TE ORANGA HOME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 37

TE ORANGA HOME.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. FURTHER EVIDENCE CHRISTCHURCH, March 31 Mr H. W. Bishop, sitting as commfs eioner, continued the inquiry into th»i management of Te Oranga Home thi& morning. Th<? witness who had concluded her evidence-in-chief yesterday • afternoon' 1 was tendered for cross-examination. In reply to questions by Mr Russell, thfl witness stated that it was not true that she was living in a Chinese den in Wel« lington before she was sent to the home. She was found in a Chinese house, but il was the only time she was ever there. Sht took some clothes there for a woman. The Commissioner stated that the magia> trate found that it was proved to his satis* faction that the girl was found in a brothel, and that she had been associating with reputed prostitutes. He could not allow the girl's version to go forward to the public as a true one. The .witness, continuing her evidence, said that she was not always a truthful girl. She would tell a lie when it suited her, but she was speaking the truth now. The matron was generally kind to her. The matron had arranged to take her to ihe Sydney Exhibition with four or five other girls. Is it "not very kind of the matron to take you? — We could jgo on our- own if w« wanted to. I had arranged to go with another girl. Continuing, the witness said her com- • plaints generally were not against th« matron, but against the way they had to slog into work. She objected to the chopping and sawing, the grubbing of lupins, the way she was spoken to, and the condition of the food. t The potatoes wero boiled in their skins in the stew, and the frirls had to pick them out and peel them. She wanted to do housework instead ol wood-chopping. When they went out to service their mistresses had to teach them housework. If there was not enough housework in the home they should be puft on sewing or making clothes. She did nofj mind doing washing, but she objected to the other outside work. Miss Howden was just in every way. She had said ii\ reference to certain things said by the matron that it was hellish to live where such things were said and to have no chance of proving them. The girls were not allowed to take water to the lupins. She did not know that any of the girls drank water excessively and came out in spots. Witness did not know of the plot among the girls to abscond, or that they were going to use the excuse to go for water as a chance to get away. Witness absconded from one place where she was in service. She went to Kaiapoi, walking along the railway line. She just took it into her head to go there. She had 3d on her. She stayed at a boarding-house. She told Miss Mills that she had been to the Exhibition with another girl. The staff waa trying to pump her, and she told them lies. The girls were not allowed to talk to one another, but they did talk when the staff was out of the way. In the winter of last year the food was short, but she never made any complaint. Some of the girls had complained to the matron, and were told that they had plenty. The. girls were not allowed to see the official visitors privately. They just came info the room and walked out again. She had had plenty to eat during the summer. She did not know that the dietary scalo was the ' same. In reply to Mr Hunt, the witness said > rhat Miss Hunt did not put her hand in the ' hot water and r Jeyes' fluid along with those of the girle. She had been nunished for threatening to kill a. girl. She did ifot get on well with all the members of the staff. They were too fond of growling at her. It was against the rules to take hot ! water for scrubbing. She had made n< complaint to the matron about the markt of the strap. | To Mr Salter: The witness said thai after the girls complained about the shortage of food the\ matron gave orders fov extra food for them, and instructed ,the staff to see that they ate. Several of the o-irls were almost eiok with over-eatinsr. In reply to the commissioner, the witness eaid that punishment was inflicted with the broad side of the strap. The girl lay on a bed, and waa punished through her nightgown. She had been stranned on the bare floor of the cell T>y Miss Hunt. Mr Bishop asked for the "punishment dressps." and they were produced. - Mr Pope: These' dresses have been approved by the department in ■ accordance with the regulations. Mr Bishop : The department may not have exercised a wise discretion. The witness said that the dresses were kept on for three months when a girl ran away. If ihe did not a3k to get it off it would be kept on as lone as the matron liked. At present she was wearing her ordinary dress. " Some of them," the witness added, "are worse than this." The dress was quite a neat one, and Mr Bishop remarked. " I am not finding any fault with your dress." The witness continued that the matron had boxed hen ears. This caused a buzzing in her ears, but she was not exactly deaf. The doctor did not examine her for deafness. Tha matron had banged her head and baa boxed her ears for refusing to eat dry bread. Another girl had not been mada to eat dry bread because she had offended. "That is where justice comes in," the witness declared. Mr Bishop : Boxing the ears is against the regulations, is it not, Mr Pope? Mr Pope: Entirely. Mr