News in Brief

Te Ao Hou, December 1956, Page 6

News in Brief The early work of the missionaries on the Mahia peninsula is to be commemorated by the dedication of a reserve at Whangawehi, where the missionaries first met the Maoris and taught Christianity. Mr G. E. Ormond has given a piece of land for the reserve, on which stands an early baptismal stone and a rock which was hewn out to hold the Bible. The Lands and Survey Department has agreed to meet half the cost of surveying the section for the reserve. * * * Inter-racial problems in New Zealand were discussed at a weekend meeting in Gisborne on October 13 and 14, under the sponsorship of Adult Education. The four men speakers were Professor Ralph Piddington and Dr William Geddes, both of Auckland University College, and two Maori adult education tutors, Dr Maharaia Winiata and Mr Matiu te Hau. * * * The annual garden competition at Hastings for occupiers of houses bought through the Department of Maori Affairs housing scheme was one of the most successful yet held there. First prize was won by Mrs J. W. Bowles of Whakatu; second prize went to Mrs P. Hawkins also of Whakatu; third to Mrs S. Thomas of Runanga; fourth to Mrs M. O'Brien of Waipatu; and fifth to Mrs P. Edwards of Bridge Pa. The first prize was a cup donated by Mrs D. E. Whyte, a pakeha, of Crownthorpe, Hastings. The judge was Mr J. Mackenzie, Superintendent of Parks for the Hastings City Council. Commenting on the awards, Mr Mackenzie said the garden of the first prizewinner, Mrs Bowles, was most attractive, with a pleasing layout, and well-constructed permanent features. Speaking generally, Mr Mackenzie said that the outstanding feature of this year's inspection was the big increase in the number of properties that had neat, regularly mown lawns, and some flower garden. This was notable in practically all pas, and was resulting in marked improvement to the general appearance of all the Maori settlements near Hastings. * * * A Maori member has been appointed to the Wanganui Road Safety Committee. He is the district welfare officer, Mr K. Pohoutoua. His appointment followed a recommendation by the chairman of the committee, Mr J. Meuli, who said there were special road safety problems affecting the Maori people which merited their having a representative on the committee. Mr Meuli also said he was sure that a Maori representative would be able to assist in some of the usual problems facing the committee. * * * Butterfat production is steadily increasing on Maori farms in North Auckland where the farmers are backed by the Maori Affairs Department or work under its supervision. The total production from the 613 farms in question was 3 ¼ million pounds last season, an increase of nearly a million pounds in two years. The district officer of the department, Mr B. E. Souter, hopes for a considerable further increase this season. The production figures do not include returns from the various development blocks throughout North Auckland; but are from active individual farmers, some of whom are on old family land which a few years ago grew nothing but ti-tree and fern. * * * About 25 slabs of rock, from 2 feet to 6 feet across, on which are Maori paintings in red and black, have been cut from a recess at the foot of a cliff at the Waipapa Hydro-electric project. The slabs were packed in crates and sent to the Auckland Museum. The director of the Museum, Dr G. Archey, has photos of the recess in the cliff before the slabs were cut away, and he will try to display the slabs as nearly as possible in their original positions. The paintings are being preserved because the cave in which they existed would have been destroyed by tunnelling for the Waipapa project. * * * A search for oil is to be made on the East Coast of the North Island, in the Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa districts. The search will be made by the British Petroleum Group and Todd Brothers Ltd., of Wellington. They are forming a special company to organise the search, and will spend a half million pounds in the first stage.