H.—3lA.

1. NORTH AUCKLAND DISTRICT. The country north of Auckland is divided into six Hospital Board districts, as is indicated in the following table, which also shows population and increase in past ten years : —

In each of these Board districts public maternity hospital facilities are provided, and cater for both European and Maori cases. Only a small percentage of Maoris come into hospital, although the number is increasing and the educational work of the district nurses to Natives is encouraging hospitalization. District Health Nurses.—There are nine district nurses in North Auckland. The majority of Maori infants are born at home, delivered in Native manner. Only in emergency is the help of the district nurse sought, and the Committee heard medical evidence of the bad after-effects suffered by Maori women through the lack of skilled attendance. More hospital accommodation will be needed if Natives are to receive adequate attention. Maori Housing is bad all through the north, some homes being no more than iron sheds full of holes, with mud floors and no sanitary conveniences, 110 water and no washing facilities. Members of the Committee visited some of these homes and found the women making efforts to keep these places clean and tidy. Whole families—older people, men, women, and children—are living like this in one dilapidated shed. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that disease is rife, scabies, impetigo and gonorrhoea being specially reported. In other parts of New Zealand, such as the thermal district, where hot water is plentiful, skin complaints are rare. It was also found that in some parts no milk is available, children depending on tinned milk. Reports were received of excessive drinking among the Maori population in the north, and it was stated that women and children had not benefited by increased sustenancemoney. Decent housing, with water-supply, washing, and sanitary conveniences, is the chief need of the Maori people in the north. Dr. Cook, Medical Officer for the district, thinks there will be an increasing use of hospital by Natives, but that in the meantime an extension of the present system of district nursing is the only way of bringing an adequate service to the Maoris. For the European population it is considered that at present ample maternity hospitals and beds are available. The position will require watching, as with the growing popularity of maternity hospital service more provision will have to be made. An extension of district nursing services for emergency cases and for ante-natal and postnatal attention is to be recommended. 2. MANGONUI HOSPITAL BOARD DISTRICT. The area served by Mangonui Hospital Board includes the northernmost end of the North Island from Herekino on the West Coast to Mangonui on the east, taking m Victoria Valley and comprising the County of Mangonui. The county population is 8,750, of whom 3,650 are Maoris. Ivaitaia. There is a public maternity annexe at Kaitaia with seven beds, in which 105 cases are attended per year, including twenty-eight Maoris. The fees are £i 4s. per week. There is a doctor in private practice who did fifteen confinements in private homes in the past year. Apart from this, there is practically no domiciliary attendance except among Maoris. It was stated by the medical superintendent of the hospital that Maoris are coming into hospital now in greater numbers than previously, and here, as elsewhere, there was medical evidence of injuries caused by Native methods of delivery. The main problem is gonorrhoea, which is stated to afEect a large number of the population. Housing conditions are shocking, and members of the Committee visited some Maori homes which

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Board - I 0onnt y European. | Maori. Population, j Increase. Pgp Osnt Kaipara .. .. Otamatea .. .. 4,512 672 5,184 23-37' Hobson .. .. 7,478 1,179 9-13 Whangarei .. Wliangarei .. .. 18,159 2,121 20,280 9-72 Bay of Islands .. Bay of Islands .. 6,079 4,504 10'583 33-35 Hokianga .. .. Hokianga .. .. 3,708 4,928 27-49 Whangaroa .. Whangaroa.. .. 1,191 1,342 2'533 37-66 Mangonui.. .. Mangonui .. .. 5,100 3,650 8'750 22-34 46,227 18,396 64,623