Bishop read the regulations, and rat marked that the complaint might be mad* the subject of rebutting evidence. The next witness was a *prl with shorf black hair. She said that she would bq 19 years old in June, and four years in that home next August. She had done chopi ping and cawing, and had worked among the lupins. It was not nice work. Tho girls were not allowed to take water to the lupins. She considered that they did 1 not get substantial food for the work they; did. She had been out at service, buti was brought back to the home! On ono occasion she and another girl had been senfc to church, but instead of going there they went up town. The matron said that he» (witness's) mistress had told her that eh© gave a 6igh of relief when she left, and; that she had taken men into the house. When the matron said this, witness wa£ indignant. There was gome trouble among the girls about losing marks, and witness proposed to several that they, should

abscond. Her reason was that the matron had said those things to her, and she- did not see why she should be brought back to the home for those things she had been blamed for and which were not true. Witness did not ask the girls to go to a house of ill-fame. The matron thumped her down the passage when she was brought back, and put her into a cell. She had three meals of dry bread and water a day, and 10 strokes with the strap. Miss Hunt witnessed the punishment. The matron said that she would give the strokes as hard as she could. Witness was in the cell from Tuesday till Sunday. Some nights she slept in the dormitory, and was taken to the cell in the morning and sent into the detention yard at 10 o'clock. On Sunday she wa« locked up in the oell all day. and only had a nightdress, blanket, and pillow. She was only visited once by a member of the staff except at meal time. After absconding she was allowed three meals & day ol dry bread and water. After she came out she wore a punishment dress. She had her hair cut off on November 9, and had 12 strokes of the strap that day. She had never been in the " reception " room. She had heard the matron make remarks abouj; the girte. She called one of the girls an infuriated animal, and another a vulgar brawler. She got on fairly well with the members of the 6baff, though she was sometimes blamed for things that she did not do. She did not speak to the official visitors, as another girl told her it was against the rules. The girls were not allowed to read the newspapers. The matron told them of anything. Big girls who talked at meal times were sometimes sent away without finishing their meak. The staff were very snappy to the girls, and not always very nice to them. She considered also that favouritism was shown. The inquiry was at this 6tage adjourned till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. March 4. When the inquiry into the management of the To Oranga Home was resumed to-day Mr Salter drew .attention to the fact that the girl who had given her-evi-dence in chief the previous day, and who was being tendered for cross-examination, had been lodged in a oell during the interval. , The girl gave evidence in support ot this, but under cross-examination she admitted that she had been quite comfortably aoommodated, and that it had been explained to her that she was not being punished by being lodged in the cell. Mr Pope explained that he had discussed the matter with the matron, and it was explained to the girl that being put mto the cell was in no way as a punishment. In the course of her cross-examination the witness admitted various breaches of the rules while at service, but she absolutely denied that she had been guilty of grave misbehaviour. She was quite prepared to stay in the home if 6he were treated justly, and she was quite oertain that she could keep straight if she. went away from the home. She denied that when she came back she said to the matron that she wondered how long the matron was going to let her carry on as she had been doing. . A girl of 20 years, who had been m the home for four years and a-half, was the next witness. She ea-id she had been out at service once. She ran away from her place because she objected to being in the country. When she was brought back she was put into the cells for a month, but she was only locked up for one day. The rest of the time the, door was unlocked, and she could get into tho detention yard. She slept in the cell for a week. When she was brought back she received 12 cuts of the strap from the matron. The food was not always good, and the girls were foroed to eat things they did not like. The matron had boxed her ears, and she had seen the matron boxing other girls' ears. She had been strapped for sitting on another girl's bed. The witness made various complaints about the nature of the work and the treatment meted out by the staff. In cross-examination the witness was very reticent about her reasons for run-" ning away from her situation, and the Commissioner said that he would place his own construction on her silence. She denied that she .was found with a man in a haystack at 2 a-m., though the police report made that statement. It was the matron's practice to have a chat with the girls in the evenings and to encourage them to tell their troubles. During the last six months she- had been very comfortable in the home. The next