TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 145, 13 March 1908, Page 8

TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY

MEDICAL.'OFFICER'S STATEMENT,

I , FURTHER EVIDENCE. . . . . (BY TBLEGRiFn.-rJIUSS ASSOCIATION.) . ' [■; . . Christcliurch, March 12. I I The'inquiry into the manasemeiit of the l-Te Oranga Home was continued, this afternoon; .v i • ; Jas. Bono said that ho had beon gardener ■at the Homo for a year and six,.months. The treo-cutting' done would not average one day m each month, and it was not doiie unless witness was theie to superintend. The girls-on the "whole.-seemed to like the, work.;! ,- , I ! '!'Miss r Nettie - ; Ji'Phersbn,. work mistress, stated''that ,'thero! were'/from fifty to sixty ' girls'!in! To'drarica'. ,!'" •- ' . ';Mr. Russell: If 'you, took half a dozen of '.worst' girls ' away, '.would the best be a,mdnable !to,discipline v ■ , vFairly so.^'• ~ 'i- ■ ; Do you ' find' that' the.' influeucd .of these girls'l9 a bad feature of tho Home? , ' -' It, is to" a certain extent. ' 1 11 ,' 'Witness, continuing,'-; said that the, relations' hotweeii the scaif'' : and the : matron wore -very good. , Mrs. Brantnig had a very kindly .disposition. She was'; very good tempered ; iii! dealing .with'the'girls, 1 .and pSmbincd firm.ness'inth'g6dd.;^emii6r.:'::'"- '■ v . ..In'reply' tb'tho'Gommissionor, ;tho witness" '.stiid that thero"; was a, lack: of accomiuodatibn fbr' classification: purjioses. ' . : Dr; r Alice Moorliouso; medical officer. for the'Hbme,"gave evidence.- ■ -xMr- ; Russell: Do'you seo anything wrong .in .'giving'tho chopping 1 and sawing Workr.' '!;;'i- :: '. " ' ; ' -!Nbt; : if if is'* .'judiciously done as it is here. I think, the work' ;s very good for'them. . .' ' -sFroffi -tho general appearance of the girls, .aro''"TOU'- 'tjiey' aro in, good licalth?•• f.-"' *•••

"Except/in!:thoso: cases; where disease'was 'cbritracted.'.beforo :;admi'ssibri; thoir' health is gbgd. '!!/:!'-,"! '' ■ Ou tho -whole, .youhavo found , a decided, improvement? • ,l)ccidedly. :: , ~, - . ■ ... -' Aro! y6u satisfiod; that the. wnditions hero as carried out -by !thb matron , staff are all. that /could bo wished -for tho purposo of and physically ? . 'Yes'.,';l am/satisfied as far'as ;the ,administration of 'tho' Homo.is jipnoernod, but I am ■ iiot : .satisfied . v/ith the building, -and; think tlio. ni'atrbn:, docs' thp .best she; can' .with', tho limited a'ccommpdatipii.- More room is .planted for tlio differ.ont classes.:' -,' " , ~ " ! : Th'b/-G6minissione'r':'! More/ facilities, for classification?!" ' " ■ ' " -'-vY(^--/'! ::r .'- / !!'' ;: ' ; -/'\!/\ ; ;'- ■ /, '! . ! " Mri'- Russell: ' .Is thero • any lcgiMmato ■ ground-for complaint about tlio fobd? ' ' ' I -have-'tasted'.it.; It is very liico, and, as far a3 I havo seen, it .is very .'satisfactory., -I:havo gono into tho kitchen-,unexpectedly, and' tastod'tho food,-arid" also wlieii tlio girls woro eatiiig. '.Tlior.e' is! plenty of good.'.plaiii faro. - !'■: - : .•' ' .'From what'you .havo' soep, .do you think ■;'tho .girls iafo.:"hnppy.!'' ; . ■ , " : - .Very, I should .''imagine, judging from'tho jovial way thoy'behavo. !'' Docs, there appear 'to bp-any severity in tho -disciplino?' ' - • . ~_• /., '•' // ''..''Not iii : tho, lcflst.'< ■; /,\ :• • • Do^s. /tihie- Trotfon/'TpossjiiM those qualities ■which"'you. think, are;-wanted?. 1 ..■:• ; ' I'.do think so./ I.'think\Bho is. severe when necessary J''.- but ;jhe•is: ' a --kind, ; motherly ivoman;'-w:ho' enters /into - the girls'; troubles and; does 'hor best to' advisb and help them. ;. Could;; anything: more 'be,.done" with'' the limited accommpdatibn' / here' ,'to ; - help: ''theso girls up?"'", ' ' r' f ' ; '"/:. : '' I don't think so. ; : '' . /:,<■, .', Mr. Salter: Do you support;boxing girls': /ears'//''/',/;/; '/'-/' ! : /"■''■•

