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Dr. ATKINSON-Can you suggest any form of punishment in vogue at home that is not in vogue here?
WITNESS-The forms of punishment in vogue at home would not be of much good here because, for instance, a man gets three days No. 1 diet, and the governor has power to give him twenty days No. 2 diet in addition; that would be twenty-three days close confinement. No. 2 diet would be equivalent to the ordinary penal diet here. Then again, for serious breaches of prison discipline a convict is put back on second probation for a period of 9 months and a canvas dress is given to him if he tears his prison dress. That would be a great punishment for a European, but it would be of no use here. For assaults on officers a prisoner is put in irons and a parti-coloured dress, and would probably be flogged. He is put into a cell and he has to put his clothes out every night which is a great annoyance to a prisoner. That is another punishment that is of no use here. Again, an idle prisoner would be deprived of his sleeping coir mattress and hammock and would be obliged to sleep on the floor.
THE CHAIRMAN-The question was, are there any punishments prevalent at home which you think might with advantage be introduced here?
WITNESS-The only thing I can see is to put prisoners in separate confinement. Dr. ATKINSON-You think that is an advantage?
WITNESS--Yes.
Q-I thought you said just now that it was not.
A-Separate confinement is a punishment.
The CHAIRMAN-In the case of some prisoners the Superintendent, I believe,-I do not know whether it is with the sanction of the Government-has power to cut off the queue of a Chinaman?
WITNESSI think that is a good thing, Sir-with the express sanction of the
Governor.
Q-Do
you remember any case where a Chinaman has had his queue taken off?
A-Not since I have been in the Gaol.
Dr. ATKINSON-Tread-mill?
WITNESS-I think myself that if the tread-mill was substituted for shot and stone drill there would not be so many reports in prison, and also if the prisoners were sent to do outside labour to make the prison self-supporting.
Q-That would necessitate an increased staff?
A-Not a bit. I would undertake to work the prison with the same staff.
Q-You mean a labour gang, do you?
A-Labour gang, yes; and if something else was substituted for shot and stone labour I think it would be better.
Q-You think that is hard work?
A-I do. I think it is terrible work. I do not think it is good work at all.
Q-It is physically hard work, I suppose?
A-Yes.
THE CHAIRMAN-I think you have been here hardly long enough to offer an opinion on the advisability of cutting off the queue?
WITNESS-I suggested it to the Superintendent the other day myself.
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