"No Evidence" For Reports Of Hungry Children

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31772, 31 August 1968, Page 40

"No Evidence" For Reports Of Hungry Children

“The Press” Special Service

WELLINGTON, August 30. The Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella) said today that inquiries among Government departments had failed to produce any evidence to support claims that hungry schoolchildren were stealing other pupils’ lunches.

He said the Social Security Department and Child Welfare Division had nothing to report—but both had promised to make immediate investigations if they received evidence of the reports.

But, Mr Kinsella said in a statement, the Child Welfare Division had pointed out that there was always a small number of such cases.

“This pilfering goes on,” he said. “But it is not because of economic circumstances.

“Some children are compulsive eaters eating their lunches on the way to school and then pinching some other child’s later,” said Mr Kinsella. The circumstances of the pilfering were well known to teachers. GAMBLING BLAMED

Drinking, gambling, and mismanagement in the home were the prime factors for Napier children stealing food at school, Mr P. H. Dear, a voluntary welfare worker, said today. He was commenting on allegations by the Mayor of Napier (Mr P. Tait), and Mr W. G. Lamason, the city health inspector, that hungry and undernourished children were creating a food-theft problem at schools. “This is getting progressively worse,” Mr Dear said. “The position has been aggravated by unemployment and it is predominantly confined to the Maraenui area.

There are at least six or seven families in Maraenui ,who are really hungry. They are so hungry that it comes as no shock that the children are prepared to steal food.”

Mr Tait said he had received numerous calls today from persons and organisations offering assistance.

“I have also received the names of several families needing assistance,” he said. “Although this position is not confined to Napier it exists throughout New Zealand there is a desperate need for assistance in some cases here.” “SHAMEFUL SITUATION”

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) said the increasing frequency of reports of hungry children in various parts of New Zealand disclosed a shameful situation.

In a food-producing country such as New Zealand there was no excuse for hungry children.

“Such a situation should not be tolerated for a moment,” he said. “Any Government with an ounce of conscience would take immediate steps to deal with it.”

Mr Kirk called on the Government to increase unemployment ■ benefits immediately. He said it was perfectly clear that people who had lost their jobs could not live on the “meagre unemployment benefit”—particularly with today’s high prices. “The Government doesn’t seem to care that hard-work-ing people who have lost their jobs and who have to endure the indignity of unemployment are in some cases being compelled to deprive themsel-

ves and their families of some of the basic necessities of life,” he said. “This is because the rate of benefits payable to beneficiaries is inadequate.”