TO BE INSPECTED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3299, 13 August 1943, Page 5

TO BE INSPECTED

MAORI LIVING QUARTERS • POSITION IN THE BOROUGH SCHOOL COMMITTEE’S REQUEST A decision to request the Health Inspector to thoroughly investigate the conditions under which some Maori families are at present living in Paeroa was reached at Thursday night’s Meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council following the reading of a letter from the Paeroa District High School Committee on this subject. The secretary of the school committee. Mr S. Wheeler, wrote to the meeting as under'.7“At the last meeting of the Paeroa District High School Committee held on Monday, August 9, the question of the health of the Maori children living "in the borough was discussed ac length. Many instances of Maori families living in totally unsuitable premises were quoted and the opinion was freely expressed that in numerous cases insanitary conditions existed. “The whole matter is one which my committee feels requii’es investigation and I have accordingly been instructed to bring the matter before the council with the object of seeing whether’ any action can be taken towards affecting some improvement in the housing conditions now. existing, particularly in the town area. Inspection of Premises “It is suggested that a survey or inspection be made of all -premises oc-

eupied by Maoris and the Health Department advised of the result of such survey. “Trusting- your council will give this matter due consideration with the aforesaid object of improving the living conditions and also the environs of Maori children which in turn should materially assist in bring about a general improvement in the health of these children.” Mr W. Smith said he had been in a house recently which was not fit to live in. Mr C. C. Webb said the matter had arisen through trouble with scabies in Maori children which had been brought to the school. He quoted eases in the town which were most unsatisfactory. Continuing, Mr Webb said there were many Maori children roaming at large and nobody seemed concerned about them. Recently some of them had got into trouble. The school committee had considered that conditions were far from satisfactory and morfit and more Maoris were drifting into the town and for no reason at all. The houses were Very crowded and the children were practically living on the street, Some of the buildings they are living in are not fit for habitation. After some discussion it was agreed to ask the health inspector to investigate the condition of the Maoris living in Paeroa.