witness, a girl of 18, eaid that she bad once tried to abscond. She was punished with a month in the cell and detention yard, and was locked for a day in. the cell. She wore the punishment ■drees for two months and a week. She was not strapped. At one time some of the girls complained about shortage of food, and they were overfed for a week. If they could not eat it they were threatened that the food would be poured down their throats. She had seen the matron box a girl's ears and knock a girl's head against the wall. In reply to Mr Russell the witness stated that she got on very well in the home, and had very few complaints to make. She didn't want to go to service, as she didn't know what it was like. "I want to get out of here," the witness said. " There are other ways of earning a living besides domestic service. I thould like to be a clerk." In reply to Mr Hunt, the witness said that she had never had a chance to make a complaint to the lady visitors even if she had wanted to. This exhausted Mr Salter'6 list of six witnesses, but he obtained permission to coll other girls. The next witness was a girl of 20, who iad been in the home for seven years. She stated that she had been out at service, and ran away. When she was brought back she had three weeks in the oell. on two days being visited only by tho 6taff at meal times, and she got 12 strokes of the strap, loafer on she absconded from the. home, and was similarly punished. At thi* time Ohe was ill. Bhe got dry bread to eat, and when ahe could not <*t it Miss Hills told ier that she was ' sulking, and would ik*. Sive her the fresh bread. Witness said le was suffering frotei a sore throat. The Matron came in latir. and witness was ■wain strapped. She felt this strapping for hree days afterwards. She did not know .whether Miss Mills had told the matron of \er illness. Some days later the doctor law her, and she was sent to the hospital, '•>here ehe remained for a month. In reply to Mr Rus&ell, witne^ stated Xhat *he ma,de her first statement to Mr fountain. He came In s&ii her in the hos-

p ital, and showed her a letter, which she I uiought at the time was written by Mies ' Howden. The letter, which was produced, stated that the girl was lying in the hospital in a dangerous condition, that she had been brought back to the home in a starving state, that she wae given bread and water and received 12 cuts, that she was in a state of collapse and was ordered to a proper bed in the home and finally removed to the hospital, and that Mrs" Branting would remove the girl back to the home and prevent anyone 6peaking to her in the hospital. The witness said that *he had not seen Mies Howden. nor received letters from her. Messrs Ell and Laurenson saw her at the hospital. While 6he was away a man paid her board, upending about £3 on her during a week. A sailor at Lyttelton went out with her, and asked her to marry him. but she refused. She was not in a starving: condition when she went back to the home. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned until to-morrow, when Mr Salter will call lome ex-inmates of the home. March 5. The inquiry into the management of Te Oranga Home was continued to-day. Evi- , dence was given by two ex-inmates (now at service) a.yd several other girls, mainly 'n c6rroljoration of the statements of the previous witnesses. One witness stated that she had been confined in the cell, and it was pointed out Ujat the punishment had not been I entered in the punishment book. The witness said that she had no complaint to make beyond that she had been I punished. In cross-examination she admitted that she deserved her punishment. A girl of 17, who had been in the home i two years, made a complaint that she was kept in the home on account of her temper. In reply to Mr Hunt, the girl said that Fhe w«9 a bit sulky. TJie staff were kind 1o her, but she had been unjustly put in the. cells for burning an apron. The next witness, a girl of 20, who had been four years in the home, said that she had been put in the cells for giving impudence, and had her ears boxed by the matron. I Have you any particular grievanoe j agaiiwt the treatment you receive here tjowT — I have not. Mr Hunt: You like working among the lupins and the trees?— Oh. yes. Miss Ada. Harrison, w.ho occupies the position of day school teacher at Te Oranga, was called by Mr Salter. Her first remark was: "I have been teacher here for four years, and I still want tc lemeJn." Mr Pope : May I answer that question later on, your Warship? Mr Bishop: If you prefer to do so. Personally I cannot conceive that it is the practice in any Government department to dismiss a person without letting him know the reason for hia dismissal. If the Education Department does it I should be immensely surprised. To the witness: Do you imply that you may be dismissed because you are going to give evidence? Witness: I understand Miss Howden has never seen the report on which she was dismissed, and I don't wajit to be dismissed on a secret report. . Mr Bishop: I don't thmk that is a fair way of putting it. I have her own oom.pJaint in writing. . Miss Harrison was then examined by Mr Salter. She stated that eher had been regarded as ranking after the matron on the staff, and she had twice taken charge during the matron's absence, the periods being a little over a month in each case. On those occasions she had not allowed other members of the staff to punish girls without first referring to her. Are relations strained between you and the matron ?