AUCKLAND GAOL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 6

AUCKLAND GAOL.

INSECTS AND THE FIRE PERIL. NEW BUILDING,SLOW A*. , !} NOT ... '.'■';. bio HNOUGH. .' /"■'. ■•:',' : (By . Tclet'rarh.—Special Correspondent.) , '.. ' .;.;■. ; .Auckland, February 24.-. In view of the statements./recently, made-.about tHo.;stato of Mount Eden. Gnol, a "Herald" reprcEcntatiye paid, a visit to the n'ooden portion where . the b.ng-infestcd ;colls arc. Ho reports that it is beyond question that' somo contain the species of vermin' known as,bugs, in sufficient: quantity, to make them' distasteful to prisoners who may not relish association with such insects. The gaol authorities cannot fairly be blamed, for this state .'of things, as every effort has been made to exterminate the pest, but without success.vlt is well; known that it is an. extremely'.■difficult matter to rid. woodwork of bugs once they have infested it, ■ and- tho apertures between the panels which- time has worked, in these , old cells give tho bugs a safe' retreat when the apartments are fumigated .with sulphur, . which has already been done three , times' this summer. Whenever necessary, and at least once a year, tho cells are limewashed, and at least twice a week they are scrubbed, out. They arc also cleaned daily, but -.despite, all these, discouragementsbugs: continue, to thrive. ■

The Greater Danger.. ...-:- In. some' there, is a more, serious, danger. however, arid' that is the danger of fire. fire is certainly reduced to ■ a minimum.. Hoses are kept in readiness:, in the■'. passages,, and no lights; are allowed in the wooden cells. Despite this precaution,'however, the prisoners manage to sihuggle:matches in the cells, and as they receive , their allowance of tobacco weekly, they make, cigarettes,.out of, sanitary : paper and smoke at.night. The warders' say that at night the passages are : ( frequently found full of tobacco smqk«j' s but as smoke permeates so quickly from one cell to another, and it-is difficult.'to. catch;a smoker' red-handed, offenders nre not frequently detected. When they are, they are smartly jpuoished, !but sfill smoking continues.. This in ; itself constitutes , :'a serious. element of risk.; Were a fire, to , break out in this wooden 'part of the prison, . the-, .'.-loss ,0f... life . -might-vibe, appalling."- No. instructions are .issued to: prisoners as : to their course of-action if an alarm of:fire;is given,' nor, , indeed;-is it conceivableYthat'any.'of'value oonldrbe. given; ■ The prisoners^: : locked in'- their cells,' would for their, lives onia carder'.Teaching;.ithem to. unlock.: theji doors ibefore the/tongues: of flame heralded their destruction,, or tlie.etill more, deadly smoke stole 'away."--their. 6onses'.' ; - It , 'can easily be, imagined , ' ithat. iwith the passages full of smoke, a'nd : .a wall of flame advancing 1 .behind",;'• the warders'- taight overlook epme.. cells,: and the .risk. wo.uld he augmented if the .cells contained; as they frequently do,; men' recovering from' a drinking 'boat/-: ' '.'■[ -' ■ : ; ; ;'"'•'■■■'.'''.;

Slowness: of Building, with' Prison-; v " ■,'■'■■■"■•'' ■'■.■■/'"V:^Mbour..., ■ ■ -..i, . v : -VThe .Minister. forj justice ias etated that the - :,old; building will . ; be; ;pulled down whenever the' new wing is ready. This is .'valuable,' as'being an admission that:'the '■ wooden ,: cells ■ are', no ■, longer-' fit for use, but it is not so reassuring. A3 might appear..;: The old and the new. buildings /will".accommodate'-; about. 300 -prisoners. • A. new wing has been under construction'' for a : fetf' 'months;; and is; being built-entirely-by prison Ilabour. At the'present, rale'of-progress it will not be finished.isithin 18' months, and probably two■'years; It will contain. .59 single , cells,; and an extension to give another, 36 cells will immediately be undertaken,; or 95. in all. Thus-the. new wing wiUacoommodate'about 32'lees'than the. potion it is designed to replace. By this : time— probabfy.-about ;:fpur: years :from .now-the-,'criminal element will in all likelihood, have inoreased with population, yet the'Mimster. for .Justice. proposes to make:.a smaller i gaol-eerve. I- V. :->".>' ,r ,;.