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36. Have you had to ask for it?—No, I took it. 37. The Commissioner.] Could any girl get it who wanted it? —Yes. 38. Mr. Salter.] Have ypu seen any girls punished?— Yes. 39. In what way?— They had their ears boxed by Matron. 40. Pretty severely? —No. 41. Hit more than once?— Yes, several times, 42. Have you ever tried to abscond? —No. 43. Have other girls ever asked you to? —No. 44. Do you work amongst the lupins?—-Yes. 45. Were you allowed water over there? —For some time we were, and then it was stopped. A L examined on oath. 1. Mr. Russell.] What is your age? —I am eighteen. 2. You have been eighteen months in the Home?— Yes. 3. Are you in the first or second division I —Second. 4. Do you chop wood ? —Yes. 5. Do you object to that in any way?- -No. 6. Would you rather be outside doing that work, or inside doing house and laundry work? —I do not mind which. 7. Does the work make you very tired?— Sometimes. 8. When you are tired, are you allowed to rest by the staff ?—Yes. 9. Always?— Yes. 10. Have you been punished at all since you have been here?— Yes. 11. I think you lived with an uncle before you came here? —Yes. 12. Would you rather be here or back at your uncle's? —Rather be here. 13. Do you get plenty of food and bed-clothes in winter? —Yes. 14. What about your own clothes?—l have plenty of them. 15. Are the staff generally kind to you? —Yes. 16. Have you any complaints about the staff at all? —No. 17. Are you satisfied that being here is a good thing for you?— Yes. 18. If you left here, would you regard this place as a home or not? —Yes, as a home. 19. And if you had any trouble, to whom would you go? —To Matron. 20. Does the Matron treat you kindly in every way?— Yes. 21. Mr. Salter.] You had a chat with Mr. Russell in Mrs. Branting's presence about this inquiry?— Yes. 22. If you had any feeling against Mrs. Branting you would not say so before her? —Yes. 23. You are quite sure everything here is perfectly satisfactory to you? —Yes. 24. Have you seen the girls punished? —Yes, by getting dry bread. 25. Have you seen the Matron box girls' ears? —Yes. 26. More than once?— Yes. 27. Severely or gently, or how?— Not very hard. 28. Have you ever seen a girl have her head knocked against the wall?— No. 29. Do you have to get up the roots of the trees?— Sometimes. 30. Do you find that pretty hard ?—Sometimes. 31. Do you not feel very tired after this wood-chopping and sawing? —Sometimes, but not always. 32. Have you heard one of the staff.tell the girls not to get tired yet? —No. 33. Have you ever been in the cell? —No. 34. Have you worked at the lupins ?—Yes. 35. Do you get water there ?—lf we do not take water the staff does not allow us to get it. 36. Mr. Russell.] I believe you are rather a tearer at work. Have you ever been asked by the staff not to work so hard? —Yes. 37. You were told you were working too hard? —Yes. 38. How many times have you seen the Matron box girls' ears? —Twice. 39. Did she hit them on the head or shoulders?— Across the ears. 40. What was the girl's name ?—B W , for taking other girls' things. L T examined on oath. 1. Mr. Russell.] What is your age?—l am sixteen years and a half old. 2. You have been eight months here?— Yes. 3. Do you chop wood?— Yes. 4. Do you object to that work?— No. 5. Do you like it?—l do not like it. 6. Does it make you very tired ?—Sometimes. 7. When you are tired, does the staff allow you to rest?— Sometimes. 8. I suppose some of the girls would rest all the time if they could? —Yes. 9. So the staff has to be careful to see they do not do that? —Yes. 10. As a rule, does the staff treat you kindly?— Yes., 11. Are all the girls treated alike?— Yes. 12. You get plenty of food? —Yes. 13. Are your bed-clothes all right?— Yes. 14. And your own clothes? —Yes. 15. Have you any complaints of any kind to make against the staff or the Home?— No.

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