WARDERS' QUARTERS AT THE GAOL.

West Coast Times, Issue 839, 1 June 1868, Page 3

WARDERS' QUARTERS AT THE GAOL.

» TO THE EDITOB OF THE WEST COAST THIES. Sib — A long time since, whilst Mr Bonar was Goldfields Secretary, and on a visit to the gaol, a complaint was made to him by the warders, of insufficient sleeping accommodation, and they invited him to inspect their dormitory, which he courteously acceded to, and found the complaint but too well founded. He, accordingly, promised that their wants should be attended to; and for that purpose was placed a sum of L2OO on the Estimates for the erection of warders' quarters, which was duly passed by the County Council ; but this vote has never been carried into effect. Such delays are injurious to the public service, as the sleeping apartments are totally inadequate to secure for them the blessings of health — being in fact worse, as regards ventilation and over-crowding, than those of the prisoners over whom they exercise supervision. This ought not to be. The warders are a respectable and efficient body of men, and, as they have onerous duties to perform, it is but right that their personal comforts should be attended to. It is absolutely necessary that a Committee of Enquiry should be instituted, to report upon this and other matters of gaol discipline. One of your correspondents lately asserted that the labor of the prisoners was " totally lost," which might and ought to be employed on town or harbor improvements. Of this there can be no doubt. The state of our unformed streets, more especially in the vicinity of the Camp and Government offices, are a stigma on the Government authorities ; and as the Municipal Corporation have not — nor will they have for a long time to come — sufficient funds to form the streets already laid out — nor is their credit good enough to borrow for such a purpose, even if they were inclined to do so — the prison labor might be employed to clear away some of the obstructions that make the greater part of them impassable ; and by so doing render back to society some return for the vast expense to which it is subjected (about L6OOO annually) for the preservation of law and order amongst us. Trusting these remarks will not be lost sight of, I am, &c, Mentob. It is related of the French family of the Duke de Levis, that they have a picture in their pedigree, in which Noah is represented going into the ark, and carrying under his arm a small trunk, on which is written, '• Papers belonging to the Levis family." I