H—2l

[P— D ——

9. Have you ever had your ears boxed?— Yes. 10. By whom?— The Matron. 11. Who took you to the Matron to be punished? —Miss Dean. 12. Was Miss Dean present when the Matron boxed your ears? —Yes. 13. Did she box them severely or otherwise? —Otherwise. 14. The Commissioner.] Did she box them hard?— Not very hard. 15. Mr. Salter.] Has the Matron boxed your ears more than.once? —Only once. 16. How long ago was that?— Three or four months ago. 17. Have you been punished in any other way?— Yes, I have been sent to bed as a. punishment. 1.8. I suppose you get plenty of food?— Yes. L R (C C ) examined on oath. 1. Mr. Salter.] What is your name?—L R . 2. Mr. Russell.] Where did you get the name of " R ": C C is your name? — R is my foster-mother's name. 3. The Commissioner.] You are adopted? —No. My foster-mother did not like my other name, so she gave me that. 4. Your real name is L C C ? —Yes. 5. Mr. Salter.] You are at present in service? —Yes. 6. How long were you in this Home?— Nearly eight years. 7. How long is it since you left to go to service? —The 6th of last November. 8. Were you ever punished in this Home? —Yes, several times. 9. By whom?— The Matron. 10. Always by the Matron ?—And the staff used to put me in the cell. I have not had the strap for several years. 11. Have you been in the cell during the last two years?— Yes, in last June. 12. What for?— When wood-chopping I gave Miss Dean some impudence, and she brought me before Matron. Matron wished me to apologise, and I would not, and I was put in the cell from about 2.30 until 4.45, and I had dry bread for my tea. 13. Have you ever had your ears boxed? —Not for some years. 14. Have you seen other girls' ears boxed within the last two years?— Yes, about last December. 15. Who did it? —Matron boxed X W L 's ears. 16. Have you ever had your faults spoken of at meal-times or at prayer-time?— No. 17. You are in service with Mrs. A ?—Yes. 18. Has Matron ever asked you any questions with regard to what was going on at Mrs. A 's?—She asked me when Mrs. A 's baby was getting born where Mr. A would sleep, because there were only four rooms in the house. 19. What did you say?—l said I did not know where he would sleep. Then the Matron told me to keep my bedroom-door locked, in case Mr. A should come and sleep with me. 20. Have you any complaint at all to make about what happened to you at the Home within the last two years?— No. 21. Mr. Russell.] Do you complain that you were punished?— Yes. 22. I suppose you deserved it?— Yes, I did. 23. Mr. Hunt.] You are comfortable now in service?— Yes. 24. You know Miss Howden ? —Yes. 25. She has taken you about: took you to afternoon tea the other day?— Yes. 26. And told you what to say here?— No. 27. What did she talk to you about?—l told her about getting a letter from my sister. 28. She came to you, I suppose, and asked you to go out?—l met her in town. 29. Did you ever go to see her?—l went the other day, but she was out. 30. Did she tell you to come and see her? —No; I went on my own account. 31. She asked you to say what you could about this place?—No; she never mentioned the name " Home " to me. M H examined on oath. 1. Mr. Salter.] How old are you?— Seventeen in April. I have been in the Home two years. 2. What work do you do? —I go out chopping and sawing wood. 3. Have you ever been punishedl^—Yes, for running away. I got as far as the lupin paddock. 4. How were you punished for that? —I got the punishment dress on and got the strap. 5. Were you put in the cell? —No. 6. How many cuts did you get with the strap?— Six. 7. How long did you wear the runaway dress?— For two months. 8. Is that the only time you have been punished?—l have been put in the cell as a punishment. 9. How long were you in the cell? —Sometimes for a day, and three hours and over on other days. 10. And locked up?— Yes. 11. And during the time you were locked up in the cell did any one visit you?;— Yes, Matron came in twice. 12. During how many hours? —She came in once when I was there for four hours. 13. Have you ever slept in the cell?-—No. 14. Have you ever had your ears boxed?— No. 15. What complaint have you, if any, to make against the management here?—l am kept in here, and not allowed to go out to service, just for my temper. That is the only complaint they have against me.

32