707
which is said to reach in some cases upwards of 2,000 per acre, of what under normal conditions can be regarded as desirable; it is still within excess.
11.
I should add that since I embodied the original proposals of the Committee for alterations and additions to the existing Gaol and Police buildings in my memorandum of 5th June last, it has come to my knowledge that a scheme of similar nature, but on a smaller scale, is contained in a report by the late Surveyor General (Mr. Price) dated 9th November 1887. He proposed to partition the cells of the existing prison, and thus provide separate cells for 267 convicts, and to build a new Block to contain 130 cells.
This would provide accommodation for 397 Convicts only.
He also proposed to remove the Magistracy, and build quarters for the Gaol Staff on its site. His Estimate for the proposed alterations is $95,780 but this does not include rebuilding the Magistrates Court.
12.
Having now described the proposal for providing increased Gaol accommodation on the existing site, I will proceed to deal briefly with the other suggested alternatives.
2nd New Block on another site.
I have not found in the papers submitted to me any definite statement as to the maximum number of convicts for whom provision should be made. I find it however stated in Major General Gordon's Report of 6th April 1886, that on the 30th of March of that year there were 667 and on the 6th of April of the same year