H.—26

22

Maria Simpson sworn, and examined by Mr. Moss. lam an inmate of the Home. I have known you and Mrs. Moss for five years, I never knew either of you to be unkind to any one. I was happy and comfortable under your care. I have always been kindly treated since you left. I get anything I want. I cannot remember any insulting references to you by Mr. Skynner. I have a comfortable clean bed, which is changed every week since I came into it. By Mr. Cotter: 1 remember the statement to the Committee. It was correct. By Mr. Moss: I remember Mrs. Helen Campbell being taken to the ward. Miss Calvert was not here at the time. No violence was used. She was taken away about 8.30 p.m. Richard Mounsey sworn, and examined by Mr. Moss. lam the gardener at the Home. I have known Mr. and Mrs. Moss for thirteen years. I never saw you or Mrs. Moss unkind to the inmates. I saw you lock up Mrs. Alexander several times. I know very little about her. I remember Mrs. Gertrude Campbell. Ido not remember seeing her taken to the ward, and did not see her brought out. I saw you try to get rid of the vermin. Ido not remember you calling the Board's attention to my interference with your duties. 1 remember Mr. Bollard coming out to the Home. I do not remember receiving any document defining my duties. I remember Mr. Stichbury coming out. I was in the office on that occasion. He said if there were any rows, some one would have to go. I remember a sow dying. I took the litter away. There was no milk for them. I took some to my home. I gave them away. By Mr. (-'otter: I remember giving evidence before the inquiry. [Evidence read.] That statement is correct. The drainage is conserved for the garden. Dr. MacGregor told me to use every drop of the refuse out of the tank for the garden. The treatment of the inmates since Mr. Moss left is good. 1 consider it an improvement since Mr. Moss left. There was vermin during Mr. Moss's term. The place is clean now. I have not seen lice dropping off the men now as 1 saw during Mr. Moss's time. I remember James Bennett, also O'Callaghan, also Beade. I never saw any conflict between you and them for drunkenness. The reason I suggested that persons could give evidence was because they had complained to me. I have seen the men picking the lice off their flannels. I saw Kinghorn the Monday evening after the Show. He showed rough handling. Augustus Edgebton Skynner sworn, and examined by Mr. Cotter. I am the Manager of the Home since Mr. and Mrs. Moss left. When I took charge of the Home I found it very dirty. Bugs and lice were in the building, especially in -No. 6 Ward on the male side. The bugs were crawling up the walls. There were two men employed to clean and fumigate the Home at a cost of nearly £80. I reported the matter to the Board. [Put in.] Nurse Phillips sent in a report also. My report is dated the 24th July, 1901. Miss Phillips's report is dated the 25th July, 1901. We have no bugs now and very few lice. You must have some. If you use a strong solution of carbolic acid you can clean the clothes at the wash. At times the food is not up to the mark, partially owing to the bad range and too rapid cooking. A new stove is wanted. The quality of the food is good for an institution of this sort. The contract allows for a first-class article. The food is good. The menu is limited. On many occasions I have used the word " damn " when I have been annoyed by the inmates. I have not sworn at them that I know of. Ido my best to prevent drunkenness. I have called the attention of the Board, and they have supported me in endeavouring to suppress it. I have no power to prevent men from going outside the Home. I have stopped fighting on several occasions. Langdon complained that he had had no dinner. I gave orders he should have some. I did not try to make him a laughing-stock. He ate it all. The inmates are as much cared for as we can with the staff at our disposal. The present staff is insufficient. The staff is: Myself as Manager, two male assistants, a cleaner, a night watchman, and two cooks. On the female side: Two nurses and a housemaid. We have not a trained or certificated nurse. One of the nurses has been an asylum-attendant for nine years. We want in addition another male assistant and another female nurse. That would be a sufficient staff. There are very few inmates who are able to assist either on the male or female side. The best men are taken by the laundry. The head laundress applies to me and I send them down. We wash for the Hospital, including the doctors' surgical linen, and the nurses, and for ourselves. The laundry is not capable of undertaking that work. We are not able to keep the Home washing as clean as it should be kept in consequence of that. Owing to these inadequate arrangements friction has taken place between the Hospital officials and myself. None of the inmates are put to any work that they are not able to do. The garden here supplies vegetables to the Hospital, the Nurses' Home, and ourselves. We get as good vegetables as are sent to the Hospital. I think the piggeries should be retained on the premises. They are a source of revenue, and they eat up the waste. They are quite far enough away from the premises, and are no nuisance to the neighbours or to the Home. We have not so many flies now as we had from the tramway stables. I would rather have the manure than a septic tank. A septic tank would have no effect on the flies. There was a pit near the pigsties when I came here which stank. There was an accumulation of every kind of filth in it. It was done away with. We require new bedsteads and bedding throughout the Home. The back portion of the yard to the shed should be asphalted, to save dirt being brought into the wards. We want a larger steam-boiler. There is no provision for sterilising the clothes. I find great difficulty in dealing with many persons who are sent here, such as imbeciles, masturbators, and cancer patients. We have no cancer patients now. That is stopped. There is no possibility of classification. We have not sufficient baths on the female side. We have sufficient on the male side. Hot water is laid on to all baths. We have not sufficient supply of hot water. We have ample closet and urinal accommodation. The wards are not overcrowded. A night