TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 143, 11 March 1908, Page 7

TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY.

FURTHER EVIDENCE.

STATEMENTG BY AN' EMPLOYEE AND Aft EX-INMATE. , i : , (BY lELEGRAPII—PIIESR ASSOCIATION.) ... : • . Chrlstchurch,. March 10. ! / . 'The'.'inquiry into the management of tho Te Oranga Homo was continued this after- » , Boon by Air. H.. W;'Bishop, Commissioner.' -Tho first witness called: by, Mr. Salter was Mrs:- Bean, wife .of tht> Rev. ,Bcan, ' Addington, to whom an inmate of, tho To ■■ Oranga Home is licensed as a domestic ser- ■ vant. i-Tllo girl .was tho one over., whom the > : recont troublo/arose in.tlio Samaritan Homo. - - Mrs. Bean said that sho . was quite satisfied ( with tho conduct of tlie girl: : Hor'behaviour. •• <- had been entirely satisfactory. 1 i . ' In reply: to 'Mr. llussell, tho-witness said i. . vthat . she thought' .that. Mrs.. Branding was. prejudiced against tho girl. The girl's dor- ■■■; Bcnption,of her 'treatment, at,theiTo. Oranga Home was' harrowing. - , , AN EX-INMATE'S EVIDENCE. :-:Tho next : witness, was .tho girl, , who snr that'-she: was in service'Witn- Mrs. Bean. • Sho stated that the ..staff, were continually : . growling, and when .thoy saw a-, girl 'trying to 1 please: thorny they: treated .her worso than .-ever The .food. was bad, 'i ; #nd.A' there -was. ; . not /!- sufficient • of: it. ■ . -.'When she went back to >tbo Home.from,tho Samaritan- Homo I 'shev was,/treated vory kindly. - In reply to Mr. RusSelli the witness stated . that she had made an attempt at the Homo. ' to'take'her (life, but :sho had 'never tried to take:' anyone else's >;]ife.'-. The fact .was ■ the 'result- of the constant growling of the' > staff: It was a life she could never endure. • Sho told the Rev. Mr. Fendall of tho ilog- ■ ' :ging-and.hair cutting, at Te Oranga. : • - :-.Would you-be _surpriscd_tO'know that not i ~ ; moro than half a dozen- girls in tho Institu- ■ tion have been strapped? - ••I'thmki.thero have been moro.- ~" ';. Yoii'-quarrelled' not only .with the staff, but with the cirls ? v •

AN EMPLOYEE'S STATEMENT. . ! ■ Elizabeth Howden,' ,/ati - employee at the - Home, said that .sho.'was engaged' by,-Mrs. U » Branting in July of -last: year as a clerk at . Te Oranga. On September 18 -witness was taken ill with influenza, and-Dr. -Micklo was . ■' - called.in. ■ -The;- matron laughed at (ho.idea of 'having a doctor for^inliuonza.-. On. tho . - 21st tho doctor said that--she was very ill, and* sent a-nurse to-attend, her. "The matron - and "Miss-Hunt - wont to- tho: theatre when sho. was ill. She ' knew/ that # tho 'staff had .e .perform,--and qould s not' give; ■:tho time -to .nurso- her properly. - When she : returned- to the ! Homo.Mrs. Branting said • that wliilo she liked her and her work very well, if she was a delicate pirson To Oranga •'., -. R-aS- : no' place'.-for-her.' .'Sho considered'that • she was quite , capable .of ' doing thowork • ' : for'.-i'-wliich /she .was;; engaged,. .but,;she :said nothing at 'the 'time. . Witness denied-that ■ -sho'had written any letters.,6o tho papers,: ;; j .or-givon.any/^information/tq^anyone;about tho Home. - * ' ; 5 In reply to-Jtr.; Russell, the witness stated : : ;" vthat 'shehad! never . told ]thtj',girls,' t-hat . they . could:vdo-what thoy, liked. : Sho had nover ■ V;-,Bympathised .'with' girls or against . tho staff, f; ,or. ' told'; them" that they .'were' unjustly treated, ''- Witriess' stated - tluLt .sho was r dis-, ' missed'from her position_fin tho Home. ' v: Mr. Russell produced,:'a : statement which ■ ono girl had. given; accusing Miss-Howden of inciting, the 'girls to _ insubordination', land ; : .maldrig!c.ert'aih. accusatibnsN against;',the staff. V>- :The, witness' said that .there";was not a word V'..: of :'truth;'in-tho statement.: 'matron had ! 'herself; stated,..that the - girls,. ,wero - liars,, and : ihey:-VTOuld : 'swear : ; ; '; : , Jlr>'Russell: been : ;V' :>i : perfeotly.faiir iii!rtpbrting-this' '. '/'aridfotherYsimilar to ']\Vollingt6h;. ;The^^:matrb'n v ;had !^ ■'sla^-^ihat''-'.'tW. : gir]s'-'\rare v- ; that '• thoy : would not hesitate"to..make' false, charges, against anyone if they could. thereby''gain, any'bene-* i, . fit; or. advantage. ■ .vThevreply. from the Do- .-; ;,partm.entj -Mr,' Russell .'continued,' was in; ,tho v . J; instant'.dismissal. o.f .-'iliss. Howden. ■ Witness: You get. statements; agfin'st mej ■■;'. : inquir^d^intp;'^u't'^^Hvhat'.'about other members of- the staffA There • are i^chargefcpreferred' :agairist;>themand ' very gravo charges, too. 1 ' 1 - - The Commissioner :..I--:don/tvknow .what you i mean ( y x . ' The 'questions appeared"to annoy the. wit:iiess;:who?said well ,'make • ,i . some, charges against -Mrs. Branting, seeing so many, charges ■'had','been i l madei against her . :, ■ ■-(Miss-Howdenp.'^Sho-alleged that the matron vgavo'Hfie 'postman:.a\ Cliristmas . of 6s:, . and charged- the 1 amounfe for'dinner, giving false: explanations whenv challenged by. tho : : auditor. rWhen-she waS'lat ,Te.'Oranga -there »:' - was an-undercurrent -to - get-ind of 'hef,-. be- . cause /she : saw tilings; > MrsVvßrantmg <had , said that it the late-Premier had been alivo .->• sho .would ;letv. Mrs:- Bean have ;tho .'girlj. as ■ - Jsho-'iknaw on which side her bread was'- but- . t tered. :As it was, shoikn'ewshow-to beat Mrs. Bean by writing a .private and-: confidential letter to Sir Edward\ Gibbos. ,