PRISON WARDERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11029, 18 March 1914, Page 2

PRISON WARDERS.

STATEMENT BY~SR HERDMAN. "THINGS GOING SMOOTHLY." [Per Pbkss Association.] WELLINGTON, March 17. Tho Minister of Justice, the Hon A. L. Herdman, interviewed to-day regarding statements appearing in tho Auckland papers as to discontent among the warders in the Auckland prison over hours of duty and other matters, stated that the remarks alleged to hare been, made by warders whoso services had recently been disponsed with were either inaccurate or misleading. Recent inquiries, he said, had shown beyond question that there was no general discontent amongst officers employed in the Mount Eden prison. Among them, as among all bodies of men, there were occasional differences that required adjustment. Recent investigations into the affairs of tho Mount Eden gaol resulted in the dismissal of an officer, who was probably one of those referred to as having "thrown up his position." Other officers, again, who were found unfit for their work as prison warders were sometimes " allowed to resign," and this sometimes led to statements of the kind now being dealt with. In regard to the alleged discontent in respect of hours which the men on night duty w6rk, Mr Herdman pointed out that although these men were nominally on duty .from 5.30 p.m. to 7.50 a.m., the night watch consisted of two men, each of whom had five hours' sleep during that time. In any case this duty was taken in rotation, and noi one officer was called upon to do night duty of this character for more than a fortnight in every five months, The statement that the warders were required to work from nine to ten hours a day, the Minister added, was misleading, as it would' indicate that that was the average time per day worked' by each warder all the year round, which was far from being the case even during the summer months, while in the winter work ceased one hour earlier a.nd the staff, of course, got the full benefit "of this concession. • A comparison with prisons in other countries showed that the hours worked in New Zealand were less than those worked elsewhere. Another misstatement made, said Mr Herdmrn, was in regard to the number of warders employed to look after 300 prisoners. As a matter of fact the number of male warder? employed in the prison was forty (not thirty-eight as ■ stated), and the average number of male prisoners they were called upon to supervise was 260 per day, not 300. Mr Herdman further stated that in regard to the statements as to the night watch officers' room being infested with vermin, it was only quite recently that any complaint in this direction was made to the Department. An inspecting officer immediately inquired into this matter, and on finding that vermin had occasionally been seen in the room in question instructions were given that a room in the main stone building was to be prepared at once for the. officers on night duty: and that the quarters hitherto used were to be entirely abandoned. "It seems strange," concluded tho ■■ Minister, "that when I visited tho Mount Eden gaol at the beginning of the year no complaint was made to me. I went, over the prison with tho gaoler and I certainly formed the opinion that the institution was managed admirably and that" evervthing was working quite smoothly."-

GOVERNOR. OF PRISON REPLIES TO COMPLAINTS. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March- 17.L The complaints made by an ex-ward-er yesterday that there was acute discontent amongst warders, in Mount Eden;GaoL in ..common with other warders .in' similar institutions, were denied by the gaol governor at Auckland this morning. Warders employed in Mount Eden, Mr Ironsides declares, had an easier time than warders had in any other prison in New Zealand. In sum-mer-time men worked eight hours per day, and in winter seven hours only. Those in the gaol service had far and away ,an easier time than those in the police service; they worked easier hours under easier conditions. In addition to more regular hours, warders had every Saturday afternoon and every 6econd Sunday off. Their pay was not so good as that of the police constables to begin with, but after a few years' service it worked out to very much the same thing.