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prison physicians, 28 honorary chaplains, and 626 employés—in all 10,676 persons.

The allotment of warders, matrons, and gaolers to the various prisons is governed largely by the number of prisoners and also by the nature of the buildings. The general rule is for there to be 75 warders for every 500 male prisoners, and this proportion is maintained by the addition or withdrawal of 5 warders for every 50 male prisoners admitted or discharged. Matrons are employed in the proportion of 5 for each 25 or less female prisoners, one being added or withdrawn on the increase or decrease of the female prisoners by 25. Eight gaolers are distributed in the proportion of 10 to every 500 male prisoners, one gaoler being added or withdrawn for every change of 100 prisoners.

The salaries of the prison officials naturally vary considerably, according to rank and local conditions. Governors receive from 600 yen to 1,800 yen (£60 to £180) annually inclusive. The salary of prison clerks and chief warders varies from 15 yen to 75 yen (£1 10s. to £7 10s.) per month inclusive, while that of warders runs from 9 yen to 25 yen (18s. to 50s.) a month inclusive. Matrons receive from 6 yen to 15 yen (12s. to 30s.) a month, while gaolers can earn from 5 yen to 15.50 yen (10s. to 31s.) a month.

For long the prisons used to be supported by local taxation, and there was thus a great lack of uniformity in their administration. It was often difficult to obtain the consent of the local authorities to rebuild prisons when the necessary expenditure would have rendered still more great the increase in the local taxes, already heavily burdened to provide for the making of suitable improvements in engineering work, education and sanitary affairs. Thus it came about that many of the prison buildings were in a very tumble-down and bad condition. In 1900 the Government transferred the support of the prisons from the local authorities to the Central Treasury, as being the only way to remedy the condition of affairs. Shortly after this change the central authorities began the reconstruction of the Kojibashi Prison in Tokyo, and prisons in the prefectures of Chiba, Nara, Ishikawa, Nagasaki, and Kagoshima. For this an annual expenditure of 400,000 yen for six years was voted, and it is intended to continue the scheme of reconstruction in other localities, should the financial conditions permit, until finally all the prisons throughout Japan shall have been put completely in order. According to the above plan of reconstruction the new prisons in Nara and Nagasaki will be of brick, and that in Kagoshima partly of wood and partly of stone. In Chiba the new prison is to be of wood and brick; in Tokyo the Kojibashi prison will be of wood, as will also be the