: I "strongly object to it. ' Thtf 'Commissioncr,: It is indefensible, and [nothing is more' clearly:'- prohibited : by/ 'the -'regulations. I have very strong opinions on it myself. ! .!• , ' .!' Dr.'Moorhouse: It is.very injurious. Tliero 'should be no hitting about tho head. , : Mr:: Salter :''.;One, girl ■ mentioned that after 'having' her' cars boxed she had a' buzzing in the ears. :■ /■'

; Dr. Mbbrhousb : I remember .the. one—an : extrem'e]y!;,yiblpnt' girl.;-.' She; had- attacked ..three others, /and : ,the/'matron;- had': .very grav.o! prbve'eatioh. I understood ! that shb of her.head. Tho. girl said that slip: was . quito deaf. I had not instruments witlvliho, but' I tested -her as woll as I'could withbiit them./, I'was quite /satisfied, .that the girl's hearing- was ■not the.least'bit', impaired. , . / / The. Cpnimissioner:: What is; your. opinion ■of. corppral punishment, of .'-young' womon of from 18' to 20? '• . '■ .- ■ .

I don't'approve of it. '■; j Tho Commissioner: -Personally, I cannot bring my? mind to see'.' any "possible benefit, t-o, result-from it, but the matron is carrying out ? the•■'syst'otn approved l -by ".theV Depart:' f mont'.: Can you see in'it? • Some of'the';girls.are.';so, depraved in character that; it'-.is: impossibleto. appeal ,to their ( fcolings';by,' reasoning; or; by kindly .advice. In' some cases the' only'way is to make-them

feel iphysicdl ; pdinVV I- think it ' is. 'a great ;pityi to'-hayo'torresort ,to it'., ' What do'you:think of the haircutting?.;. "I think .it is a .very' good thing; it keeps ■them from, running away, and saves- them from , the; punishment that .accrues,., ■ ~ r Does it' not', suggest,',to -you' that it. would have a bad ; effect oil a girl? . No.-

K- In' -regard , to., a' ! girl , whose . case f had at;tracted. public' attention .after sho had been' sent .to 'the, hospital,the witness said that she' saw • thai.-case- tetf days after the girl had returned '■ after , absconding; It. was 'fonnd in - 'tlio / hospitalV that tne girl was ■ from. appendicitis, and. there :was absolutelf - no' blame: attachable" to anyone in ■the/institution for her illness.

Glara'Mills, an attendant, stated that she had been-sj^ i yMrS !s merti; bcrs" of tho'staff' got onsyery, well;' and 'cordially co-operated vin> .carrying;. out. .their, duties. ; 'She did' not 'think' tho, 'girls' had any, |legitimate v ''ciusoj.for.: ; ; ' cpni'plaint about" their treatmoiit ini'tha- Home'; ':.. ' In' roply to'tho Commissioner, the witness .stated'"tliat'mbr.e''''classification was' reauired. - 'Ellen M-'-Hunt, -sub-matron, said .'that she' had beon connected-with 'the' Honw' for four iyears: The 'girls improved in morals and in overy , way- while »in . the Home, .and they rseemedVtoibe' specially.'fond'of' the hiatron. -\