WELFARE OF MAORIS.

Northern Advocate, 14 August 1931, Page 7

WELFARE OF MAORIS.

EXTREME INDIGENCE. POIGNANT CASES CITED. (Special-; to .‘‘Northern Advocate.”) AUCKLAND, Thursday., “I hOppyou will 'do something for Hie Maori children, who should be going’ to school, 1 .km»w of a ease in a Chinese’ garden in Muir Road, Man.gcre; where; a native .child sits frbm daylight t 6 dark in dhe place, pulling a i string” to keep birds off the seeds. There is- a little girl there now, and a lit.tle boy lying ill through being out in the-awful storm lane week. Please try and send a nurse, or come round ahd &ee' for yoiirselif the kind ;of place, where the Maoris, are living. If something is not. done’ there will be dll kinds of sickness among these people.”

The foregoing appeal w'as made in. a letter sent to Mrs Mere Newton, president of the Maori Women’s Welfare League, by a Mangere resident.

“I visited’ the garden," said Mrs* Newton, ‘‘only ttf find that the'conditions under which seven Maoris are living are worse than anything, I have seen previously. These people have only recently got work on.this cultivation. There are a Maori and his wife two gijls, 16 1 and 13 years respectively! a giH 7, a sick boy 10 years old, and a baby. When‘f visited the place I found the girl sits out in' the' garden' from before 6, o’clock in the' morning until it is time tp go to. school, pulling a string attached to kerosehe tins,' to frighten the birds away. She is relievedd'by the elder | sifter until school *is over, when the younger one again takes her place |iintil' nightfall The sick toy is how, being taken care of. ' , '

11 The place, whcye these natives are sheltering is about half the eize, of the rabbit hutch on- Mr Sainsbury’s - pro* j'Oi'tv from which the natives ■ were removed yesterday. It is built of old iron and sacking and is; not, anybody to live 'in.* Not; far from this place I found a Maori and "* his wife, a boy, and a baby, living under even a worse shelter.; It is constructed of tin and sacking, stones being used', to hold the flimsy place down.' The boy is of school age, bdt could . not attend because- he had no' clouhes. Thefes have now been supplied'. The, fco.y looked told and hudgry. My association is interesting in the welfare of, this and' other families of'natives who have insufficient food and shelter.<■

Mrs Newton said that she had plkced at the disposal of the league a piece of! land she owned on, the hfan-; gere side of the bridge, at Onehunga. If timber and iron werp given, volunteer workers would build a temporary aecoraniodation house where the ■ natives could get proper shelter. An offer of iron had been made by a'Papatoetoe resident. The league had no funds, blit if material were given and carted out to the ground a • weather-proof shelter ivould be run'up immediately.