MAORI BURIALS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 18 May 1912, Page 8

MAORI BURIALS.

AN INSPECTOR'S REPORT.

DEPLORABLE STATE OF AFFATRS

BY TELEGE.A.PH- PRESS ASSOCIATION

GISBORNE, May 17

A terrible state of affairs is revealed liy a report that Inspector York has forwarded to the Cook Hospital and Charitable Aid Board with regard to the insanitary surroundings of the natives. The report states that on Friday, April 19, the corpse of a native who had died from typhoid fever in the public hospital, was removed to Muriwai. A tangi N.vas held, at which the coffin lid was removed. Thib corpse was kept unburied for three days. "During the following fi+rtnight," continues the Inspector, "I !hnd four cases of typhoid fever from Muriwai, one of which I am fairly sure v/as caused through the tangi. " I respectfully ask the board to take such steps as will stop the bodies of persons being removed from any hospital in the board's district who have died from infectious diseases, except for direct burial. During my inspection at Wainui. on May 13, my attention was called ir> the state of a native burial ground. I v;sited the burial ground, arid there found a coffin Quite intact, with the follov.ina: inscription upon the lid : 'I mate Jfce. 15 O nga ra, O maehe, 1911. Onga tan 19' (which translated is, 'Died 15th day of March, 1911, aged 19 years'). This coffin stands unprotected on the surface of the ground. On making enquiries. I am told that the coffin contains/ the wrpse of a native who died in the public hospital twelve months ago from typhoid fever. There were also^a groat number of bones strewn about this burial ground, but I cannot say whether these are human remains or not. The state of affairs here is a great menace to public health. I wo"kl strongly recommend that this coffin be removed ond buried" in more solid ground; also t-bnt the 't^nes he collected ond l>"ned. THs should be done forthwith. T have virecl to the District Health Office-- fo'instructions, but hav^ bad no renly I had a wire from the Minister for In'tpr--na! Affairs asking for the names r-f the ■secretary or trustees of these burial "rounds. On making; enquiries for information on this point, I am told t*s»t vo resnonsible officer is at present livine. Whilst making- these inspections I rotiped the carcase of a dead horse. This Jay about a couple of chains from the lumal ground. The carcase was in a very advanced stage of decomposition, :^d the stench from it vas terrible Three dogs were feerlins; off it but O.U my aproarh they left for their home ■at the pa. On making enqtiivies as to who had owned the horse. I was told that it helonced to a native who had itf.t the district. I con-munionterl with IV? eonntv officials, and asked th^m to flilnw theiv inspector to bury it fortfiwitV and they Dromisefl that, this sho-ld «>e clone. T onllprl the Board's attention to those difficulties, to show thnt, alt^ugh there hay* been three deaths at i]:s pa during the last th>v« months O'.ro from s».snected tvohoid and' o"o f- 'in tuberculosis), the inhabit;)••*:* will •jir-.w such offensive natter to li«- upon •1-.v.0 surface of the earth sooner fh:m 'fr<to nrotect their health by )>w-v'mi£ it." The board was to have fonsidcrc/! the ratter at a meeting to-night, but there *vas no quorum.