H.—2l.

116

[B. T. BEANTING.

374. Your objection was not because you had any ill-feeling against Mrs. Beau for going behind your authority to the Minister? —Not a bit. 375. You did not resent it? —I thought it was rather nasty of Mrs. Bean, but Ido not know I resented it. 376. Do you remember the case of that girl L R ?—Yes. 377. How long was that girl here?— From the time the institution opened until she went to service. 378. Was she a fairly good girl?— She was a fairly good girl, but very slow, and I thought unable to earn her living. 379. Was the time she went to Mr. A the only chance she had had to go to service? —Yes. 380. Do you- remember when she.reached twenty-one?-—Yes. 381. I think you wrote to the Department to have her name taken off the books? —Yes. 382. Was that done?— Yes. 383. After she had been taken off the books, is it a fact that you had a license made out to Mr. A ?—I spoke to Mr. Pope, and said I did not think she was quite able to guide her own life. I said I should like her to have a trial at service, and that if she did well she could continue, and I would put her money in the savings-bank, and that if she did not do well I would bring her back to the Home. 384. Did you get any special permission from the Department to keep her after she was twenty-one?— Mr. Pope said it would not matter —that she would stay in the Home, and I could keep a supervision over her. 385. Do you know whether Mr. Pope has any right to say whether a girl should be kept after she is twenty-one? —If I could have managed it I would not have let her out of the Home. 386. The Commissioner.] You acted in what you believed to be the best interests of the girl? —Undoubtedly. 387. Mr. Salter.] What about her wages? —I still hold £2 Bs., which lam waiting to put in the bank for her. 388. Mr. A had to apply to you once, if not twice, for a receipt?—l forgot to send a receipt. 389. You did not send the receipt on the official form?—l could not, because she was over age. She was held for her own benefit, not for mine. 390. That was your opinion? —Yes; I still hold to that opinion. I am sorry she has been told she is twenty-one. I should like to have held her for a year. 391. But is not the girl entitled to know when she is twenty-one and when she is free?—l believe Miss Howden told her before she left the Home. 392. Why do you think Miss Howden told her?— Because it was reported to me by her sister that Miss Howden had told her before she left the Home. I spoke to Miss Howden about it, and Miss Howden said, "Do you think I would do such a thing?" I believed Miss Howden then, but in the light of subsequent events I believe Miss Howden did tell her. 393. The girl herself did not know-: she said her sister told her?— Miss Howden went up to the Home, and afterwards her sister wrote to her and told her she was twenty-one. 394. Are there any girls in the second class who have not been committed here for any particular offence? —Not that I know of. 395. What about J P and her sister?— They were transferred from Auckland. 396. What had been their offence?— Ungovernable temper, I think, in both instances. 397. Was not her offence simply that she was unfortunate, and had no one to look after her? —Nothing of the kind; she had brothers and sisters. 398. She was not sent here for having committed any crime, but because she was uncontrollable at home : is that not so?—I do not know. 399. Are you prepared to say that all the girls in the first class are better than those in the second class? In other words, have they earned their promotion to the first class?— Most of them have. Some of them are in there because they are young, and are more likely to be contaminated by the girls on the other side. 400. Is it not a fact that one girl, V S ,is taken occasionally to the receptionroom?—Yes. 401. Does that not point to the fact she should be in the second class?— Well, she is a very well-behaved girl, and I think she is jnore sinned against than sinning. 402. Did you tell Miss Harrison that Miss Howden had given the information to Mr. Fendall about the Home which caused him to write the letter to the newspaper?—l said it was probable. I could not say she had, because I did not know. 403. Why did you conclude Miss Howden had done that?— Well, taking all the things that had been going on at the Home together, it seemed probable. 404. I suppose you are satisfied now, after hearing Mr. Fendall's statement, that Miss Howden had nothing to do with it?— Yes. 405. With regard to these girls' statements taken before Mrs. Kaye, you said Miss Mills said to the girls, " Come up to my room " ?—That was what was reported to me. 406. Do you know whether the girls went with Miss Mills to her room on her invitation?— H said she went. 407. Did the others go too? —No. 408. Then, Miss Mills had something to do with her making the statement?—No; she made a voluntary statement to Miss Mills. 409. Did you tell Mr. Pope you believed Miss Howden was at the bottom of the whole trouble? —I may have done so. 410. Did you tell Miss Howden, when speaking to her about this business, that the girls were such liars they would swear your life away, and that you would be broad-minded and let the matter