TE ORANGA HOME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 53

TE ORANGA HOME.

FURTHER TROUBLE,

CHRISTCIIURCH, February o . Moie trouble (says the Lyltelton Times) lias arisen at Te Oranga Home, and more charges of mismanagement are made against the authorities. It is stated that the girl* complain bitterly of haish and unsympathetic treatment.

T^ie subject has been brought up again by the fact that one of the girls, who was alleged to have been strapped while in illhealth, had to be taken to the Chnstchurch Hospital. She remained there for some time, but has now been discharged, and is back in the home.

From the statements made it seems that the girls complain of the food they are gi\en, of the work they are compelled to do. of the nature of the punishments, and of favouritism. It is stated that fa\ouitism is rampant in the institution, and it leads to much injustice. According to the statements circulated .harshness is displaced in the punishments and some of the girls say that they carry the maiks of the strap on their bodies for days. The method is said to be to make the delinquent lie on her bed while the strap is brought down with the full force of the arm. as many as 12 strokes being given at a time. Gjrls who have listened to others being punished have, it is stated, cried to hear the groans and 6obs. There are two cells in the institution, and they are used for solitary confinement. In one case, according to information supplied. a girl was placed in a cell for two days for no offence except what one of the assistants termed insubordination, or because the assistant had been annojed by the girl. Offendeis have, it is stated, been kept in the cells for several weeks without seeing anyone except the attendant who took the food. Another charge is that the girls are not given a chance to defend themselves. They are not allowed to talk at meal times, and are punished for this minor offence by being sent away from the table. If it is thought that a girl has not done a fair daj's work she may be given dry bread. It is quite usual for many of the girls to be on short rations. They i ise at 6.30 a.m., and are out of the dormitories at 7. and immediately start work. Some do household work and othere milk the coy. s. clean the fowl mns, tidy the yards, and so on. They have breakfast at 8 o'clock, and after that inois work is found for them. They fell trees, cut all the firewood (using the axe and crosscut saw), plant and dig potatoes, grub gorse and broom, and do other manual work, including the painting of the fences.

February 10.

The inquiry into the affairs and niana^ Iment of Te Oranga Home will be conducted by Mr H. W. Bishop. S.M.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER

WELLINGTON. February 6. The further charges of mismanagement at Te Oranga Home w ere brought under the notice of the Hon. Mr Fowlds, who .states that it will be necessary to hold an inquiry in order to satisfy the public mind on the matter and to gi\e those in chaige of th? institution an opportunity of defending its management and methods.