HUNGRY CHILDREN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 August 1926, Page 5

HUNGRY CHILDREN

PITIABLE CONDITIONS.

POVERTY IN THE NORTH UNDERCLOTHED AND UNDERFED. (by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, Aug. IS. Children so hungry that they try to get each others’ lunches are reported to be attending some of the schools on the northern gumlands. Mr A. Burns (chairman ot the Auckland Education Board) stated at today’s meeting that 'Mr Maurice Priestly" inspector of schools, had found the conditions at five northern schools of an alarming nature. The children —some of them halfcaste, the others the descendants of Austrians —were in many cases uuderclothed and underfed, and on the verge of starvation. . The decline .of the gum-digging business had brought poverty and distress to numbers of families, and some of the girls had only one article of clothing to wear this winter. One boy had a big coat, and not much else. , , Some of the children went hungry to school and others were unable to go at all. . . . ‘ln a young country such as this it is pitiable that such a state of things should be,” remarked Mr Burns. ‘lt is the duty of the board to see that children go to school, but it is no use trying to teach a hungry child. Some of them are starving.

Mr Burns suggested that some arrangement should be made to get food and clothing to the destitute homes. Mr W. J. Campbell volunteered to make immediate arrangements, in - cooperation with. charitable organisations, to have supplies sent. Mr Burns: Thank you. I think that is splendid. Mr E. C. Banks said the grocers and storekeepers would probably be willing to give their support through the teachers.