FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND MEMBERS ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16922, 30 July 1915, Page 8

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND MEMBERS ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of yesterday a letter was published under the above headuig, signed, by Mr IT. E. Robbins, secretary of the L-oyal City of Christchurch Lodge, 1.0.0.1*'., M.U., in which ho etat-s that at his lodge meeting strong exception was taken to the report of the conference, seeing that the Manchester Unity was not. represented at that conference. The invitation to the conference was extended to the executive officers of ali Friendly Societies in Christchurch, and accepted by the Manchester Unity by the Provincial Grand Secretary, but it to explained in a later communication, in apologising for non-attendance, that the representa>tives were unable to be present owing to important and unexpected business coming up at a. meeting of t heir execu-

tive held on the same evening. Furthermore, this order was represented at a committee meeting of this conference held last Wednesday evening. The conference, it must be clearly understood, was called for executive members only, not lodge officers, as it was considered that united action on the part of Friendly Societies was most essential at this-time.—l am, etc., J. W. BATY, Acting Grand President, U.A.0.D., Convener. Christchurch, July 23. DISCHARGED PRISONERS. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l noticed in the "Lyttelton Time.;" that the Minister of Justice sa;d in Parliament that another prison was in course of erection at Paparua. A prison is a necessary evil, but prisons are not. I say, pull down half the prisons in the Dominion. There is no need of th- m. It is the men who are in the prisons that want attending to. I have been a very close observer of prisoners and thoir treatment for the last twelve months, and find that very little is being done to uplift them. I have worked out a scheme that will jave the Dominion thousands of pounds per annum, tliat wDI reduce the nnnir bor of prisoners in our prisons by half, and that will close up naif the prisons :n the Dominion in three years. What s needed is a discharged prisoners' home—a home where they will be tret td kindly and assisted in a practical .nanner to earn an honest living. _ A man cannot get any lower than getting :n prison, and he need* a helping hand. I could write pages on this subject, but jould not expect you to give me half your paper. lam w Ding to devote the vhole of my time and energy for this cause gratis, and would like the names •ud addresses of philanthropists who are willing to assist in founding a discharged prisoners' home in Chnstdiurch.—l am, etc., THOMAS F. SUTOR,