THE TE ORANGA INQUIRY.

NZ Truth, Issue 144, 21 March 1908, Page 6

THE TE ORANGA INQUIRY.

An Anxiously Awaited Report.

The , protracted inquiry by Commissioner Bishop into the conduct of Te '. Oranga Home for wicked eirls (hadn't finished at time "of writing, and the evidence sd far has been- comprised oft testimony of exinmates (principally), as td ; - the alleged abuses, and of the staff as to the absence of 1 the alleged abuses. Both s-itfck are interested -iin their own particular version, and the result may be a negative one for that reason. 1 The statements ;sb far sworn to exposes a brutal 1 , system, which it is the duty of ■ tlie staff to carry out,' and it matters little whether live system was exploited well or ill, a.s the awfulness of it militated • against satisfactory results. The system permitted tihe infliction of punishment such as flogging .women of twenty years, clothed solely m their night-dresses. Flogging obtained 'm the army and navy; until vthe- brutalising practice was found 1 to be the main cause of inexplicable _ sudden death among the officers m war time. The girls who had offended' were also obliged to go without portion of their food, two of ' the principal items of which being bread and dripping and treacle weakened with water. A girl from 'one of these homes was given some butter on her bread once, and remarked, "Oh,' what funny stuff ! " A^scoiMers , from this happy refuge were" guyeri "three days m the cells, had their .hair v cut; -off,, were reduced to bread and water;* and were obliged to go about .m dresses of many colors so that they might be objects of ridicule and contempt to their compandons- Grills were put trees, .digging up lupins, and'earrying the resulting timber to the home, and were as beasts of burden. It was stated by the complainants that the matron was m tlie habit of boxing' tlie ears of the inmates, a dangerous method of inflicting corporal punislurveTit, but the staff admitted boxing the ears of one girl onb- under great, provocation. These girls sometimes go to service and frequently run away from their employers. They, may be had cheap as domestics ; they are under police surveillance ; they are unable to leave and are at the .mercy of their mistresses, who; may or m<ay not take advantage of the fact to impose upon -their slaves. Frequently they engage m a life of shame subsequently and earn tlie hatred of the righteous, to whom the circumstance . IS AN ASTONISHING- ONE. To the girls piety and goodness are associated with flogging and the cells, hard graft and unpalatable .fare, and a general atmosphere ,of- horror. The ease and luxury of vice represent an unexpected heaven after years of despondence m a living hell. Sometimes the victim} ■ broke dawn. One girl of 20, who had experience of lupin grubbing and cross-cutting, was sent to service, and ran away. When caught and brought back she was given 12 strokes of the strap over her nightgown by the matron and was condemned to the cells and bread and waters She was too ill to cat and was strapped for disobedience, like- I wise shewas forced to eat,, sitting up m her night-gown, under penalty of, punishment..-- -She^fcit the, thrashing [for three days, and became sb ill that she was ordered to the hospital by ; *Br. Alice Moorehouse. She remained m 'the institution fora fortfiighfc. The case for the tlcfenco was