M.W.W.L. CONFERENCE 1958

Te Ao Hou, July 1958, Page 58

M.W.W.L. CONFERENCE 1958 The Prime Minister and Minister of Maori Affairs, the Rt. Hon. Walter Nash, opened this years dominion conference of the Maori Women's Welfare League at Palmerston North. Stressing the importance of education to the Maori people, Mr Nash said that the Maori people needed a similar education to that of the pakeha. In one direction they needed more, for they needed to learn the Maori language. He advised the mothers to teach it in the homes. “Hold on to it. Pass it on,” he urged. Likewise he wished the Maori people to hold on to their culture, traditions and sense of hospitality. He urged delegates to conference to do all they could to enthuse old members and gain new ones. The league had so much to offer, he said. The mothers could do more to curb delinquency and produce good citizens than could any magistrate. The government needed the help of such organisations as the league and would co-operate with it as far as possible to realise the aims which they held in common. Another guest speaker at the conference was the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. O. S. Skoglund. Mr Skoglund assured the gathering nobody could agree with the desirability of the Maori people retaining their native tongue more than did the Education Department. He did not want to see Maori culture suffer as a result of the integration of Maori and board schools. There was a danger of this happening. He had in mind that Te Aute could be a bastion of Maori arts and crafts if there was a senior Maori arts and crafts school there. Then pupils from other schools could go on to Te Aute to the senior Maori arts and crafts school. Officers elected at the annual dominion conference of the Maori Women's Welfare League held in Palmerston North recently are: Patroness. Princess Piki, Ngaruawahia; president, Mrs M. Logan, Hastings; Vice-presidents, Mrs Noble Campbell, Wairoa; Mrs M. Hirinii, Hastings; secretary-treasurer, Mrs J. Stone, Wellington; Auditor, Mr M. R. Jones, Wellington, District representatives: Tokerau, Mrs M. Szaszy; Waikato-Maniapoto, Mrs K. Jones; Waiariki, Mrs J. Ellison; Tairawhiti, Mrs M. Tamihana; Aotea, Mrs L. Te Waari; Ikaroa, Mrs W. Bennett; Te Waipounamu. Miss L. Wallscott. Delegate to Pan-Pacific Association, Mrs Bennett. Delegate to National Council of Women, Mrs Logan. Conference decided to hold next year's sessions in Hastings. Places in the Princess Te Puea trophy competition for the best annual report were awarded as follows—1st, Heretaunga; 2nd, Nga Iwi (Auckland); 3rd, South Hokianga. Over fifty remits were passed, many of them reaffirming earlier resolutions. One remit complimented the Palmerston North hotel owners for their help to delegates, but called upon New Zealand hotels in general to admit Maori guests without discrimination. Another remit asked that the government make available a building to the Maori people of Christchurch. Popular feature of the Leagure conference was the bookstal arranged jointly by the Countr Library Service and G. H. Bennett and Co., Palmerston Norti booksellers. A great unsatisfied thirst for books on the part o the League women was revealea £60 worth of books being sold, ‘It was like Christmas Eve,’ said Mr J. M. Arthur, who was in charge of the stall. Most popular were: Maori history, art and crafts and language: home craft books on paper flower hats, raffia work and floral art and children's books taken as gifts to the little ones at home (Photo: Barry Woods.)