioni . < the 1 Hon. C. H. MILLS (Wellington) and the Hon. Wi BEEHAN (Auokland) supported tho The Hon .T B. CALL IN (Ota?o), while nym pathlsid? warm,ly with the object of the Bill, held, that it would require careful scrutiny, as it affected the liberty of tho subject Ee had a very high opinldn of the private estab li'shnienti.'ior rec'aimiiig frllen , women, and they should not be done awaj vjth, even if State reformatories were established. The Hon G. J SMITE (Canterbury) said that) as between Ssta f 4 and pn\i>*e institutions, his sympathies were almost cntirclj with the latter. Ho v,a.i sute the Bill would receive Very, favourable consideration from both Houses / i The Hon Dr. COLLINS (Wellington) welcomed the BUl,'but he thought that sufferers frori the disease of al<.oh6hsm should be detained Until cured. Authorities held that a cure could not be efleckd under two jears Ho thought it might bo possible to Check the immigration of those who had given way to inebrictj 1 in the Old Country, and who were of ten'sent out hero for thai reason The Hon C M Luke and the Hon. J E Sinclair (Otago) commended tho principal feature*, of tho Bill. „„ ,„ ,', Tho Hon W. C V CAHNCEOSS (Taranaki) emphasised jthe need for lvore parontal control It might sound antiquated to talk of a ourfew bell, but 6ome means should be found to clear th* 1 streets of young people at night ™he ATTORN'Er-GLWERAL, replying, said , the debate lHnstiated tho great advartM that i had taken place in pubho sentiment m regard to those who fell by the way The Bill was I but one instalment of what he hoped to see on tho statute book Tho second reading vtos carried, and tee Bill i w.ls referred to the Statutes Revision ComI mittee ' / , The'Counoil adjourned at 4 5 pin. I Members were asked to bo within call so as 1 to sit again and pass the Imprest Supply Bill, but as that measure wis beforo the HoU6O longer than was cipected, tho Council only reassembled at 520 pm., to adjourn Until next Wednesday afternbon.