TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 151, 20 March 1908, Page 8

TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY

FURTHER EVIDENCE. METHODS OP PUNISHMENT. (by ra,EGnAni—pnr.ss - assooi.wion.V. Christcliurch,. March 19. , .The inquiry into tho management of. the To Oranga Homo was continued by Mr. H. W. Bishop, Commissioner,'to-day. George King stated that he had visited the institution frequently, and saw how things were done. He stated without hesitation that Mrs. Branting was, carrying out her duties remarkably welL The inmates used to look up to the matron as a mother. He was not in favour of corporal punishment, but circumstances might alter cases and warrant it. If a preventive. for evil ho would o V -nt samo a PP lictl to hair-cutting, fcarali E. Jackson, manager of the Auck"l f, ns ' : ' rla l School for twenty-five years, said that there must be some form of corrootive discipline, as inmates were'not morally balanced in mind. Some could not be reached by affection, and consequently had to be corrected in. some way. .Personally sno disliked administering corporal punishment. She would allow a. magistrate to in•i i l ' l , indeterminate, sentence if a fiiri misbehaved when Hearing her discharge. Corporal punishment would be a good thing to strengthen administration. Tho matron orred on the side ■of leniency. Witness did not think that chopping wood was at all hard on girls. • ; To Mr. - Salter: She had t0... do with young girls in Auckland, and she seldom administered the maximum number of strokes provided in tho regulations. , Very bad eases wcro sent to To Oranga. She did not disapprove hair cutting, because if .they absconded tho police- would bo better able to 'trace them, and- anything ' that' tended towards keeping them in tho .homo should bo done. Hair cutting was not" mutilation. She would admit that there was very littlo analogy between the home she managed in Auckland and Te Oranga. -Putting aside incorrigible girls, the effect of the commission wa's that it created a feeling of unrest among the inmates.

The Commissioner pointed' out that, although the- Burnhanv inquiry had a roost disturbing effect, on the inmates, the'holding of the inquiry had ultimately been of great, benefit to the institution.' '■ "

Continuing, witness'said, in reply to the commissioner, the success of .an institution depended'larijel.v' on'classification.-'

Frederick Philii) Feudal! admitted writing a letter to tho editor of a' local paper in regard to tho homo. ' . ~ ■

In reply to Mr. Russell, lie stated he had no moans of verifying the statement'he mado in regard to the home. _ Tho only information lie' had was that supplied by a irirl who had been in tho institution, rip; knew she'had been, in the Samaritan'Horno, and. lie was aware sho had been committed previously to To Oranga. Ho saw the girl at Addington Yicarage when he , was visiting there, but the letter was not-written there.' Ho knew that all -punishments were registered and reported to tho Department'. Mr. Russell: How do you- compare • tho methods at the home to the savagery of slave-owners in America ? ' - >

■ . Witness: It was a savage way .of dealing with individuals." -

• Are . .twelve strokes'of the strap .'the same as the lash P. ...

I did not say it was tho same. It may not havo quite the same effect on the indi-vidual,-but it is of the same kind/ ; Continuing, witness said he never intended when he wroto the letter to. cast reflections on Mrs. Branting. It. was the Department who had the 'responsibility of-the institution. The Department made' the, regulations, and - they were'; responsible. '.Mr. Russell: We have a letter from the girl stating that; punishment deterred ■ her from-running away. ■ You may cure a girl for a time; but you' cannot' euro her permanently ; liy that method. ' ." '' - ' ' ! *' ' ■'

. Mr. Russell: You say this Home is run oil lines of;inhumanity and barbarity'?:' Witness: Well, a girl of" 19"or 20 had her hair cut off, and was: lashed ( practically on her bare back. He did not th'ink that anyone would conclude from his letter that the matron lisod. a cat-of-ninc-t-ails.

Why did you not see Mr. Pope in'regard to the Home as you did. when the Burnham case was brought, under your notice? ' Witness: If the Department had'sanctioned tho treatment tho 'only way to bring pressure to bear'on the Department was to arouse public opinion. ' : ' ' Harriet Petrement, ■ matron of Caversham Industrial School, said that she agreed'that corporal punishment should be-administered as the laSt ; resource. She had to strap a girl for misbehaviour and not telling the truth. Since", then the girl; had' improved greatly. Witness did not like strapping girls, but she would give the maximum amount if necessary. '*".<■ .- 1 ...... ...

. Mrs. Kaye, an. official visitor, stated that she found girls and matron .to to on the' bost of, terms. On an average she visited the Home about once a . week. She had never seen girls suffering: from the aftereffects of punishment. There was absolute necessity for better classification, and if this' were, attendod to there would.not be so much need for corporal punishment. . Mrs. Smith stated that the inmates could easily have made complaint'to the official visitors, of whom she. was oho. ' The food was good, and there was. plenty of-it. Official visitors had urged -on the Department the necessity for bettos classification; •