THE WILL TO WORK

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 52, 24 November 1928, Page 29

THE WILL TO WORK

EFFORTS OF DISCHARGED PRISONERS

RISK OF ARREST AN INCENTIVE

“Nothing-—not even the most patient and thorough after-care—will ever supersede a little grit and personal effort in the man who desires to recover himself; and the best legislation will never save the unwilling or kindergarten man from going to the wall.' 1 Such was the opinion expressed by Mr. T. P. Mills, secretary of the Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society, when presenting the annual report yesterday. “The public may not generally be very tolerant of the ex-prisoner,” continued Mr. Mills, “but it can be quite assured that through prisoners’ aid societies earnest endeavours are being made to afford such men some chance in life, and where private effort owing to inexperience is usually very disappointing, organisation of many years’ standing are able to point to men who through their careful handling have settled down to decent and law-abid-ing citizens. "The difficulty of obtaining situations for discharged prisoners has not. abated. If anything the position is worse than last year. The society to some extent has met the problem in supplying blankets and cooking utensils to a considerable number, enabling them to proceed to employment which it would have been otherwise impossible to secure.

“There appears to be a growing desire amongst ex-prisoners to obtain work, due partly, no doubt, to the amended legislation regarding vagrancy. In quite a number of Instances the Act has been cited by them to the society as an additional reason for securing work. The risk of arrest has been a very valuable incentive, and is a notable instance where legislation will induce men to bestir themselves to industrious habits. Legislation certainly sometimes does reform, if only partially. There is doubtless always a number who will make no effort to stem the tide of adverse circumstances, and with these the task of the Prisoners’ Aid Society becomes more diflicult.”