1932-04-13 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1932.

Retrenchment Commission's

Recommendations

Several Prison Reforms Advocated

"Over Centralization" in C.S's Office Recruit Indian Gaol Staff in India

PRISON DEPARTMENT.

INSTALMENT IV.

man. from

This

Ás

It

loss of security, if the number of of the halls at In Hong Kong there is roughly prisoners in each

increased were Latchikok one warder to every four prisoners,

sixty-seven to seventy-four.

At the same time and one European warder to every should be done.

In Shanghai the he requested that he be allowed to fifteen prisoners:

Indian Guards in ten Europeans, figures are eleven and one-hundred-enguge twenty and-one respectively, and in Singa- place of the

the initial salary of a Guard is only pore eleven and thirty-two respec- $240 per annum the Commissioner

this being done. tively. Hong Kong therefore has agree to proportionately by far the greatest will tend to allay the fears of the staff, both European and Asiatic, Superintendent, which, however, the Commissioners are satisfied are un- The Superin founded. They fail to see where of the three cities. tendent stated that had he a proper the loss of security arises, subject in the next para- ly laid out gaol he could look after to what is said

graph as to the type of Indian now troble the number of prisoners with

staff. But employed. practically the same against this it has to be borne in down to in Shanghai mind that 1928, under infinitely worse condi- tions than obtained in Hong Kong, the prison staff was far less than it is in Hong Kong, and now with the new goal in Shanghai, is less still.

of

Government's Comment. Paragraph 1--The Superintendent instructed to visit Shanghai, Singapore and Taiping to ascertain at first hand how the prisons in those places are apparently administered with an much smaller staff than that of Hong Kong..

Prisons has been

to

stress the

Bile

not

pri-

2. The Commissioners have al- ready reported to Government their views on the recessity of building a new goal, but they wish once again important point

of the the that

on valuable be Bon should land, nor on land difficult, and there- In view fore expensive, to develop. of this Government should approach the Air Ministry as to the pos- sibility of the utilization of the or- iginal site at Ngan Shi Wan, where some three lakhs has already been Failing this, the spent in piling. piece of land lying in the next bay considered. to the east should be

It is capable of easy development, has a water supply, and would allow of all transport being handled from It is essential that the Police Training School should be nearby.

the sen.

• Not reproduced.

Government's Comment. Paragraph 2-The site for the gaol has been decided upon on the advice of a Committee specially ap- pointed for the purpose.

To reopen the question now would only lead to further delay. It is hoped to com- mence the building next year.

3. The existing plans of the new prison also need to be thoroughly revised in the light of modern pri. The Commis- son constraction. sionera were not impressed with It must be remem- the lay out. bered that it is cheaper both in cost of construction and of staff, besides making for greater efficiency in the control of the prison, to build one tall building, as is done successful- ly elsewhere, than to build several': low ones. Accommodation is made for sixty European warders.

AB

has already been stated, there can be no necessity for this number; doubly so when the Police Training Furthermore, School is alongside. the accommodation such as it is, is not suitable for European warders living in a hot climate.

The num- ber of married men at present is twenty-four, and it does not seem reasonable to suppose that a man, ́wife, and, say, two children, can be put in a two-roomed flat.

Government's Comment. Paragraph 3-The Director of Public Works and the Superinten- dent of Prisons have been instructed in accordance with the recommenda- tions contained in this paragraph, 4-Even allowing for the unsatis factory lay out and condition of Victoria and Lafehikok prisons the. Commissioners are of the opinion that the European warder staff should be reduced by one Principal Warder and nine Warders. The Superintendent stated that this re duction could be effected with some

AP-

THE CHINA MAIL.

where polley is in- in the case of first offenders might Only in cases

or where there is a dis- also relieve the prison, without lead-volved, ing to any increase in crime.! There agreement between the Treasurer appears to be no provision in the and the head of the department, or heads of departments, Magistrates' or any other ordinance between

to require a person who has been should reference be made to the bound over on first conviction to re-Colonial Secretary's Office. It will port himself to the police at stated be sufficient to enumerate a few of Rent and house Intervals. The insertion of such a such matters. provision might incline the Magis-allowances, passages, pensions, in- on and all correspondence trates to use this power of binding dents lover more frequently than they do with the Crown Agents, etc., etc.

