SHOCKING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 18 May 1912, Page 5

SHOCKING.

NATIVES AND INSANITARY syeaoiiftDiNGs. FEVER VICTIMS KEPT UNBURIED BURIAL GROUND A MENACE. (United Press Association.) niSBORNE. May 17. A terrible state of affairs has been revealed by the report which Inspector York has forwarded to the Cook Hospital and Charitable Aid Board with regard tc the insanitary sitrroundings of the Natives. Th? report states : Oil 1' ri - day. April 19th. the corpse of a Native, who had died from typhoid fever in the public hospital, was removed to Muriwni. A tan<ri was held, at which the coffin lid was removed. This corpse was kept unburied for three days. During the following fortnight I had four cases of typhoid from Muriwai. one of which I am fairly sure was 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 13th my attention was called to the state of a Native burial ground, and there I found a coflin quite intact with the following inscription upon the lid : "Inate ite 15, ongara 0 Malhe, 1911, Or.atau 18." which translated is. "Died 15th day of March. 1911. aged 19 years." This coffin stands unprotected oil the surface of the ground. On making inquiries I am told that the coffin con- I tains the corpse of a Native who died ! in the public hospital 12 months ago from typhoid fever. There were also a great number of bones strewn about this burial ground, hut I cannot say whether these ar« human remains or not. The state of affairs is a great menace to public health. I would strongly recommend that this coffin be removed and buried in more solid ground ; also that the bones be collected and buried. This should he done forthwith. I have wired to the district health officer for instructions, but have had no reply. I had a wire from the Minister for Internal Affairs, asking for the names of the secretary or trustees of these burial grounds. On making inquiries for information on this point I am told that no responsible officer is at present living. Whilst making these inspections I noticed the dead carcase of a horse. This lay about a couple of chains from the burial ground. The carcase was in a very advanced state of decomposition. and the stench from it was terrible. Three dogs were feeding off it, but on my approach they left for their home at the pah. On making inquiries as to who had owned the horse I was told that it belonged to a Native who had left the district. I communicated with the county officials, and asked thein to allow their inspetcor to bury it forthwith, and thev promised this should be done. I call the Board's attention to these difficulties to show that, although there have T-«fn three dentils at this pah during the last three months (two from suspected typhoid and one from tuberculosis!, the inhabitants will allow much offensive matter to lay npoh the surface of the -earth sooner than try to protect their health by burying it. The Beard shon'd havn considered the matter at a meeting to-night, but there was -no quorum.