FARM HOVELS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19373, 10 July 1937, Page 4

FARM HOVELS

POSITION IN TARANAKI LABOUR M.P. APPALLED BATHS AT COW-BAILS “I was appalled at some of the houses occupied by farmers in Taranaki,” said Mr. J. Hodgens, M.P. for Palmerston North, after a visit to various parts of Taranaki, where he said, he was amazed at what was shown him.

Quoting instances, Mr. Hodgens said a man and his wife and nine children were living in a four-roomed cottage, in one of the rooms of which the ceiling was like a sieve with water splashing down inside when it rained. There were absolutely no conveniences in the house, and when the children were bathed the mother had to take them to the milking shed 3£ chains » away, which was the only place with a sufficiency of hot water available.

At another dwelling, sheets of corrugated iron were nailed to the walls to keep out the wet. In a third home the floor was of Bin. rough boarding, through knot-holes in which the ground could be-■ seen. There was vertical weather-boarding and no internal lining. Candles, which gave the only lighting, were blown out by the wind coming through cracks'. The mother had to go to the cow-bails to bath the children.

Mr. Hodgens said he found that throughout Taranaki there was general complaint about the delay of the Mortgage Adjustment Commission in giving its decisions. This was causing worry and discontent, and prevented mortgagors from getting on with necessary farm work and improvements that were badly needed.