TZ
37
the
difficulty by taking the small gang of Stone Cutters composed of 13 men as an example, this gang at present has numbers commencing with 22 and ending with 285, this party will be increased in a few days to about 30 by Prisoners who have a slight knowledge of the work, or have an inclination to learn, supposing this numbered anew from 1 to 30, if a Prisoner is discharged, or dies, or showing no aptitude for the work, he may be sent to harder and degrading work for idleness; while others may be added, the numerical order is disturbed at once, and such would constantly be the case in a Department of this kind. Prisoners who are servants or Cooks to-day, may for misconduct be in the Stone gang to-morrow.
The rule looks feasible enough on paper, but I can assure His Excellency that such a system is not attempted in the Convict Prisons at Home or in the Colonies.
As regards the escaped Convicts being composed of "Stakas", it is easily explained. These men, I am informed, are the most ignorant and unskilled of any; hence it follows that...