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roceedings, as additional
by the Committee
nent camp
type
of case the individuals to be dealt with on an entire different basis, and required to earn their food by the performance of a It stipulated amount of work. sounds an excellent scheme al- 7. Garrick Street, London, W-C2 though it takes no account
·-of-
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GAOL AND SOCIAL SERVICES
how disposal of the fruits of their labour could be arranged without upsetting the economy of other workers in the Colony.
Another word of caution also seems essentialThe proposal has all the outward and visible signs of a poor law institution adapted to local conditions, and if any advance is contemplated along this road, the Colony might Isoon find itself committed to the development of the social ser- vices which only a wholly civilis ed community demands!
Hats in Court
Commenting on the recent case of a woman in a divorce suit who was told that she could not ap- While the sharpest edge of pear without a hat in the wit- the Prison Committee's Report ness-box, the "Justice of Peace may have been blunted somewhat and Local Government Review" by recent disclosures in Council is bold enough to ask whether of astounding prodigality in pri- there is supposed to be "some son diet costs, the document laid analogy between a court and a but in the Council Chamber yesterday church." It also inquires represents a commendably.com in a whisper" whether, if a prehensive survey of problems woman absolutely refused to wear connected with prison overcrowd-la hat in a court of law, it would ing, declining to skip unpleasant be lawful on that ground to deny facts, and warranting the urgent her legal rights which would and earnest attention of Govern- otherwise be hers. In actual ment. Remedy of the most serious practice the point seems hardly aspect of the feeding system is likely to arise. There may be no already assured, and there is no ruling on the subject other than reason to fear that sanction will the testimony of custom, but if again be given to payments out a woman refused to wear a hat on the munificent scale of the after being told to do so, presum- past. On other points, the main ably she could be held to be i conclusion of the Committee, contempt of court, and away though it is not so stated in as would go the lady's legal rights many words, is that the deterrent until she chose to extract herself principle of punishment as en- from that lamentable condition. visaged by our system of law is
almost entirely overlooked by our prison system. Life has been
made far too pleasant for pri-Too Distracting soners. The Report suggests
that they had a comparatively Probably the custom of the easy time in the era of "Franks's court does in essence arise from Hotel," as Victoria Gaol was the custom of the church, which popularly described. Since re-seems to derive from the famous. moval of the prison population to Pauline inquiry "Judge in your- palatial residential quarters selves; is it comely that a woman "overlooking the sea" at Stanley, pray unto God uncovered?" But privileges granted in Victoria the passage in L Corinthians, have been so enhanced by the ad- chapter xi, is all rather queer ditional amenities that, if we and crude and complicated; it judge the situation by the de- does not represent Paul, or his grees of discipline and hard translators, in a joint moment of labour" described in the Report, triumphant lucidity. We are prison life can readily be affirmed told that woman ought to have as infmitely happier and more "power (or a covering) on her comfortable than the lot of thou-head because of the angels," and sands of casual labourers who the old-time gloss on that pas- Slave themselves, when they can, sage runs "a covering in sign for a pittance and then sleep in that she is under the power of the streets. In this connection, her husband." (How if she has the Committee is to congratulat- not got one?) What it really ed upon the objectivity of its seems to amount to is the an approach to the nature of our cient conception that women's still swelling prison population tresses are too attractive-And. and to the principal problem, the beauty draws us by a single flow of short term prisoners to hair," as Pope puts it and there- the Gaol The daily average of fore ought to be concealed lest hawkers alone is well over a thou they distract the attention, 10. sand; yet few of these are serv-church, of men and even of an ing for periods of more than two gels, and, in court, of the weeks, at any one time. The Bench and everybody else. LG.P. argues that hawkers are There may be something in the not regarded as criminals, but as idea, but two points may be not nuisances, and are sent to prison ed; first, that frail man must be to be kept off the streets. Over-terribly ready to be distracted looking the fact that, under the and has an incorrigibly roving existing rationing system, the eye that would almost se cost to the community is the recall for blinkers; and, gion of $18,000 a month, and that it somewhat
oring the cost of prison main- the considerable pulling power
salaries, con-modern millinery
ance