TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 147, 16 March 1908, Page 5

TE ORANGA HOME INQUIRY

> , TUR7HER EVIDENCE.

: ' QUESTION ■OF CLASSIFICATION. ' ■ (DV IELKCRAriI—I'RESS ASSOCIATION. ) ' Chrlstchurch, March 13. -The inquiry,, ; iiU6'.th<Tmanagement of tho , To Oranga Homo was continued to-day by Mr. ,H. W; ■Bishop, Commissioner. Mary Macintosh stated that sho had boon . /an:, attendant-Vat ''the''-Home for}. six 'yoars,' prior to 191)6, 'and in': 1907 she the ■ matron , for a month. - Tho relations oxistmg botweon members'of tho staff wore friendly, and sho had : heard no complaints '-from in- * mates. V • \j'j , . ■ William Eccco. stated jthat ho was appointed official 'visitor. •to 4ho Homo by the iGoveriimonti ;in : '-101)5.Matters;',in connec- ' tioii;Vith the 'institution • were -frequently .referred to him for; advice. • 4 Mr.-Russell:; Is tho Home fulfilling-its : puiposo as a reformatory?; / ■■: ao,;a large '-extent. • isomo improvements ■■ ; are {necessary .as in; tho 1 matter -.'of'classifica-; ;tibn."': 'Th6V;Govcrnmcrit/ : bia9 been', strongly. : ' - ■■ rccbmmeiided by. -tho 'official visitors • and': tho' 1 -matron to< establish'another class. ■The' Commissioner You ..know-■ what is. done, .'and: do you /think': that will meet; .. rcquiremcnfe?.':; 1 '<■ /'■';■'' .' "" - ■ it deponds on>tho method. of classification. -Facilities will then exist for proper classification. .. r--. '... • .; -; •Mr. ltussoll:' Do the girls scorn to be happy? .; • ' . > Most certainly. ■ Con tinuirig, itho; witness stated .. that as far as "he could-judge tho relations > between / tho matron and. staff wero all that could be • , desifed. Asiitoi, the 'fitness '. of the'- matron. . " .. for. vher 'position, ,'he:;thought it would- bo ' very difficult':to 'find who 'could"carry' on the work' better. V'- ■-. < : ■■.- ! r Mr.;-; Russell :> . Are -you in \ favour. or the ~*;•:/: p resent;^^h^,''.ol'.'eferp6real-ipunishment?,-,' : - Goncrally speaking,: I would -like to-sec ': •, corporal punishment dispensed • with-. There ; -; ; lare ;sbme instances v in; which; it : ..is _ absolutely necessary ;in/;my ' opinion,': but ;individuals VJ-.-l *; so ;; *much ■; thatvif. there/, were .Vother ' t i mearisj-tl; think it' would be better to abolish .• 'Hogging. -•• ' ..... ' ■V;, In';reply;„to Mr.- : Salter,Vtho: witrioss' said .. that he-visited the .Homo about . three; times a, year, but hodid not como into'personal con-;'\v;tabfc"'^th.thelinMtes^VH!e'i^^rded;-.that!as - • ;the;-]ady'Visitors.-'-' ;v'la reply >'t'o the' Commissioner,; the witness ; isaid,that I ;he-did not;'regard hair-cutting as'a' ve'ryi punishment..'' : lt' had. a deterrent . . effect-on-absconding. . . . i- The Commissioner: What method of dassifi'cation .would you suggest?' . .r;;. V -I should suggest three classes. All inmates 6n arrival"to ;go in(6,iho' niiddle."cla'ss,swith : . ;, tho;': liopo ■ held - out J to- them of- into. .the - lughest;.class.,;:.Grirls'.would, lie ■: ;by being ..put down into': thelowest, fcla'ps. >. 1 Jlavo. you .thought-of the. problem -pre- . . sonted by the girls,who^liavo.shown no. signs. '- justify.. their -. -; N being sent' forth 1 among the community- gener\ai.ly'.at tho ago of twonty-ono?- . . .■■c-"-.',-;\jat?iiß,, a r diffieulti problem,' ';>I. should, -deal .•.'. r '.iiiitK;:th'«^/.ca^s';- ! pn; .tence.nlan. ,' ./ - .v-SHzabeth'-'Dißan,.-who has been an atten-. Sant.^.dt-,..the' l ;iiome ;,fpr :-tv/elve; months,.': said. .' ;'-',that; }as,,a.l-whoie,-;,the : girls- were- cbnteuted '■' oand happy. inp£ieed.-;a great; irii-. of; girls/after ,;ihey. • vca'me'^p,'thp': ; insytution;'.-I'-; '■ ''..Elizabeth:- Simpson, vatt'endaht;. during the. laW sixteen in.

. oljargOr,ofytliQ\food, , ..and mperintcnded - the . rooking;-..' Shejhad four -girls to teach- every ■. morifcli. V. She coulS'see a ;sufctahtial <imprbv.er; :■/:■lnßht:\iri'^eVgiri3^af^^^^ey<Ha'd ; ; time; in _■ • The.-. young girls ■'■lyere; ' ■ amongVtlio i' ,■ i; . The, Rev.! 1 . R. Inwood, Anglican minister ■■} at' Burwood,. said that he visited ■ the Home :-.''-;alwajs?:once a-week,-; and; sometimes'-twice. In^;his^dp.i'nion,.;the; : girls , '-iverof'happy III■;the" Home._ t, • : .Russell:;..Ar6, you. satisfied: that-, the' \ Hoine is doing food?• ' : v;. V- ''r : \ ;• ■ I am, .most'decidedly. . 'ChristqHurfch should, be proud'of having a-Homo..like this in its' midst; ; ;.,The Commissioner.: .will agree with , ..... nie jth'at, tjie. girls'.who".we're ; turned - put are ' not the jgirls. they :'were'.Vlion 'they in; The '. Home has .' a. humanising- and, refining influence'on' them. ' V'; ; '• i : ; In.'reply: to 'Mr.' Salter, ■ the, witnesssaid 'that; he a inoro humane ..•' -'punishment than: deprivatibn iof food 'or coii-' finement .m . tho cells.' He saw no hardship . ■ yit /' tept r bad .'girls'' from (::rabsconding. i'-jQni that'ground'it was. justtfi- ' .. able, and, indeed, praiseworthy. - i ! • '- s v D'r.:Symes saidiihat up till about'two ybara 1 ago ho was medical officer. 111 chargo. of the Eorao, • . His oxperieiico was that''the .children • wcre' ; |enera!ly very bright audcliberful.' The matron'had good methods, and'was a "kind and. capablo woman. Ho had always found tho focid .'supplied perfectly wholesome. The «'.'/• .'tif' girls .imprbvedmorally in' tho-Homo, but - there werodegfcncrates : not' be improVed. • In his.■opini6n, punishment .should ; iioi/ .be;;a4immstored to girls, over , eighteen:' ~lt . ' had impressed him;tha.t !th(i girls .in ; the Home . -tad ;a feeling, thatfchoy werecjtcasts from 1 : society,and-'a,''gr.eat;dcal. oould be done by-. , tile ladies : .of-;.Cbristchurch 'if - they extended a ... littl(j".-moro-kiiidjy- syiripathy. to . them'; -. This • ' . would ' put .them ;<in touch withy tho outer 7" yprld; 1 aiid; givo -them 'sotae Kelpiand hope.' : Ad to ■ tho hair-cutting, he agreed. wit-h \Dr. Mobrhbusb that.it was an excellent means of preventing, girls, from' absconding.