INEBRIATES' HOME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 6

INEBRIATES' HOME.

■ THIRTY PEE CENT. OF CUBES - ( HOPED FOR. (By .Telegraph.—Special.- Corespondent) ■■i . Auckland, February 22. " . -The. .amendmejife; made, -in •.'.the 80. formatories- . Actv : last sossion ,-havo given , greater.,.powers : to. magistrates in -committing... a drunkard... to an • inebriates''.'.Home.'. Formerly ..PencilV ac-, Utioa'.- could "only : be > taken ih-respect -to; _ r a person with a series' oi convictions for drunkenness, but the.'relatives of a drunk-. V ard may .have him committed' on■ the cert , . tificates: of tffo';'.m^icai:'r.mmvif,-thoy;,!; : satisfy, the 'magistrate' tliat.the.peraon ; ,in. respect, to -. whom., the;' application lis " made 'is, "a 'fit Jsttbject ;f<iriaiiiinebmteß*. ~v home! . Breaches' of. prohibition- orders' .may also'bo a qualification lor committal., .The effect, of."the. amendment siiice -it be- -. ,came .'operative'has-been to' Keep' the inebriates' home on Pakaioa Island pretty;, full.At. the. time over' 50" men : 1 .are • more or less' cheerfulness,arid'no :more iimmte6,'caa;be taken'-'nntil- the item- of •soiic expires, which"will'be- in a few;'., weeks.

: One amendment.of; ; tho/!Art'. of iwiMti Staff-Captain Barnes, v;ho i? inchargo: -ofthe 'institution; speaks;: favourably; is t .that whiplr.permits drunkards--to be.oom-! if,;mitted: on.' the application.-of relatives-at" the"expense : of': the Government;:'Formerly':t the 'ai'de'terreit, 1 ; 1 .: : even when tthe-drunkard. was, willing' ta'vr go- to. j Pakatoa; artd-ifihe-'were uhwilliiig -li he oouldnot ho.forcod .unial the neoessary'- i , number of convictions >were • recorded V against him.'SLlfr-Captainßarnesrocog- * mses, however, that if -laxly- administered i this 'provision-. li : .the Act might ;eucbnr-': !-age'a conspiracy -to get-rid-of an-tnpoptt- 1 ! : lar-relative;-by : keeping him .-in-fafstate-/ of -intoxication vfor"6oine : days, .; andi then' .< haling him , before. the: doctors .-; and ;.t 'magistrate. • .•. -.- 1 : .The officer,-in charge , speaks very hope-■fully-of the reformative -work now-being: 'carried on. at Pakatoa. Island.; Heiinows of a number, of men who-have gone to the island, eitheriiyoluntoily 'pulsion,' who. are. now;back ■ in ' society, ;asi.:, sober, industrious /units.:On.the-.other . •hand, he knowsofmeh who have,not.observed;the virtue of abstinence,inculcated 'at Pakatoa. _ Though.it is somewhat pearly';,, yetjto,speak;-he-estimates-the percentaga of cures at 30. Naturally:,there are others who,'.' while-,not completely ■ cured, yet gained much piiysical and moral benefit from,a stay:at Pakatoa.- Some lives 5; have - undoubtedly been saved, for - menhave .gone to' the'island giving every- <in-. - :dication,:that-: they would-have- -drunk> .themselves to!deatli'in'a;few months,' and. y. : in.two. months, instead '.of. being:.so 'much ■'} ■ nearer, the graved they ■ have been restored; s. to health. ; J i' ' Trouble'was experienced'some. time, ago with.a man who: made'it.'his business to v meetthose returning' from Pakatoa - and! j try to': persuade: them .tocelebrate ..their r" : freedom •'with--a . glorious'spree,: but- a. i: . .magisterial "rebuke; 'lias' rniide* 'him --more-:''; . reasonable.',' Work at Pakatoa is' hamper;:':; . !ed by lack of' accommodation, and it is expected that linger buildings at Ruthes Island—which is ■: to.',.be;used .for; males,' iPakatqa being, reserved.for. women.drunk-; ards—will be ;'c6mmenced v yory shortly.-