Bad Spots in Native Housing

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 27, 2 February 1937, Page 2

Bad Spots in Native Housing

M.P. INSPECTS THE H.B. AREA. (Special to “Times.’’) HASTINGS, Last Night. The hausing conditions prevailing in the Maori pas aro "being investigated by tho Government through the Prime Minister. .His associates in Native affairs, one of whom is Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P., are carrying out the inspections and reporting to Mr. Savage as they complete their surveys of the various districts allocated to them. Last week Mr. Cullen forwarded his report for the Hawke’s Bay district, and to-morrow ho leaves for Wairoa, where he will spend practically all tho present week. Later he expects to visit cexjaia parts of the Taranaki province. i <f Our investigation i‘3 quite apart from anything that the Department of Native Affairs may be undertaking and is confined solely to inspecting the dwellings and general habitation condijtionjs ruling in the various pas,” said Air. Cullen to a “Herald-Tribune’* | reporter this morning. “What will bo the eventual outcome of tho investiga* j tion I cannot say, hut it is hoped that! Isom© improvement in tho living eon*i dilions prevailing in certain districts? will bo brought about in some way by' assistance from tho Government.’’ • | That there ts need for tho investignJ tion Air. Cullen has quite satisfied liim-j j Self. “Even in this very prosperous] ■ part of tho country there are some very bad spots,’’ ho said. “One of tho I worst in this district is at Bridge Pa,l I and in on© instance a family of seven! is living in an enclosure —I say enclosure for want of a better description— of. about I2ft. by 14ft. There are a number of other cases where some help is obviously required.’’ , Quite the worst experience of Mr. Cullen was his visit to tho Waikaremoana district, for there ho .found wretched conditions. “The conditions under which some of the Maoris are living in tho Waikaremoana district are shocking,” he said. “It came as a great shock to me to find that it was possible to exist under such conditions as I found them. in. Why, in one caso I found that a of five had cut a big corrugated iron water-tank in two and after certain excavation ‘work had placed it into a hillside, the result being that they virtually lived in a cave. “There is not the slightest doubt that something will have to be done .before tho coming winter,” said Air. Cullen, “particularly at Waikaromoana, which is ono of the worst districts. That it will be a difficult matter I efin foresee, for in the majority j°f cases tho men are already receiving some assistance from the Empioymeni ! Fund. They are not in receipt of any : rentals, like some of tho tribes in this district, ami there is one tribe that i actually has no land at all, its place j j of abode at the present time being! purely a question of good will on the part of other natives.” Air. Cullen mentioned that other as-j' sociatcs to the Prime Alinisler were] carrying out similar investigations in different parts of the country and that all tho reports were . being forwarded I direct to tho Prime Alinisler. The in-1 vestigation was in tho nature of a Par- J liamentary one, and at present had j nothing to do with the Department of l Native Affairs. ' .