T.B. AMONG MAORIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19127, 23 September 1936, Page 4

T.B. AMONG MAORIS

TE PUIA SETTLEMENT INSPECTION OP SITES HOUSE TYPES DISCUSSED Substantial progress towards the establishment, of the special settlement, at Te Puia for chronic tubercular cases among the. Maoris of the East Coast district was made during the visit of Dr. 11. B. Turbott to the. Coast during the past few days. Dr. Turbott, who attended' the recent conference on Maori health matters in Wellington, and was given authority to proceed with the preliminary work in connection with the scheme, hopes to see definite steps taken in the course of a few weeks to bring the settlement into material existence.

While visiting the Coast, he conferred with Messrs. Renata, Tamepo and Charles Goldsmith, members of the Maori Council in the Waiapu Valley, and with other leading natives concerning the best type of accommodation to provide, for the tuberculosis sufferers and their families in, the. settlement. It became evident that the Maoris did not favour communal living-quarters for the purposes of the scheme, but would prefer individual cottages for the different families.

Ward accommodation probably will be necessary for certain types of chronic case, but the use of this will be limited as far as possible, in the scheme as now approved by the health authorities and by the leading Maoris who have interested' themselves in the campaign to reduce tuberculosis infection among the natives and to relieve the sufferings, of those already fallen victim to the disease.

Of the several sites inspected, with a view to combining the advantages of easy access, good water supply, and general outlook, Dr. Turbott and Messrs. Tamepo and Goldsmith settled tipon one which will be recommended' to the Health Department for acquisition. The Maoris of the Coast have undertaken to provide the land for the. scheme, and the process of acquisition will not involve any difficulties.

It is anticipated that further progresswill be made within the next fortnight. In the meantime, Dr. Turbott will return to his headquarters in Hamilton, but he will be paying periodical visits to Gisborne and the Coast in connection with the scheme.