E.—4a
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severely beaten by him in the school, till his arms and shoulders were black. He beat the second boy in the yard. The boy had received three orders at the same time—one from Mrs. Van Asch, to get her a pail of water; one from Mr. Van Asch, to groom the horse and get the buggy ready; and another from Mr. Allan, to feed the pigs. The boy went to execute them in the order they were given. Mr. Van Asch, when he found he was not grooming the horse, severely beat him for it. Van Asch also severely beat a boy called Irving for signing at the dinner-table; he beat him about the ears with his hands, and when the boy put up his hands he picked up a dessert-spoon and struck him about the head and hands with it. In dealing with a girl, King, who was rather troublesome with her speech, Van Asch lost control of himself—he thrust his fingers into her mouth, and squeezed her to such an extent that the blood came. He lost his temper with a boy called Fortune, and struck him in the ears and mouth with his clenched fist until both bled. He knocked a boy, Ford, about the head till the skin was bruised about the boy's ears, and both sides of his face were bruised. A little boy, Alfred Williams, he beat about the head until his ears bled. A boy, McWatters, he beat for putting a piece of coal in a drain, so that the boy was unable to put his hand to his head for some days afterwards. On the 30th June last Miss Van Asch took McWatters by the ears and knocked his head against the wall, and kicked him. The boy got up the next morning at 6 a.m., went to Port, and got on board the " Wairarapa," intending to go home. He was brought back the same evening by Mr. Stevens. Shortly before this Miss Van Asch took one of the girls, Louisa Press, by the hair, pulled her to each corner of the room, and knocked her head in each corner. Whenever Mr. Van Asch has beaten these children, as I have stated, he has simply lost all control over himself, and in striking would strike anywhere. Van Asch has shown partiality for the boy Simpson. He has been relieved from doing any of the drudgery in the institution, Charles Horton has been so tormented by Mr. Van Asch's daughters that he wrote to his father, asking that he might be taken from Mr. Van Asch's private home and placed with the other boys at a place called the Boys' Home. Salt mutton was used to a large extent in the institution at the beginning of 1891. During that time very few vegetables were used. Mr. Van Asch is allowed £30 a year for each child, and he finds the food. He is also allowed £40 a year for each of the assistants, and he finds their food. Independent of that, Mr. Van Asch receives the results of the boys' work on the land in the shape of produce. Mr. Van Asch puts the department to unnecessary expense in sending the children home and in bringing them back. In this way : One of the assistants, Mr. Stevens, has to pass through Dunedin and Invercargill on his way home. He could take the children down with him and bring them back. Instead of that Mr. Van Asch has invariably sent down a member of his own family at extra expense. The same thing applies to the children of the North Island. In December, 1890, Mr. Van Asch knew I and my wife were going up in the same steamer the children were going-up in. Miss Buckingham was sent up with them at expense. I and my wife were returning in the same steamer the children were in, but Mrs. Van Asch was sent to fetch them. I consider Van Asch has shown undue favour in allowing his daughter and Mr. Allan to learn drawing and painting from the lady (Miss Budden) engaged to teach the children, to the exclusion of the other assistants. Mr. Allan and Miss Van Asch had every Thursday afternoon to devote to their drawing and painting, while Mr. Stevens and myself have had to take the lower classes at their ordinary work. By Mr. Van Asch: When I was in the place you kept three domestic servants. The children do not cook. The boys did the scrubbing on Saturday mornings. I saw Daniels's and Payne's knees swollen. Whenever you required the boys to do a buggy, you had them ; it might take them a quarter of an hour. I have known one boy sent to do it alone, but not often; as a rule two boys were sent to do it. Sometimes they were sent to look after cows. On the 25th of February last McWatters was sent from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. to help to drive the cows. I have made a note of these things at times. On the second day Daniels was out from 9.30 to 11.30, looking after the boots. Same day Fred. Lawton was taken out of school to do something from 10 a.m. ; he did not return. On 30th June Miss Van Asch was in the first room. Mr. Allan was in the next room. That was on the occasion when she ill-used McWatters. I was in Horton's room. That was in the morning, between 10 and 11. I did not see Miss Van Asch kick McWatters ; he told me about it. I asked him why he ran away; he said, " Miss Van Asch cruel—pulled my ear, and kicked me." Miss King was ill-used in 1887 ; the boy Fortune ill-used in 1887. I have no exact dates. The boy Irving ill-used in 1885 ; I saw that happen. Bone ill-used in 1885. Ford ill-used in 1887. Williams ill-used in 1890. Louisa Press ill-used in June, 1892. That was in the second school-room, on a Thursday. I cannot say the date. Louisa Press told me ; I did not see it happen. I call drudgery scrubbing, paring potatoes, and cleaning rooms, boots, and pig-sties. I did not see Charles Horton tormented ; his father told me about it. He asked me to explain why Charley wished to be removed from Van Asch's house. I told him I did not know. Then I asked the boy. He said Miss Van Asch and Miss Katie used to tease him by going to his room at night; he said Miss Van Asch used to go into his room. The boy did not use the word " torment." The boy was eighteen when that occurred. He did not say what they did; he said he did not like it. The boy was not removed from your house. I thought nothing of it at the time, and I told the father so. I was not having my meals here at the salt-mutton time. I knew it, because Mr. Stevens told me salt mutton was being used. I did not tell any members of the home about the salt mutton. lam weak-sighted, and I cannot draw. Eliza Kerr, sworn, saith : I was at the institution, at the Boys' Home, on the 14th March, 1891. When I was there I consider the boys were overworked. At the last half-term their knees were in a very bad state from scrubbing. Daniels was one, Bertie Payne another. Several others complained that their knees were bad. They were bad. One was Herbert Cron. Arthur Belcher and several other boys spoke, but I did not take particular notice. I was not engaged to be a servant; I was only engaged to see the boys did the work. I was engaged to superintend the boys cleaning the two cottages called the Boys' Home, to take charge of the boys from 6 o'clock in the
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