H.—2l

[c 0-

89. Were you allowed to rest at intervals whilst working?-—lf we ever complained about being tired we were allowed five or ten minutes in which to rest sometimes. 90. And sometimes not?— Sometimes they would not. 91. I suppose if the staff thought they did not want a rest? —Yes. 92. I suppose some of the girls would rest the whole time? —Behind the staff's back. 93. I suppose the staff's back would be turned occasionally? —Yes. 94. But taking it all round, was there anything to complain of ?-—No; we never killed ourselves. 95. Generally, while you were in the Home was the staff nice to you?— Yes. 96. Looking back upon that time, was there any ground for complaint against any of the staff?— Well, Miss Mills sometimes was rather sharp. 97. Miss Hunt?— Was always very good to me. 98. And to the other girls as well?—So far as I know. 99. Was the Matron nice to the girls?— Yes. 100. Were you fond of the Matron when you were here?— Yes. 101. And still are?— Yes. 102. Have you any complaints to make about the food? —I once got tainted fish. 103. But putting that little incident out, was the food generally good? —Yes. 104. And of sufficient quantity? —Yes, plenty. 105. And had you enough bed-clothes in the winter time?— Any amount. 106. And of personal clothing?— Yes. 107. Did you have to work when here as hard as you do now?— No. 108. Were you happy during the three years you were here? —Yes. 109. And now you are away do you look back on this place as a prison to be detested or as a home to come to ?—As a home. 110. How do you regard the Matron?—As a mother. 111. Mr. Salter.] Whilst you were in the second division, were you punished? —When I deserved it. 112. Did you often deserve it?— No. 113. Were you ever put in the cell?— Yes. 114. How long at a time? —About two hours at the longest, I should say. 115. Were you ever strapped? —No. 116. And you are not particularly fond of wood-chopping?— No. 117. It was not suitable work for girls?—l did not think it was. Of course, it was healthy work. ' 118. You say you rested behind the staff's back? —Yes. 119. I suppose as a rule the staff kept the girls up to their work pretty smartly? —Yes; we had to work well. 120. Did you ever hear the staff tell the girls it was not time to get tired? —Yes. After pulling the trees or doing heavy work we generally got a rest. 121. Is it a fact that the girls are in the habit of speaking of their bread and jam or bread and dripping as bread and scrape?— Yes, some of them. 122. Why do they do that? —Because they wanted the jam thicker, and butter instead of dripping. 123. Is the bread cut very thick?— Yes, at times. 124. Nothing appetising about it?— No. W 7 hen it was thin the girls grumbled it was too thin. 125. There is a happy medium? —When they got it thicker it was too thick. 126. Do you remember about the girls not having enough food and then having a double quantity given to them? —Yes; I was one of them. 127. What happened? Were you sat over and made to eat the double quantity? —There was a new attendant in the kitchen, who did not quite know the quantity, so we got rather short. When we complained we got rather more than we could eat. We were not really made to eat it if we could not. That only lasted about a week. 128. So they went from one extreme to the other?— Yes. 129. Is it not a fact that some of the girls who did eat that double quantity took rather bad after it?— They felt heavy after it. 130. Did it not strike you as absard to make girls eat more than they desired to?—We were not really forced to eat it if we could not. They said they would give it to us at the next meal, but they did not.do it. 131. If girls are sent away from the table for any offence, is their meal sent after them?— Very rarely. 132. So a girl would have to go without from one meal to another? —Yes. 133. Have you ever seen girls having their ears boxed?— Yes; by Matron. 134. First with one hand and then with the other? —No. 135. Do you know anything about the reception-room?— Yes. 136. Were you ever taken there? —Yes. 137. Is it a fact that jam and sugar is put into bedroom chambers? —Yes. 138. Mr. Russell.] You know you were here for your own good?— Yes. 139. Are you satisfied the training you had here has been the means of making you into a good woman ?—Yes, it has. 140. You are quite sure of that?— Quite sure. 141. Do you think if it had not been for this Home you would not be the girl you are now?— No, I am quite sure I would not.

64