LIVING IN THE BUSH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19386, 22 July 1926, Page 8

LIVING IN THE BUSH.

FAMILY WITHOUT A HOME. PLIGHT OF' NINE CHILDREN. UNABLE TO RENT A HOUSE. [by TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] i( WELLINGTON, Wednesday. "Have you any children V If the answer is in the affirmative it seems that one's chances of being able to rent a house are small, but ii oue confesses to a family running nearly into double figures the chances are nil. Yet a married man with a large family must, have a roof of some sort under which to shelter, and Mr. C. H. Taylor, whose present postal address would be somewhat indefinite—"The Bush, Ngahauranga," might find him—has solved the problem temporarily. Ten weeks or so ago Mr. Taylor and his wife, who are blessed with a family of nine sturdy children, were living in peace in a rented house on the Hutt Road, a mile or so beyond Ngahauranga. This was haudy for his employment at. Ngahauranga, whero he has worked for the last 30 years, but the house was sold over their heads—not for other folk to live in, but to be pulled to pieces, which seems like adding insult to injury. Having no capital to buy the Taylors set out to rent another house, but from every agent they met with the same reception. The agents were quite sympathetic, but it soon became clear that one cannot have a large family and expect to be able to rent a house at the same time. Temporary accommodation was found at Rona Bay by the Public Trustee, but this house, too, was almost immediately sold over their heads.

Driven by necessity to provide some sort of shelter for his family, Mr. Taylor betook hiruself to the bush on the hillside of tas Hutfc Road. Finding a site used previously by some nomaa he erected a shelter of old corrugated iron to serve as a "living" room. A bedroom for the family was made from an old tent, and that completes the "home." But another bombshell has been dropped on this unfortunate family, for the Makara County Council has given notice to the family to quit by Tuesday next, camping not being alio wed in that locality. What Mr. Taylor is going to do he does not know. He cannot get a house within reach of his work, and that is not through lack of effort on his part. Many friends and neighbours and some of the Maoris have endeavoured to find him accommodation, but without success. The three younger children, whose ages range from three to eight years, are being cared for by the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. This relieves the parents of a certain amount of anxiety, but does not help in the solution of the more pressing problem of finding a house.