2.
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construction and of staff, besides making for greater
efficiency in the control of the prison, to build one tall
building, as is done successfully elsewhere, than to build
several low ones.
Accommodation is made for sixty European
warders. As has already been stated, there can be no
necessity for this number; doubly so when the Police Training
School is alongside. Furthermore, the accommodation such
as it is, is not suitable for European warders living in a
hot climate. The number 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.
4.
Even allowing for the unsatisfactory lay out and
condition of Victoria and Laichikok 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 reduction could be effected
with some loss of security, if the number of prisoners in
each of the halls at Laichikok were increased from sixty-seven
to seventy-four. This should be done. At the same time he
requested that he be allowed to engage twenty Indian Guards
As the initial salary of a
in place of the ten Europeans.
Guard is only $240 per annum the Commissioners agree to this
being done. It will tend to allay the fears of the
Superintendent, which however the Commissioners are satisfied
are unfounded.
They fail to see where the loss of security
arises, subject to what is said in the next paragraph as
to the type of Indian now employed.
5.
The proportion of Europeans to Indians is far too high.
The reason for this, according to the Superintendent, is the
fact that the latter are not sufficiently reliable to be put
in charge of parties. In Shanghai the Indian gaol staff do
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