TREATMENT OF MAORIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19892, 10 March 1928, Page 12

TREATMENT OF MAORIS.

HOSPITAL FEES UNPAID.

MANGONUI BOARD'S COMPLAINT.

[BY telegraph.—special reporter.] KAITAIA. Friday.

The undue hardship suffered by Mangonui County ratepayers owing to the small proportion of hospital fees paid by natives wa& the subject of a deputation to the Minister of Health, Hon. J. A. Young, at Kaitaia last evening, Mr. T. S. Houston, chairman of the Mangonui Hospital Board, said for years it had been hard to bring natives into the hospital, but now they were anxious to go there. The proportion of fees collected in the case of natives was very small and the burden fell back on the shoulders of the ratepayers. The returns of patients treated at the Mangonui Hospital from August, 1924, to July, 1927, showed that 670 Europeans and 182 natives were treated. The Europeans had paid £lBOl of £6607 due, and the natives had paid £IOB m respect of £2364 due. "It is the same story in every part ot New Zealand where there are Maoris to any extent," said the Minister, 'more especially when the natives are in a backward state. The natives seem to think that whenever they can get out of payment they are privileged to do due course they must realise they nave to pay." . , , Mr. Young said he had received a deputation from several Maoris the same day. Thev had requested representation on the Hospital Board. In reply he had told them that if they paid their rates they would have representation in the usual way. It was to be hoped that as work was now under way in consolidating Maori interests in the North and encouraging them, to'work, there was a prospect of obtaining more money from the Maoris. He could not promise any increase in the Government subsidy, as the question would need consideration.