H.—2l

C A .]

331. How was the strapping done? —I was laid on my face on the bed. 332. And what had you over you?— Just a nightgown. 333. What is the nightgown made of?— Calico. 334. And where were you strapped: On what part of the body?— Sometimes across the back, and sometimes lower down. 335. Always through the nightgown?— Yes. 336. And what is the most you have had at any one time?— Twelve cuts. 337. And when they are twelve they have always been inflicted by the Matron?--Not always; some girls have had it by the staff. 338. I am speaking of your own experience?— Yes. 339. Who was present at this strapping?— Miss McPherson with the Matron, and Miss Mills with Miss Hunt. 340. Is it always inflicted with the broad end of the strap?— Yes. 341. And are the strokes quickly inflicted, or is there any time between the strokes? —A minute sometimes between the strokes. 342. I suppose it seems very long between the strokes to you?— Yes. 343. Are you told anything before the punishment or after it? What does the Matron say to you?— She just comes and says, " It is my painful duty." 344. And tells you what it is for?— Yes. 345. So you quite understand it is on account of something you have done that is not right? —Yes. 346. Is this the strap [produced]?— Yes. 347. Where is this strapping done? —Sometimes in the cell. I had my strapping from Miss Hunt on the bare floor, in my nightdress. 348. What was that for ?—For fighting with M F . 349. Was that on the same day? —No; I think either two or three days afterwards. 350. Have you ever had this garment [the runaway dress produced] on? —I have had one like that. 351. What is it put on for?— For absconding. 352. Only for absconding? —If we threaten we will run away we get that. 353. For how long?—lf we run away we are supposed to keep that on for three months. If we do not ask to get them taken off they are kept on as long as the Matron likes to keep them. 354. Is the dress you are wearing now your ordinary dress at the Home? —Yes. 355. You are not dressed up for to-day?— No. 356. That is the dress you wear every day?— Yes; but some are worse than this. 357. What is the effect of wearing this dress?— Not much. 358. Do the other girls make any remarks about it?— No. 359. Are you teased about it?— No. 360. Do you like wearing it, or does it make any difference to you?—lt does some. 361. How does it?— Everybody sees it who comes round. 362. And everybody sees that you have not been a good girl?— Yes. 363. Mr. Salter.] Once when you had your ears boxed, were you deaf after it? —Yes, there was a buzzing in my ears. 364. Had you to go to the doctor about it?—l told the doctor about it. 365. What doctor?— Doctor Alice Moorhouse. 366. Did she examine your ears? —No; but they were sore for some time afterwards. 367. Were you deaf? —Not exactly, but I could not hear as plainly as I did before. 368. And the doctor did not examine them? —No. 369. The Commissioner.] How often were your ears boxed? —A good few times. 370. Always by the Matron?— Yes. 371. For what?— Once I did not eat. my dry bread in the cell. I would not eat it, and the Matron boxed my ears and smacked my head, and banged it up against the wall, and that is where justice came in. Another girl was brought home from service, and all our faults were told. We get accused for badness when we run away. They say we do not run away for any good, only bad. This girl had done something at service, and the Matron said she was not going to hurt C 's feelings. C would not eat her dry bread, and she was not made to eat it. 372. Mr. Hunt.] C- did not iffn away?—No, but she had done something at service. I was not put in for running away, but only for impudence. J P examined on oath. 1. Mr. Salter.] How old are you?— Nearly twenty. 2. How long have you been in the Home?— Four years. 3. Have you been to service? —For six weeks. 4. How long is it since you were at service?—A year last month. 5. Why did you leave service and come back to the Home?— Because I wanted to be with my sister, who is also an inmate of this Home. 6. You are one of the girls who do outside work amongst the trees and lupins? Yes. 7. I think you have had to go up these high trees with a rope?— Yes, I have climbed up with a rope. 8. You had to tie the rope round you waist and climb the tree, and tie it to the tree? Yes. 9. How do you find this work?— Very tiring. 10. You think it is too hard for you?—-Yes. 11. How often do you work at this hard work outside?— Nearly every morning. Sometimes I get a mouth inside.

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