SATURDAY, AUGUST 19.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 15

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19.

COST OF KEEPING PRISONERS. "Whilst the Prison Estimates were under ! consideration yesterday morning Mr Masscy . drew attention to the great difference in the average net cost of the maintenance of prisoners at the various prisons of the colony, ranging from £13 15s 5d at Auckland (the lowest) to £58 15s 4d at Hokitika and £61 16s 8d at New Plymouth. If, he said, ifc was not possible to keep the prisoners for loss at these small prisons they should be removed to the larger centres. SUGGESTED. TORTURE FOR. PRISONERS. Mr Laurenson (the member for Lyttelton) suggested to the Minister of Justice on Friday night the advisableness of arranging for addresses to be given to the prisoners once a month, or every three months, by scientific men. Mr Witty : I " The member for Lyttelton, for instance." Air Laurenson: Tho member for Lyttelton would have no objection to do it, but I believe that there are men at Canterbury College, -who would bo quite willing to give the addresses. Mr Wilford at this point came to light with tho suggestion that flogging be. abolished, and that as a substitute Mr^M'Nab be allowed to address tho I prisoners on the Absolute Majority Bill. | The House ioared, and Mr Laurenson, feel- i ing that his own suggestion had been : eclipsed, did not pursue the subject further. ANOTHER VIEW OF SURPLUSES. There have been scoffers who referred ■ to the Seddonian surpluses as things of ! financial jugglery, as intangible as Falstaff's ' '"men la buckram." The patron of the Wellington Accountant Students' Society (Mr Peter Barr) delicately hinted something to ,th-e same effect in an address he. delivered j on Friday night apropos of " balance sheets and financial statements." " I notice," he said, "that Mr Webster gives a definition of the word 'budget'— viz., 'a bag, or sack with its contents; an accumulation, as for instancy a budget of inventions.' Is it possible that the Colonial Treasurer looked up this, definition before he compiled a Financial Statement which Mr Millar, M.H.R., recently referred to as containing a table that he could make nothing at all of, displaying a discrepancy between two accounts , that he had tried vainly to square, and another table which no man, Mr Millar did not care who lie was, could make to balance?" JOTTINGS. Some time ago the Leader of the Opposition moved for a detailed return of the expenditure incurred by the Land Tenure j Comrfftssion. He lias the motion again on I the Order Paper. [ \ "A? **> the use of the 'cat' in gaols," ' Nsaid the Minister of Justice on Friday nfrht when referring to tho recommendations' of Mr P. S. Garvey and Colonel Hume in tho annual prisons report, "I think the time has not yefc arrived when it should be vsed. _ He did not approve of its use except vi the most extreme cases.