SCHOOL FOR MAORI CARVERS TO OPEN

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31269, 16 January 1967, Page 10

SCHOOL FOR MAORI CARVERS TO OPEN

"The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND, Jan. 15. A carving school arranged by the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute will open at Rotorua today. The institute’s director, Mr K. Waaka, said that seven applicants for the three-year course had been accepted and two more youths were likely to join them. The course will be held at the institute’s, new building, Tawhakarewarewa, under the direction of the institute’s master carver, Mr J. Taiapa. Mr Waaka said that a delay in the delivery of carving tools because of port congestion at Auckland was not likely to cause any problems because Mr Taiapa had enough tools of his own which the youths could be lent Suit-

able carving timber had been obtained. While on the course the youths would be paid apprentice wages. Mr Waaka said he had worked out conditions of employment based on the carpenters’ award to cover the three-year course. Rises in wages would be of 8 per cent every six months. The success of the course would depend largely on what income came from carvings produced by the youths. Carvings which were up to standard would be sold at the institute’s souvenir shop and would be needed to relieve the financial burden of running the course. At present the institute’s income comes almost entirely from admission fees collected at the Whakarewarewa thermal reserve.