Backblock Teacher's Plight

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 631, 6 April 1929, Page 13

Backblock Teacher's Plight

TINNED FISH AND BISCUITS Hot Meal Once a Week TELLING how he has had to live for six Weeks on tinned fish and biscuits, with only one hot meal a week, a teacher in an isolated position in the Coromandel Peninsula applied to the Auckland Education Board at its meeting yesterday for a transfer.

Following is an extract from his letter:— “T AM at present living in two small dirty rooms at the rear of the store. My bed consists of an old w r ire stretcher mounted on boxes, my mattress of three sacks and my bedding of my blanket and overcoat. ‘‘My food for the past six weeks has consisted of tinned fish, other tinned food and biscuits. I cannot get anything from the store here as it carries no stock. I have to go 12 miles on horseback to Coromandel every Saturday to obtain enough tinned food to last me the week, and then pack it back here. I get a hot meal with meat and vegetables only once a w r eek when I ride to Coromandel. “.Several times I have taught all day on an empty stomach, not being able to eat what food I have owing to it being tinned. I might state that I taught all this morning on one biscuit. “LIVING ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE" “Conseciuently my health has suffered due to lack of sufficient nourishment. At the present time my blood is out of order and I have internal troubles, doubtless due to tinned food

and lack of fresh nourishing vegetables. Surely a man cannot be expected to carry on efficiently under the above conditions. “I have stood it for six weeks now and am not able to stand it much longer. The above are the prospects ahead of me for the winter when it will be far more difficult to obtain food. I have no suitable washing facilities and no conveniences whatever and living is absolutely impossible under such conditions.” The chairman stated that the teacher, who had previously been a pupil teacher at Edendale, had been appointed to his present school in February last. He had previously been to sea. Mr. T. U. Wells said he did not think it was fair to ask anybody to live under such conditions. Mr. H. S. W. King: It doesn’t do the board or the department any credit for a young man to have to teach under such conditions. Characterising the case as shameful, Mr. King moved that it be referred to the department, and that the department be asked to put up a shanty near the school.

Mr. Wells seconded the motion, which was adopted.