The two suggestions 5.-Thirdly, there are other mat- at present. made in this paragraph should bejters in which neither the Secretariat considered by the Inspector General nor the Treasury are concerned. of Police and the law officers of the These should be solely within the Habitual offen competence of heads of departments. Crown concerned. ders should be treated as such and The personal files of officers-wha either receive longer terms of im-are confined to one department, eg. officers, should prisonment, thus saving the expense policemen, revenue and trouble of repeated readmission be. kept in the departments, only Banish when some point on which Informa- into gaol, or be banished. ment procedure should in any casation or a ruling by Government is to the required should they go be accelerated.

leave of such Secretariat. The Government's Comment. Prisons service. The Hong Kong

Paragraph 10-The proportion of officers should be approved by the convicted for petty head of the department, it being Police recruit their Indians in India. prisoners and obtain a satisfactory type of offences is very small; for instance sufficient to forward the name and| Arrangements should be only 1% of the prison population is other particulars concerning the made for the Prisons Department to in gaol for hawking offences, of officer, to the Treasurer and to the The Secretariat for transmission to the It

which there are many kinds. recruit there at the same time.

taken 6. Finally, permits for occupy- should then be possible largely to re-public would be the first to complain Colonial Office and Crown Agents. place by Indians European warders, police action whose numbers will in any case be against the commission of pettying land should be dealt with by the

the completion

The of the offences. The question of binding Superintendent of Crown Lands and of setting out reduced on

over first offenders and requiring Surveys, new gaol.

them to report at regular intervals "zones," as advocated in the Com- Government's Comment. Paragraph 5.-The Superintendent has recently been dealt with by the mission's report on the of Prisons is making arrangements Juvenile Courts Committtee, and is Works Department should, save in to recruit his Indian staff in future bound up with the question of Pro-very few instances, do away with the Hong Kong Police bation Officers and a Reformatory. the necessity for referring to the through

receiving Colonial Secretary as to whether a Beth these matters are direct from India.

6.At present acting pay is the close attention of Government. certain lot is available or not for granted to Indian prisons officers if Habitual offenders have always been sale. they act in a post higher than their treated as such. Bunishment pro- own, even if only for one day. The cedure is as 'expeditious as possible. minimum qualifying period for "Long procedure" is in the interests acting pay should be four months, of the suspect.

The Baving the same as it is for other Govern- ment Departments. effected would not be very great, but it would relieve the Superin-

Government's Comment. Paragraph 4.-Government

of the proves of the reduction Eu.open staff by ten. In view of the recent occurrences at Victoria Gaol it has, however, been consider ed advisable to spread this reduc

tain amount of "paper" work. Government's Comment. tion over a period of two years.tendent and the Treasurer of a cer- has been Paragraph 6-This adopted, and extended to the Eura- pean Prison staff.

has also

necessary been found temporarily to increase the number tion to the twenty here recommend. of Indian warders by ten, in addi- ed. There are fifty Indian warders overdue twelve months or more for leave, and there is no prospect of with the arrears of catching up

these ten men are leave unless engaged,

The

abolished.

"

In

do

This will leave one at Victoria Gaol.

5.-The proportion of Europeans to Indians is far too high. reason for this, according to the Superintendent, is the fact that the latter are not sufficiently reliable to be put in charge of parties. Shanghai the Indian gaol staff

It would seem there- this work. fore that the Indian warder in This is most Shanghai is better material than to the method of re- he is in Hong Kong. likely due

Shanghai' recruits its Hong in india: staff cruitment. gaol Kong engages them locally, which perhaps means that all those Indians who have been dismissed from other employment find their way into the

Government's Comment. Paragraph B.-The recommenda- tion has been carried out.

was not

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S

as

OFFICE.

Public

not be

Government's Comment. Paragraphs 1-6.-Government ae- cepts the criticism that there has been "over centralisation" in the occupy Permits to Secretariat: Crown land, rent allowances, house allowances, dental treatment allow- ances, indents on the Crown Agents, the been removed from The staff of this office has grown have enormously within the last ten Colonial Secretary's Office efther to the greatest extent years. This may to some extent be wholly or

by the increased possible. On the other hand it has accounted for

that Colonial Regula- activities of the local Government been found

matters of China, and the stream of mis-Crown Colonies, prevent decentral- as the 7.-There do not appear to be resultart on the political awakening tions, which are imposed on all adequate reasons for the employ-

sions and enquiries sent out by the isation in such

But even after appointment of officers, unless they ment of two European hospital

League of Nations.

less per superivors. One post should be making full allowance for this, the are non-pensionable, ie, in receipt

Commissioners consider that much of a salary of $300 or Government's Comment,

can and should be effected in the annum.

