W. H. SYME.j

93

H.—2l.

9. What is your opinion of the Matron and her methods of dealing with the girls? —I think her methods are very good. I think she is a very capable woman. 10. Was she kind to the children? —Yes. 11. And it was your duty to see that the food was up to the regulations?— Yes. 12. I suppose you did what was necessary to carry out your duty in that respect? —Yes; 1 used to consider sometimes that the meat should be rather more restricted than it was. 13. There were obvious reasons for that?—Y'es. 14. During the years you visited here was the food, in your opinion, all that could be expected I —l always had a meal here the same as the children had, and I always found it perfectly wholesome. 15. And perfectly good?— Yes. 16. And the jam of sufficient quantity?— Yes. 17. Generally, was there anything at all that you could suggest was deficient in the management ?—Of course, 1 have one or two suggestions to make. 18. In regard to classification? —Yes; and one or two other matters. 19. So far as you could see, did the staff, including the Matron, do their best to help the girls along ?—Certainly. 20. During the years you visited here, did you notice any substantial improvement, mentally and physically, in the girls after they had been in the Home some year's ?—That is not an easy question to answer. There is a certain class of girl who have a somewhat degenerate nature. 21. But taking the greater number of the girls, and apart altogether from the exceptions, are you of opinion they did improve while here?— Certainly. 22. But in the somewhat degenerate girls there was very little improvement, and never would be? —That is so. 23. Mr, Salter.] It is said that some of the girls come in here suffering from private diseases? —Yes. 24. Is it, in your opinion, a proper thing for the Matron to make the examination necessary in these cases, or should it be left to the Medical Officer ?—I think it should be done by the Medical Officer. 25. Mr. Russell.] You know the Matron is a doctor's widow? —Yes. 26. Would it not be a proper thing for her to make an examination to negative the necessity of bringing the doctor up?—Oh, yes, in many cases. 27. Supposing the examination went no further than just to make sure there was no disease, would you suggest that in every case she should bring the doctor up when she sees at once there is no disease and no necessity for a doctor ?—Not in a general way. 28. The Commissioner.] But, still, you hold it would be preferable that examination should be made by a medical officer?— Yes; I think provision should have been made for more adequate attention to that class of girls. Of course, the payment allotted is such as not to justify a medical officer' in spending a great deal of time here, and I think it would be better if these girls were attended to much more constantly than has been the practice. 29. I would like to hear your suggestions in regard to the improvement of this Home?—l think, with regard to this very difficult question of punishment, that corporal punishment should not be inflicted on girls over eighteen. I think, in the case of the elder girls generally, that labour tasks, such as are in use in female penitentiaries, should be adopted. Ido not think confinement in a cell for day after day or week after week is good for the girls' health, nor do I think it effects the object required. I think it wants more than that. I think some system of labour tasks would meet the difficulty. 30. But if they would not do them?— How do they manage in the penitentiaries at Home? They are made to do it. It is the same as shot drill in the army and navy, for instance. That sort of system is far preferable to continual confinement in a cell. Ido not think confinement in a cell is suitable except for very short periods, and I think bad cases want something far more continuous and effective to influence the person. I, was always impressed myself with the feeling that the girls here to some extent feel themselves to be rather outcasts from society, and while such feeling may be inevitable, I think it is all the more reason why a great deal more should be done than is done by the ladies of Christchurch to show them sympathy. I think that kindly sympathyextended by suitable ladies, under the Matron's direction, would go a long way to uplift the girls, and put them in. touch with the outer world, and give them hope. I think in building up moral influence you want something more than mere discipline, and I think if you can create and foster sympathy between them and other people such as the Lady Visitors it lays the foundation for a great deal of good work. I was instrumental, under the Matron's wishes, in getting Mrs. Kaye and some other ladies to visit here, and I think the work they have done has been very good indeed. 1 think a feeling amongst the girls that they were loved and cared for would effect much more than mere discipline. So long as they have that terrible feeling of being outcasts they will be very careless about making an effort to improve. With regard to the question of tree-felling and such like physical labour, I entirely agree with what Dr. Alice Moorhouse said about it. I think, provided proper supervision is exercised, and they are never allowed to lift any really heavyweights, it will do them nothing but good. Of course, it is all a matter of supervision. I do wish to take this opportunity of expressing an opinion which I have been thinking about for a long time, in connection with Burnham particularly, and that is, that where you have to deal with moral degenerates you must adopt regular physical labour as the basis of treatment. That is the opinion now come to by experts in America and at Home, and I may refer particularly to Dr. Linston's recent book on the "Diseases of Society" as proof of what I say. He shows that where physical labour has been scientifically and judicially employed it has been the means of gradually forming habits of truthfulness and honesty, and when you have the foundation then you can build something on it. The difficulty with many of these degenerates is that there is no