INDIGENT MAORIS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 43, 19 August 1930, Page 11

INDIGENT MAORIS

DISTRESS IN MAMWATU

SPECIAL GRANT WANTED

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "Tho Evening Post.") PALMEESTON N., This Day.

Tho Palmcr-ston North Hospital Board yesterday wrote off bad debts amounting to £4373 16s 2d. Sonic of these accounts had been owing for over five years, and every endeavour was made to collect the fees before the board came to its decision.

Of that amount £1265 7s 5d was in respect of Foxton and district, and £3108 in respect of 'Horowhenua County and boroughs within the county. The chairman (Mr. J. K. Hornblow) stated that of the latter amount £1000 was in respect of Maoris. Mr. G. A. Monk pointed out that in many cases the Natives were quite indigent. While there was the proposal before Parliament for insurance against unemployment, it did not touch tho Maoris. The Natives in. Ms district were in a bad way. For some years there had been a good deal of relief work, but that had now stopped. The Maoris had gone back to the pas and he almost shuddered to think what was going to happen. Once they went back to the pas nnd got no sustenance, the Hospital Board suffered. Mr. Monk said ho would like to support the suggestion of the Social Welfare Committee that a grant should be made by the Maori Purposes Fund to help those people. It was very necessary and J urgent. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION URGED. Tho board decided to draw the attention of the Minister of Native Affairs to the fact that there are Maori cases in this district entirely dependent on the social welfare funds, and to ask that special consideration be given to such cases. . •

Commenting generally on the position, the chairman expressed appreciation of the help being given by various unemployment relief committes throughout the board's district. He did not think it was the intention of the legislators when they framed the Act that hospital boards should be called upon to make provision for cases arising out of unemployment. However, it had to bo done, and requests to the Department for refunds had been, turned down. In the future something should be done to relieve hospital boards from this class of aid.