"A DISGRACE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 194, 18 August 1931, Page 3

"A DISGRACE."

MANGERE MAORI HOVELS CONDITIONS INVESTIGATED. z. Ec « NOT EXAGGERATED." cd icc REPORTS TO COUNTY COUNCIL. cd he "There is no doubt about it that the >n ) position as it stands to-day is an • absolute disgrace to civilisation," commented the chairman of the Manukau vq County Council, Mr. F. M. Waters, at ir- this morning's meeting of the council, ia when the conditions under which some Maoris were living at Mangere were being discussed. The inspector, Mr. W. W. Murray, reported that as a result of complaints received through the Maori nurse, the senior inspector, Mr. Franklin, and he had visited Mr. Arthur Sainebury's property on Walmslcy Road, Mangere, jff where they found five adult Maoris and in three children living in a lean-to shed. s- The front of the shed was half-covered J» with wire netting and covered on the , 0 outside with sacks, nailed top and botJr torn. There were loose boards on the rs floor, and there was no furniture. There was also no drainage, and chim- , ncys were made out of corrugated iron. "Mr. Salisbury's attention was drawn to the nuisance created, and his liability in the matter was pointed out to him," added the inspector. "He was informed ■hat he must find other accommodation for his employees, but no mention was made of turning them out on to the roadway." d Mr. Murray further explained that the d Jitter was referred to the medical e officer of health, who had authorised 1 the dispatching of a notice to the owner SvL ,C . ino^ ri y t0 ]ia ™ the premises r vacated, and directing his attention to ins liability under the Health Act Arrangoments for the temporary accommodation of the Mauris elsewhere shouTd be completed to-morrow, when the vaca- .. tion notice should be enforced. i Deplorable Conditions. . jjonditioiis were also found to be un;w, r« '•i J i' Nixon Eoad ' a,,d noti «* ) were issued to owners to put their i E& m A ° rdcr ' 0T t0 them l \<icated. Accommodation was bein«- ; erected for the workers concerned, and the present cowbails were to be vacated • on the completion of the new accom- . modation. Further deplorable conditions > oi living were discovered by Inspector 5 franklin and Mrs. Newton, of the Maori t VVeJtare League, in Muir Road and Boyd Avenue. These premises were investi- - gated last Saturday, and it was su<ri s , cste ,i . b . v Mr - Murray that notices should bo issued on owners to provide better accommodation within fourteen days. At the corner of Kirkbride and ■ Miller Roads an unlined ehed, lGft by : J wtt by !)ft, previously occupied by a , Maori, his wife and two children, was : now occupied by an additional adult and two children, who had recently arrived from Mercer. Aβ the building did not comply with the by-laws, Mr. Murray ; recommended that the owner be notified to carry out work necessarv to comply j with the council's requirements. Blan- ' kets, clothing and other comforts had been secured for the distressed Maori familitt;. Reporting upon an inspection of various properties that he and the two inemj bers for the Mangere Hiding, Messrs. S. j Kkkards and S. W. House, had made yesterday, Mr. Waters said that the building on Mr. Salisbury's property, where Maoris were housed, had been described as a rabbit hutch. That suggestion had been denied by the owner, and Mr. Waters said he could quite understand why the building was not used for the purpose of housing rabbits. It was in siK'h a condition that it was not fit for such a purpose, but it was evidently fit to house Maoris. The conditions had not been exaggerated in the J slightest degree. Perhaps the council had some responsibility in the matter. Xow that the position had reached the present stage, it simply meant that the council would have to take the necessary steps to wee that the owners and occuI piers of properties provide proper accomj modation, whether they were Europeans, I Maoris or anyone else. j There was another case, said Mr. Waters, where eight people were living in premises which the council had condemned for use by Chinese. The Chinese immediately went into another building, and the Maoris were compelled to use the premises they had vacated. -Like Pile of Rubbish." Another place which they had gone j to see would have been passed by as a j pile of stones or rubbish had they not j been told about it, said Mr. Waters, j There was no doubt that the council must take steps to sec that proper living accommodation was provided, for places it had condemned in the past were today occupied by Maoris. It would also bo necessary for the council to keep a closer watch on market gardens, particularly during the busy season, to ensure that employees at them were given proper accommodation. The opinion that the conditions seen were deplorable was confirmed by Mr. House. "I have never experienced anything like it," he said. "The conditions are an absolute disgrace, and it appears that the owners of the properties do not realise their responsibilities. One cannot wonder that the Maori race is dying out, when members of it are living under such conditions." Mr. House added that it had been suggested the council should give help in the direction of securing land at Mangere on which Maoris might settle, but there was land in the district, to which they might go, which had gone into weeds. The council might have been

lax in the past. It was most unfortunate, but as it was the council should take steps to see that such a thing did not occur again. "Should Prosecute Owners." Mr. Eickards, while endorsing what the previous speakers had said, did not agree that the council had been las in its duty, for the reason that, unless one made a minute inspection of the properties concerned, it would be impossible to believe human beings were living there. While accused of being unreasonable, he considered that the council's inspector and the inspector of the Health Department had done everything possible to alleviate the distress among the Maoris, and had even gone outside their province in assisting to provide accommodation and clothing for them. Mr. Sainsbury, who had been loudest in his condemnation, was the man who stood condemned for permitting the Maoris to occupy such hovels. The council should prosecute owners without hesitation 6hould there be a repetition of the complaints that had been received. He pointed out that the distress primarily existed among Maoris who had come from other districts, who were herded together like animals. Children Half Naked. It was further stated that the inspector had found some of the Maori children half naked, but that they were now well clothed. The onus of providing the natives with accommodation was on the people who employed them, and not on I the council Mr. Waters considered the inspector had gone as far as he could in assisting Mr. Sainsbury to find accommodation, and in other ways arranging for their immediate needs. The condition of the Maoris at Mangere had been brought under the notice of officers of the Native Affairs Department, and steps would be taken to pre mt a recurrence of the trouble. The inepector's report was received, and it was resolved that notices should be served on the property owners concerned that unless they took steps to vacate unsatisfactory premises, or to provide suitable accommodation within fourteen days, action would be taken under tiie Healt. Act. The committee eet up to investigate the position, it was agreed, should continue in office to advise the inspector, and to consider other matters calculated to affect the welfare of the natives.

In fairness to Mr. Sainsbury it should be recal'cd that it w s he who first drew attention to the conditions under which the Maoris were living. In a letter to the "Star," published on August 8, he said a family of Maoris, who appeared to be on the verge of starvation, asked his permission to occupy a shed on his property, as they had nowhere else to go. "It appears," he added, "that acts of mercy are not welcomed, as far as the Government is concerned."