NO POWER TO INTERFERE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 763, 11 March 1910, Page 6

NO POWER TO INTERFERE.

. ■- » : " CITY COUNCIL AND THE PRISON: •' • GATE HOME. The Prison Gats Home Committee of the City .'Council has reported that a conference was held consisting of representatives of the • Island Bay residents, officers of the Salvation Army, and ttio committee.' A subsequent conference was held. by the committee ivitli the officer! ot the Army. The conferences .liad not resulted .in any. compromise, or..any solution of the; grievances and complaints of the Island Bay residents. The committee was advised that the council had no legal power to interfere, and it had accordingly - no recommendation to make. The report carno before the City Coast oil at its meeting last night. Councillor . Hindmarsh remarked 'that in certain other countries/notably Switzerland, criminals were treated very dif- - ferently, from the way in .which the Sal-., nation . Army, treated those placed under their care. The fall of a number of J people was due :to want of food, and similar causes. There werfi often physical, as well as mental, causes. Councillor Atkinson rose to a point of order. "What, interesting information Councillor Hindmarsh may have regarding prison reform is quite apart from the question under discussion," he said; "we are considering a particular report.'" Councillor Hindmarsh continued that prisoners, if they were to be . reformed, should not be treated after the manner .: adopted by tho Salvation Army. The. Mayor interposed that the report .' was under consideration, and he did not wish to have a general discussion on the subject of the treatment of criminals. • "It is our business to get some improvement in this 'matter, and , not to hand it over to the Salvation, Army, 0 r to anybody else," urged Councillor Hindmarsh. . ■ : . Councillor Fletcher objected to the trend of Councillor Hindmarsh's remarks. " The Mayor then intimated that Councillor Hindmarsh • must- confine his re-, marks strictly to the matter before the : council. Councillor • Hindmarsh again proceeded/ He declared that sifting seeds in close rooms was not calculated to reform crim- •'■■■■ inals. People who looked upon human life ,as , a serious thing ought to see that prisoners were treated scientifically, and not handed over to any individual body Without further discussion, the repori jvas adopted.