7. With the Secretariat and the by re- Paragraph 7.-With the opening

Government organised In spite of its large business of organization. early next year of the new female way of retrenchment prison at Laichikok it will be neces-staff more overtime is worked in in accordance with the recommenda sary to station one European hng this office than probably in any tions made above it will

department.necessary to have such a large staff. Government pital supervisor at Laichikok to other jook after the two prisons there. Without re-organization therefore The Commissioners are of opinion It that three Assistants, one Cadet of service and one junior No reduction can therefore be made. no reduction will be possible.

To 8.-The Trades Instructors, Chin-must be re-organization not only of considerable seniority, one of about

the internal working of the Office ten years' ese, of whom there are three, have but of the division of the work of Cadet should be adequate. not apparently proved a satisfac- Government between the Secretariat facilitate the work the Chief Clerk should in future be recruited from tory experiment. Two of the posts and the departments. should be abolished.

2.-The fault may be aummed up the Registry of the Colonial Office. "over-centralization." The division of work amongst the briefly

should be between (a) of trival matters Assistants The amount (which cannot be of interest to the matters which are municipal in 'na- 9. If and when a new gaol is Colonial Secretary's Office), that ture, and (b) those which are

should

be come to

it from departments is governmental or political in nature. built, the Treasurer

Possibly each of them In the clerical staffs, Senior and required to consider and advise on amazing.

two of Junior, a reduction of twenty per the financial aspect of gaol printing-occupies only a minute or In the Commissioners' view this the time of the Assistant Colonial cent, should be made. aspect of the question has never yet Secretaries, but on the other hand been adequately considered by Gov-it means a considerable amount of err.ment. This view, they are of work for the clerical staff, making aiders three Carlet Officers in addi- the opinion, is borne out by the so- up the file, card indexing it, entry tion to the Principal Assistant called financial arguments put for into a register every time it comes Colonial Secretary to be the mini- ward by Government to Legislative in or goes out of the office. Mul-mum requirement. The staff is Council

en September 23, 1929. tiply this several times, and it will based on a full day's work for each (vide Hansard 1929 pages 240-245), readily be understood why there is officer under normal conditions, and There unfortunately overtime is the rule in support of the proposal to erect a such a large clerical staff. reinforced concrete printing shop in are in addition many matters not rather than the exception. The a prison, which obviously should be of a trivial nature, which are dealt Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff The official summary issued by hartly torn down.

Printing un-with by the Secretariat, but which and Junior Clerical Service have like other prison industries requires should really be dealt with in toto by already been dealt with. It is in- a European technical supervisory the head of the department concern-teresting, however, to note that a the Stock Exchange to-day states:

. The Commissioners would 20% reduction on these heads is re- sta (there are five such posts at ed. Victoria gaol), and expensive ma-stress again the point that they commended, though in the opening is worked in this office overtime made in their report on the Public Paragraph it is stated Government's Comment. Works Department that heads of de-

ment department. A few years ago, Paragraph 9-The Treasurer to partments all appeared to the Com-than probably in any other Govern- whom the matter was referred is missioners to be anxious and willing

the Colonial Secretary's Office staff, fully satisfied as to the relative to accept full responsibility for the as a result of persistent sickness in cheapness of Gaol printing to running of their departments, but

jno clerk,with the exception of a printing by a private firm working the Colonial Secretary's Office apan office rule had to be made, that for profit.

parently will not let them have it. 10.-Reduction in

the prison 8-Having diagnosed the malady few, who took it in turns, to attend to the receiving and despatching of population is desirable from many it is necessary to prescribe the cure documents and other essential busi- points of view, including that of Firstly, heads of departments should ness, should remain in the office effecting an economy in the run-be permitted to incur expenditure ning of the Prison

Department. on all ordinary items of a uniform after 6 p.m. The Commissioners consider that a kind which have been approved by not inconsiderable reduction could Legislative Council, without having

LOCAL SHARE MARKET.

Trading on a Meagre Scale.

The opening this morning was quietly steady, but trading still re- mains on a meagre scale.

