SLUM AREA IN AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27036, 11 May 1953, Page 11

SLUM AREA IN AUCKLAND

CHILDREN’S LIVING CONDITIONS WOMAN DOCTOR REPORTS ON OVERCROWDING "The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND. May 8. “David was bright willing .and happy, according to his teacher/ but a very naughty child, according to his mother. He was a Maori lad who comes from one of the worst homes in his street. At least 17 persons live in this old condemned house, and David is one who sleeps on the floor. “There were too many people in the house, always getting in one another's way gnd grabbing the food at the meal table. It was a place where the fittest survived, so ft was no wonder that David was naughty at home.” These extracts are from one case sheet in th? survey made by Dr. Marjorie R. Young, a Health Department doctor, of the home life of more than 100 Freeman’s Bay children, selected by the teachers of three schools because they were dirty. "Generally speaking,” her report says, “the children were a fairly healthy, happy crowd of neglected youngsters. There was no single factor common to all of them which would account for their dirty condition, except that they all lived in a slum area. This is certainly not the cause, as there are more than 1000 children living in the'■area and approximately 90 per cent, are clean.” Contributing’ Factors The survey analyses contributing factors as follows: “(1) The individual mentality of the children may play a part in their acceptance or rejection of the normal standards of personal hygiene. “(2) Overcrowding definitely played a part. This was noted in more than two-thirds of the cases. Most of those living in overcrowded homes were Maoris, and this raises another serious problem. The Maoris are continually urged to preserve their traditions, their arts and their culture, and the one outstanding characteristic of the Maori in his hospitable nature. This hospitality has resulted in many houses having one family and sometimes two in every room. It will take more than one generation to educate the Maori to keep his home to himself. “(3) The lack of facilities would certainly be a deterrent to the best personal hygiene. There was no bath in 50 per cent, of the houses, no washhouse in more than 40 per cent., and no wash hand-basin in more than 90 per cent. These factors, coupled with a poor water supply, would depress most people and tend to make them careless in their habits.

“(4) Another important cause is absent mothers. In 50 per cent, of the cases the mothers were not at home to care for their children. “(5) Some mothers who were home all day manifested an apathetic attitude to life in general. This apathetic attitude showed itself in neglect of their homes and children. “(6) Twenty-seven per cent, of the children were not living with their own mothers and fathers. There was no family unit, such as is necessary for the normal emotional development of all children.

“(7) In a few homes liquor was definitely responsible for the dirt and squalor in which the children lived. “(8) Poverty was certainly not a cause'of the neglect.” - Family Education Dr. Young’s suggestions to remedy the position were: Health education for children and parents through lectures and films, supported by church and Maori leaders; the appointment of an extra district nurse to advise mothers; altered hours of attendance at the free showers and the opening of the Beresford street school showers on certain afternoons. “The ideal thing would, of course, be to demolish all the condemned houses, erect homes with modern facilities and put some of the families back into the new homes,” says the report. ‘ ‘lf this, by some wave of a magic wand, could be done, there would be a vast number of homeless, because there are more families on the sites than there should be.” Dr, Young says that the City Council’s reconstruction plans will take 40 to 50 years to complete, ‘‘so the existing residents must make the best of their conditions.” ‘‘The time a child retired at night and the time he arose in the morning was difficult to elicit," says Dr. Young. “Many children played in the streets until after dark and went to bed when they felt like it. “In the one-roomed homes, it was no use a child going to bed early, because the light was on, the wireless was on, and the older members of the family were talking and smoking, usually sitting on the beds, as there were no chairs. “Generally speaking, 57 children had sufficient sleep, but 50 children did not. They went to bed much too late and had to be awakened in the morning in time to rush off to school.

“Considering diets generally, 44 children had a fairly satisfactory diet, but 59 had a definitely unsatisfactory diet These unsatisfactory diets were usually too high in carbohydrate, too low in protein, and contained too little milk. In spite of the children’s generally deficient diets, the nutrition of over 90 per cent was satisfactory. “It was truly a demonstration of the theory of the survival of the fittest.” Dr. Young says that there was an urgent need for changes in one or more aspects in the case of 47 children and a less urgent need in the case of 32. Conditions were reasonably satisfactory for 28. Value of Affection “This does not mean that everything was satisfactory,” says the report. “There may have been overcrowding, or the place may have been dirty, but if the child was fed and clothed tolerably well, was loved by his parents, and was happy with his brothers and sisters, his situation was classed as satisfactory. After all, love and affection and a feeling of security are more important for the development of normal children than much washing and scrubbing of body and clothes. “Both are preferable, but if we have to decide whether a child is to be brought up in an unhygienic environment where he is happy because he loves and is loved by his family, or whether he should be removed to an institution where everything will be spotless, but love will be absent, then I would unhesitatingly say, ‘Leave him with his family.’ “In most homes there was a lack of reading material. Very few had books, and many did not even get a newspaper. At least two parents could neither read nor write. Many homes opened directly on to the footpath and had very small yards at the back. This meant that the pre-school child usually played among the garbage tins, while his older brothers and sisters were at school. After school they all played on the street. “In some back yards there were open drains, so it was preferable for the children to play on the street,” the report says.