THE COSTLEY HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11987, 9 June 1902, Page 7

THE COSTLEY HOME.

TO THE EDITOIt. Sir,—Our much-esteemed Governor deserves great praise from the inmates of the Costley Home for his very just criticism. During his recent entertainment and the visit of himself and Lady Ranfurly, he walked about with his eyes open, and he is a just critic, for he sums up the position very accurately, and your leading article was equally to the point. But I wish to refute the statement made by Mr. Stiehbury as per letter in a recent issue. He points out that the liberal supply of first-class food which is obtained at a weekly cost of 4s per inmate, and a further expenditure of some £3 5s for staff, wages, coal and food (of the best), cab hire, and clothing for a few of the inmates, and £25 ground rent. As to the inmates' bread and meat being of the "very best," it is of the very worst, and it is much to the benefit of the 150 to 200 pigs who fatten at the expense of the inmates. The food supplied to the staff of 18, with the other items enumerated, costs nearly as much as the keep of the 200 inmates at 4s. I will give you the menu of the last week's bill of fare: For tea and breakfast, bread with scrap butter, porridge, lea. bread, and invisible butter. Supper, "Shut your eyes." Dinner: Monday, mut!on fat, potatoes, and stewed bones; Tuesday, meat called beef, boiled, soup from same; Wednesday, hard baked shin of beef, potatoes, and pumpkin; Thursday, not-eatable corned horse, potatoes, carrots: -Friday, stowed meat, as Tuesday; Saturday, stewed meat, potatoes, and pea soup. If you have no teeth, every day mince something, from Sunday till Saturday. Sunday, tea and breakfast repeated. Sunday dinner as Wednesday, with rice, etc., plain. Vegetables or rhubarb, tomatoes, or other luxuries not allowed, only occasionally. Golden syrup or scones never tasted except what I have bought during the time of my confinement.—l am, etc., 'Veil