TE ORANGA HONE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 53

TE ORANGA HONE.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY.

EVIDENCE BY INMATES.

CHRISTCHURCH, March 2. Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., sat to-day as a commission of inquiry -into the management of the Te Oranga Home. The order of reference enjoins inquiry into and reporting upon the management of the school and treatment of the inmates during the last two years in regard to the following matters: — (a) The suitability and efficacy of the methods adopted in the said school for, the classification of the inmates in sections or grades for reformatory treatment. (b) The general treatment of the inmates, particularly as regards the methods of punishment, having regard to humanity on the one hand and the maintenance of proper discipline on the other, and any special treatment as regards punishment to which any particular inmates (whose case may be brought before you during your inquiry) may have been subjected. (o) The duties of the members of the staff, and whether or not suoh duties and the conditions under which they are performej enfcail any- undue hardship. (d) the relations between the manager and the staff of attendants under her control, and the discretion or otherwise 'exercised by the manager in respect of her dealings with such attendants. ' ™ Th £. P ro °eedings opened at the home. Mr R. H. Pope (Assistant Inspector of Industrial Schools) represented the Education Department, Mr C. E. Salter appeared on behalf of Mr J. H. Fountain (representing certain persons interested in the welfare of the home), Mr T.. G. Russell for Mrs Brantimr (matron), Mr Hunt for Miss Hunt (sub-matron), Mr J. Gray (Hansard staff) acting as secretary. Air Pope stated that he was present to vindicate the department as far as possible but vt woe also necessary that he should co down as deep towards the truth as possible, and with that objeot in* view he would assist the commissioner to come to a proper decision by every means in nis Dower. £ rst ™ itn ess (an inmate of the home) called by Mr Salter, said she was 18 years of age, and had been in the home about three years The outside work consisted of sawing and chopping down fir trees. One girl went up the tree with a rope, and the others pulled it down. The logs were sawn up and the roots dug out. The morning school gzrls went out to work from aquarter to 1 till about 5. They got a little rest. ' I At this stage the Commissioner ordered i that the official record of each inmate's antecedents and the circumstances of her committal be placed before him for his private information. On the examination .being continued, the witness said the srirls fometimes grubbed up , lupins with a pickaxe and a chopper. Witness had been in the cells four times. The first time she was put" in by an attendant for not knowing her Catechism. She was in about, an hour. The second and third times were for impudence to the same attendant. The third occasion arose from her wanting water when working at the lupins. Witness was one of two girls who tried to abscond. The other girl suggested it, and witness agreed; but they only got as far as the loft in the laundry.' Witness was kept in the cell during the whole of a Sunday, and had three meals of dry bread, being given six outs with^ a strap by the matron over her nightgown. Afterwards she was dressed in a " runaway " dress of many colours. In regard to meals, the girls got porridge, a piece of bread and jam, and a piece of bread and dripping for breakfast. Sometimes the milk was sour. For dinner, they had meat and patotoes, and sometimes eoupi and pudding. For tea they had two pieces each of bread and jam and bread and dripping. On Wed- I nesday and Sunday eveninprs they had cake ' as well. Witness detailed how the matron had boxed her ears and told her faults before the other srirls. Witness said she had contracted chilblains throueh having to scrub with cold water in the winter" time. They were not allowed to turn over in bed. To Mr Russell : £eFore coming to Te Oranga Home witness waa at St. Mary's Home at Karori. She was put there for misconduct, and had absconded twice. She was arrested on the point of leaving for Sydney with a man. She declined to say whether she had given herself up to an evil life. Witness was satisfied that what was being done at the home was for her future welfare and for a good purpose in order to put her in a pood position in after life. Her only complaint was that she thought she ought to be allowed to co out to service, but she was satisfied that in not being allowed to go out the matron was acting in witness's best interests. In regard to the wood chopping, the girls chose their work themselvesT and took it £urn about. The other girl with whom «"*.

nets had arranged to abscond nw go'Pg X; a Chinaman's house. Witness refused Hi 1 go there with her. The girls got all th<l food they wanted at Te Oranga. Tho only occasion upon which the matron spoke ot witness's faults before the other girls waO to ask her (after she had threatened to run away) what she wanted to run away for. To Mr Hunt: Visiting ladies and thy clergyman and his wife came regularly to the home, but she had never made any complaints to them. A Mr Bone helped on. the place to do the rough work. The second witness stated that she was 20 years of age, and had been in the home 'or seven years. The. girls had to cut down trees or else get punished. l*hey were not allowed water while grubbing lupins. She had often been in the cells. Once she was kept there for two or three days and nights, and after that she was kept in the cell and detention yard for a month. She had to chop knobby pieces of wood and clean tin dishes. She was also strapped. That punishment was for absconding from service. She left because of lies told abotit her sister. She was not allowed to see her sister when she came to the home. She had been locked up for three hours in the coalhouse for striking another girl. She had been confined in the cell for four dayi since then, and was fed on soaked dry bread. Miss Hunt gave her six cuts with the strap. She had had her ears boxed by the matron for impudence. If they left any, food ihey. got it again until they did eat it, and then if they did not eat it, they wera smacked. Witness's father asked her if she wanted to come home, and the matron told witness to- write to her (the matron)" statintr that she -did- not want to go-horn.*. The girls were not allowed to speak to one another in the sewing room or laundry. If. the matron was taking meals with them, they were sometimes allowed to talk, bufc not v. hen members of the . staff were there.

At this stage Mr Bishop intimated that the proceedings would be adjourned until the following morning, when the crossexamination of the witnesses might be proceeded with. 1 It was found impracticable to sit for-- more than two hours each day, a3 he (the Commissioner) desired typewritten copies of the previous day's evidence before him each morning, and Mr Gray (the secretary to the Commissiowv) was working single-handed.