36

H.—2l.

[a. Habbison.

85. Have you ever represented this serious business of overwork (as you regard it) to any of the departmental officers? —No, I have not thought of such a thing. 86. Then, it was not by any means a burning question with you as the teacher of the school? -No. 87. The Commissioner.] I understand you to say you could get better results if you had more attention paid to this particular subject?— Yes. 88. Mr. Pope.] But you have not brought it before the departmental officers? —No. 89. That means it was not a very large question with you?—l never thought of questioning authority. Idoas I am told. 90. Mr. Russell.] You think the girls show signs of lassitude when they come into school?— Yes. Friday, 6th March, 1908. Arthur Douglas Aitken examined on oath. 1. Mr. Salter.] You are an accountant, living in Christchurch? —Yes. 2. And girl known as L R is in your employ?— Yes. 3. How long has she been with you? —From the 6th November, 1907—under a license. 4. Was there any mention of the girl's age on the license?— No. 5. When did you pay this girl her wages?—l waited to see if 1 would get a form the same as another employer of a Te Oranga girl received. I did not receive it, but 1 got a message through Mrs. Aitken that the Matron had met her in the street and had asked her to send up the sum of £2 Bs. with L . 6. Did you send it?— Yes, by the girl, who said she had handed it to the matron, who would send a receipt in due course. I waited until the 7th February, and then I wrote asking the Matron to send me an official receipt. 7. I think on the 10th February you received a receipt?—l received my own letter back, with an apology from the Matron for omitting to send a receipt, and a receipt at the bottom. 8. Did you receive a receipt in the official form?— No. 9. I understand the Matron called at your house a short time after this? —She had been to see who had informed L that her age was twenty-one. The Matron then told us that L was twenty-one, and that she had received permission to keep the girl under her control for another year, I understood, leading us to understand that we still held the girl under license. You will notice the license is issued to us dated " November, 1908." 10. Did you get a message to pay the girl any more money? —Yes; I. was requested to send the sum of £1 4s. by L , who was to meet the Matron, and that the Matron was to bank the original moneys and the £1 4s. in her name. 11. Did you do that?—No; because I had signed the license to pay the money quarterly to the manager, and I wished to receive notice that everything was in clue order. Margaret Early examined on oath. 1. Mr. Salter.] You are a registered nurse? —Yes. 2. You were until recently Matron at the Samaritan Home? —Yes. 3. Do you remember a girl named A G ?—Yes. 4. Was she sent to your Home?— Yes. 5. Where from?— The Court. 6. How long was she with you? —For three weeks. She was then sent to Te Oranga Home. That would be in March, 1905. Her behaviour with us was very good during those three weeks. 7. When did you hear of her next?— Mrs. Branting said she was not behaving at all well, and that all at Te Oranga—both the girls and the attendants—disliked her. She said she was putting on a lot of side, and showing off airs and one thing and another, and was getting very rebellious. 8. It was after that she was sent to the Asylum?— Yes. 9. Subsequent to her being in the Asylum, when did you hear of her?— Mrs. Branting told me she was getting very desperate, and that something would have to be done—that she was showing signs of lunacy, and was ready to commit suicide or murder, she was quite sure. Next I heard of her in the Asylum. I asked there if she considered A was really out of her mind, and she said they did not detect one symptom of insanity. They found her exactly the same as we did. 10. She was sent from the Asylum back to Te Oranga?-—Yes. 11. And about July, 1906, came back again to the Samaritan Home?— Yes. 12. Why did she come to your Home at all?— Mrs. Branting rang me up to know if I would mind having her back, and I said " No." I consulted Nurse Morris and the Chairman of the Trustees, and she came back. 13. What did you find this girl was like?— She was rather excitable and nervous when she came back again, and inclined to quarrel with the other girls, but she soon got over it, and behaved splendidly again. We always found her very amenable to discipline, kind-hearted, and willing to do anything for any one who was not able to wait upon themselves. 14. I suppose she was treated firmly and kindly?— Yes; she needed both firmness and kindness. 15. Did you ever suggest to Mrs. Branting she should go to service?— Yes, when she had been in the Home three months. 16. Did Mrs. Branting object?— Yes; she said she was going to keep the girl within bolts and bars as long as it lay in her power.