THE TRAINING OF GIRLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17375, 24 July 1918, Page 6

THE TRAINING OF GIRLS.

TO IKB EUITOH.

Sib,—As one who has had over 18 vears , work m connection with the Cavereham Indus na l mmQl> i htQ enter a <™ £ protest against the wild and cruel state! menls made about the inmates and management by your correspondent "Inasmuch" Ino children there have all the advantages possible in regard to education, and have been exceptionally fortunate in the teachers wiio have had the instruction of them—some ot theso teachers hold high scholastic crualihcations. l], e sleeping accommodation is large and airy, there is no overcrowding, and the food is of the very best and ampfo in supply. The girls are taught a lar-e amount of housework in the way of cooking, washing, ironing, etc., and compare more than favourably with girls of the samo age who enter domestic service from private homes. Various forms of recreation are provided or tho inmates, and for many years they had tho services of a most excellent teacher of cahs-theiucs. It is quite true that girls are often removed from homes in town and country, but only when-, it is felt that they will benefit by the change. Ar.y conipiamts the girls make arc always taken into consideration, and porha.ps this is the reason why the friends of " Inasmuch" have been deprived of the services of their assistant. The statement that "the. girls are mostly pert, bold, and always untruthful is a cruel and wicked sland'er of those poor waifs and si-rays, and proves how biased and unworthy of credence " Inasmuch is. Tho number of g-irls "sent to a home in the North Island "—which liappens to be in tlio South Island, so rolia-blo arc the statements made by "Inasmuch"—is very small, and this step is taken only in extreme cuses. It is easy for your "correppomlent. sheltering behind "the" coward's hedge" of a nom-de-plumo, to make these charges, but 1 expect that ho—for no woman would stoop to such a letter—has an axe to grind. Before "Inasmuch" makes any more chaj-ges against these girls I would suggest that he read St. Matthew xviii, verse 6. Your correspondent- can, at any time, call at tho Industrial School and he will be shown over the establishment and bo given an opportunity of soring (he records whir-h are kept there of the girls while in tile school and after leaving. Furthermore, I will undertake that ho oan make his own choice of 40 homes where service unci school fifirlp are living-, and be allowed to visit tlirin and find out for himself the condition of their surroundings, and what their foster paivnts or mistresses think of them. Let "Inasmuch" prove an honest friend of l.heso nirls and accept this offer, and I am sure the- result of his investigations will cause him to retract all he h;is written and "forever hold his peace." Several of the Into inmate* hold responsible Government positions, won in open comjx'tition and it is duo to them, as well as to the others In- Ivis slandered, that, "Inasmuch" should prove his assertions to iho full or else nvnkc? tlio amende honourable. I have written somewhat fully and very forcefully, but I hope that you will publish this defence in justicn to those your cor-rr-.'-pondont. has stacked. This eorrespond-pm-o is closed, so far np I am concerned, icitil "Inasmuch" accepts my offrr to como out into tlio own and investigate and prove tho truth or otherwise, very much otherwise, of what ho has written.—l am. etc . V. G. Bryan King!