Sales. Providents (Old), $4.90. Providents (New), $2.30. Humphreys, $16.65/17.

Hong Kong Realties, $11.65. Ewos, Tln. 14.90.

Hong Kong Electrics, $74. Amusements, $22.

Buyers. Union Insurances, $470. Benguets, $13. Docks, $20.

Providents (Old), $4.90. Providents (New), $2. Hotels (Cum. Rights), $134.~ Hong Kong Realties, $11. Chinese Estates, $95, Benguet Explorations, 29 cents. Ewo Cottoas, Tls. 14.00. Hong Kong Tramways, $21.60. Star Ferries, $90. Hong Kong Electrice, $74. Telephones (P.P.), $24.80. Lane, Crawforda (Old), $5,80. Sinceres, $161⁄2- Amusements, $22 Constructions (New), $1.85. Govt Loans; 8% Premium.

Sellers. China Lights (Old), #21 South-China Enterprises, $10, ...

chinery.

Government's Comment. Paragraph 7.-Government con-

that more

CADET SERVICE.

COLUMBIA

NEW PEDESTAL MODEL.

(CHROMIUM' PLATED FITTINGS)

THE MODEL HAS MET A REAL DEMAND FOR A FLOOR IN- STRUMENT AT A MODEST PRICE THAT EMBODIES THE FAMOUS COLUMBIA TONE.

PRICE $220

fleas 10% Discount for cash)

CALL AND HEAR IT AT

The Anderson Music Co., LA.

Ice House Street.

PALL

MEDIUM

VIRGINIA CIGARETTES

at

65 cts.

per tin of 50's.

Sole Agents:-

TABAQUERIA FILIPINA

26 Queen's Road Central.

1

A

Tel. 21322.

MALL

& Rothman's

Pall Mall

By Special

to HM.the

Appowatmest

PINK of S

VIRGINIA

MEDIUM

NO NEED TO BUY A NEW DRESS.

19, Wyndham St. Hung Kong.

TO GO TO THE SPECIAL HOTEL DANCES.

JUST SEND US YOUR OLD ONE. WE WILL MAKE IT LOOK LIKE NEW.

THE INTERNATIONAL DRY CLEANING & DYEING CO.

143, Wong Nel Chung Road,

Happy Valley.

36, Nathan Road, Kowloon,

71, Caine Heal Hong Sony

MARTELL'S BRANDIES

V.S.O.P.

BOTTLED IN

COGNAC AND

CORDON BLEU.

COROOM BLEA

GUARANTEED

PURE GRAPE

BRANDY

THREE STAR

MARTELL

(also in square pints

and finska)

BY

&F Morall

AL QURUR BAUST

MARTELL & CO.

The number of Senior posts in the' be effected, if the Police were to to obtain prior authority from the devote less time than they do at pre-Secretariat. The Treasurer always Cadet Service was recently increas- sent to the arrest, detention, and keeps a watchful eye on the spend-ed from five to seven. The Com- V.V.E. S. O. P. charging of offenders of such pettying of money, and notifies heads of missioners recommend, as they did "crimes" as crying out wares in departments if he considers that regarding the posts of Senior crowded streets

(where pande they are exhausting too rapidly or Masters and Senior Mistresses in monium already reigns), and tout too early in the year any of their the Education Department, that Ing for motor cars; provided that departmental votes. To give effect these posts be not automatically fill- a real public nuisance is not being to this recommendation all that willed on a vacancy occurring, but only committed. The sentences dabe necessary will be to reduce the when an officer sufficiently quillfed posed on such persons are trivial, a number of items excluded from the and efficient to be deserving of such few days at most, but whether it be General Warrant, Power to do this promotion is available. These pro- one day or one year, the prisoner is contained in Colonial Regulation motions should be made strictly on

merit and not seniority. has to be entered on the prison re-No. 262.

Government's Comment. Government concurs in this re- up the time of more than one officer.public money should be dealt with commendation, which is in accord Then again an extension of the sys-direct by the Treasurer and the and with its policy, tem of binding over by Magistrates head of the department concerned.

cords, washed, given a suit of pri- Secondly, all ordinary matters son clothes, etc., all of which takes which involve the expenditure of

(Continued on Pégo (1).

Sola Agentai“

GANDE PRICE & CO., LTD.,

WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANTS, B. George's Building, Ice House Street,

Dial 20135.

Hong Kon