DISCONTENT RIFE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8683, 17 March 1914, Page 4

DISCONTENT RIFE

WARDERS AND THEIR HOURS POSITION AT MOUNT EDEN. Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 16. A good deal has been said lately concerning discontent amongst warders in New Zealand prisons, regarding their conditions of Work. The Wellington “Evening Post” of recent date published an official, statement douyiing any reason for discontent, and maintaining that the men were not called upon to work more than eight hours per day. This assertion is not endorsed by several men who recently threw up their positions in tho Mount Eden gaol, and who state that discontent is rife throughout the Dominion. One of those who recently resignedfrom the Mount Eden gaol stated his grievance to a “Star” representative this morning. There are, he states, oniy thirty-eight warders in the institution to look after nearly 300 priand they work from nine to ten hours per day. According to the ex-warder in question, there is particular discontent in regard to tho, hours which men on night duty work. Two warders watch over the prisoners during tho night for something like eleven hours, but it is so arranged that between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. each, man takes five hours’ sleep in a room, from which lie can readily be summoned. This room, it is alleged, is infested with vermin and has been the cause of endless trouble. Bugs, in fact, ho states, are the terror of those who have tho misfortune to find their way into the wooden wing of the gaol, and, it is alleged, that the prisoners have even had their eyes “bunged Up” with hug bites. It is stated that in the last three weeks there have been four resignations at Mount Eden.