— She has no sympathy with ■ the school work. In reply to Mr Pope the Witness said ; that the matron would like to shorten the school hours. She did not know that prior to her own appointment the matron had herßelf taught the girls. She had not mentioned to any of the officers of the department that the afternoon school girls I were tired out before they went to school. She had not complained to the department ! about the irregular attendance, as she considered that »he had no right to interfere with the matron. The witness produced her attendance book, and, quoting from the January register, showed that four girls had been noted for arriving late, and one had been unavoidably kept away for a full day. Mr Pope remarked that this showe« that the attendance was very good indeed. March 6. The inquiry into the management of Te Oranga Home was continued to-day. A. D. Aitken (aocountant) said that an ex-inmate of the home who had given evidence previously was in his ©m-ploy. There was no indication as to the girl's a«e given in the license- issued to him. He had forwarded the cum of £2 8s to the, matron, being the girl's accumulated wages. He applied for a receipt, and after some delay he received an acknowledgment, but not on the official form. Margaret Early (resident nurse, and formerly matron of the Samaritan Home) said that a. certain girl had been sent to the Samaritan Home from the court in 1905. She gave particulars of the case, and of friction which arose out of it. H. B. Sorenaen (formerly chairman of tho Samaritan Home Trustees) said that he was acquainted with this DarUcular case. When he received the report from Mrs | Braating about the girl he considered that if it was correct it would not be safe to send the girl to a place where she would take chf.rge of children. Mr Salter: What did Mrs Branting say about -th<.« girl? — She said that her mother had died in an asjlum, that the girl was very excitable, and that the was inclined to some laxity in morals. Continuing his evidence, the witness fe<ated that after a time he had no objection to Bending the girl out to service. Someone got into communication from Wellington, and a suggestion was made that the trustees wished to get rid of the girl; but that was incorrect. The girl, though a bit excitable, improved greatly while in the Samaritajc Home. Rose Morris (formerly nuree at the Samaritan Home) said that the girl was well behaved, and was a great help in tho home. Mrs Branting had called at the home and visited her a number of times, but her visite- always had a depressing effect. The I girl used to bo miserable for days afterwands. Witness was present at the interviews at the request of the girl. Mrs Br&ntin? always seemed to "rub her ut> tomchow or other. If the girl said that she wjs getting on all right Mrs Branting would say that she was ma^oo: on too i

weii, and that she wanted some of her strappings to' keep her down. Her manner towards the j^irl was decidedly objectionable. I Mr Russell : I suppose you found that the girl was not fond of Mrs Branting I—Shs1 — Shs said that Mrs Branting was not kind to her, and that ah© had a down on her. ! Did the girl dre<id going back to Te Oranga? — She looked uoon that possibility with perfect horror. If she read in the paper of any girl going there she used to isay, " Thank God it isn't me." | Mr Russell produced a letter written by the girl -to the matron stating that she was looking forward to visiting Te Oranga, and ( that if all the girls turned out as she in- ] tended them to do they would be a credit to her.— Witness : I couldn't have thought it possible for the girl to write a letter , like that after what she has said. I Were her thoughts suggested by you? — Most decidedly not. I don't know any- j thing about Mrs Branting. Mr Salter said that the second time the girl went to the home Bhe was treated with great kindness by Mrs Branting. The period complained of was the first time she was there. That was the explanation of the afftctionate letter, which was written after the second stay in the home. 1 The inquiry was then adjourned until Monday. | March 9. The inquiry into the management of Te Oranga Home was continued to-day before Mr H. W. Bishop, commissioner. j Mr Salter called Miss Jessie Stewart, a ' certificated school teacher, now residing ' near Burnside, Otago. She stated that formerly she held the position of assistantinspector of industrial schools under the j Government, and in March, 1905, she was ! in oharge of Te Oranga School. The hearing of her evidence was postponed. j Henry Paten, of Sydenham, a tailor, who \ was a voluntary witness, said that he had visited tho horn* to take afternoon services on Sundays. Judging from what he saw j of the girls, they were well cared for and j contented. They did not seem to suffer from any ill-treatment, and there was nothing in their faces to indicate that they were harshly treated. The matron i.ad tho necessary qualifications for her position, and was not lacking either in kindness or firmness. Dr Meikle gave evidence that in oep- | builder at Shirley, and James Speight, a, retired school master, gave evidence favourable to the management of the home.