MAORI HOUSING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 06, Issue 95, 3 August 1943, Page 5

MAORI HOUSING

A GLARING OVERSIGHT

MR SULLIVAN'S CONTENTIONS

Greater provision for Native housing was advocated by Mr W. Sullivan, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, when speaking in the House of Representatives. Mr Sullivan thought that the £20,.000 set aside for advances to natives under the Native Housing Act, 1935 should have been greater. Recently he had visited the. Fast Coast and his attention had been drawn to some of the hovels that the natives were living in there. In South Africa the construction of houses for natives was undertaken by municipal councils which worked what were known as economic and uneconomic schemes. Under the latter, houses were built, for those natives who could not afford to pay high rents, the difference between the actual and the normal rental charge being carried by the State. He thought something in New Zealand should be done to provide better j hauses for the poorer Maoris, because it was better to start at that and than to spend money on hospital and medical services ,later on. Mr Sullivan suggested that there was a great opportunity in the Fast Coast district to erect. pre-fabricat-ed houses for Maori people. Many Maoris in that area were living under insanitary conditions. They did not want homes as elaborate as the pakchas required, but they heeded decent accommodation, and he believed. that pre-fabricated houses would be suitable. Provided the firms undertook the work at the closest point to the settlements, and economic housing scheme could,, be developed on a very satisfactory basis. Some of the dwellings in which the Maoris were living at present were a disgrace. The Government could be assured ot the'*co-opciation of the Opposition in whatever steps it took to improve the position. He realised that there might be. difficulties in the way of the Crown getting back the expenditure involved in establishing the homes, but the saving in the cost of looking after the general health ol the Maori race would be enormous. The amount Avhich it was proposed to vote would not go very far, but funds might be made available from other sources.