ROTO ROA ISLAND.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1149, 9 June 1911, Page 6

ROTO ROA ISLAND.

REFORMATORY OR WHAT? LETTER FROM AN INMATE. [To the Eclitor.l Sir, —"Will you kindly grout me a little spaco in your paper to complain of t hp injnslicc that is being done to a considcrabic number of people personally, mid the whole country generally? 1 refer to an institution which is miscalled a reformatory home for inebriates, and run by the Salvation Army in conjunction with the Government. Here you have a largo number of all sorts and conditions of men, able-bodied and well able to earn a good living for themselves, shut up on an island, living an aimless and indolent life, injurious alike to their mental and physical health and faculties. Sir, I would like to ask the population of this country, through the medium of your paper, just three questions:— 1. Is this place a prison or a reformatory ? 2. Is it a fair thing that a man should be punished with a year's imprisonment for the mere offence of insobriety? 3. What effect is this treatment having on the men sent here? As an inmate of this place, I do not expect any opinion of mine to carry weight with the public. But it will be something done if I succeed in placing the matter in all its naked truth before the people. On all sides of me', from day to day, I hear nothing but complaints from strong men in the prime of life, who cannot understand the terrible injustice that is being done them in this enforced idleness and waste of time and energy. If this is a prison, then I think you will admit, that the punishment is greater than the offence deserves. If intended for a reformatory, then the fact that a large number of men have been returned a second timo should provo conclusively that the effect of this treatment is not what was expected or desired. I should think if wore better to call it at once a miserable failure, and to admit that to proceed with it any further would be a sinful and wholly ineffectual expenditure of public money. A number of people, including the writer and his present companions, have been sacrificed ill order to carry out this experiment, but wo hope that our efforts, through your kindness and courtesy, will be the means of preventing this farce going any further.—l am, etc., VICTIM. Koto Roa Island, May 27, 1911. STATEMENTS IN REPLY. THE HON. G. FOWLDS. Copies of til© above letter havo been shown to the Hon. G. Fowlds, ActingMinister for Justice, and to Major Toomer, of tho Men's Social Office of the Salvation Army. Mr. Fowlds stated that Koto Eoa Island was both a reformatory and a prison. According to the information given to him, a number of cases had gone back there a second time, but on the whole tho institution had done excellent work in tho reclamation of drunkards. M'ork was provided, but it was easier to get a horse to tho water than to make him drink. Some of tho men, ho believed, did not do very much work, but tho work was provided, and a good many of them did work, and worked very well. Tho place was regularly inspected by officers of the Prisons Department, Dr. Hay, and the Rev. Mr. Kayll. SALVATION ARMY. Major Toomer sends the following statement from Auckland:—"As a rule inebriates are not confined to delicate men or weaklings physically. They include able-bodied men, who have given way to the habit of drinking, until they have beconio a menace to themselves and society at large. The Government, after years of experience, has found that fining or committing these men for short sentences is absolutely useless, and had no beneficial effect. Therefore they consider the only hope is to take them away from their surroundings, companions, and the:.,kotels . tjiat . they| have isolate tliem' "'where procuring drink is impossible, and bv good living, regular habits, and healthy surroundings give thorn a chance to build .up their constitutions and thus enable them to conquer their craving for drink. All the men who , are physically fit foV work arc engaged in various kinds of employment, such as farm work, gardening, fishing, tending cattle, and poultry, roadmaking, and all work in connection with the home. Our experiences had been that' men who have come to us in a brokendown and almost dying condition, have been discharged in a sound, healthy, state of mind and body, able to enpage in any kind of work to which have been accustomed. Regarding the questions:— "1. The endeavour of the Army (while recognising that it is a reformatory) is to make it a home as much as possible. The inmates are not sent for punishment as to a prison, but for their own good because they liavo proved unable to look after themselves and to refrain from drink, and we havo had numbers of eases where we believe the lives have been saved as a result of their admission to the borne. "3. This question has practically been answered above. "Men who have come to us wrecked both bndilv and mentally have been sent out strong and well, and thus a chance has been given to make a fresh start in life, if t'hev had any wish to avail themselves of it, and leave the drink alone. It is an old saying, 'You can take a horse to water, hut cannot make him drink. It is ofinllv true that: you can send a man to Roti Roa and do all that- is humanly possible, but cannot make a sober man'of him against his will. A number of habitual drunkards are sent to the island who have no desire or intention to jrivp un the drink. 'Victim' ha" not be»n victimised bv the Salvation Army, who have, done all they can for him. and also for every man who lias been committed to our care."