he is deaded’ were very common. It is no longer so. The subject in which Maoris excelled over everybody else was art, and the next subject to it, writing. Did the long tradition of the Maori, which produced the carving patterns in wood and the weaving patterns in flax, find its expression in drawing and writing? Without doubt the patience which was part of the skill of a carver had endured into their grandsons and grandaughters, for their work was remarkable for the care it showed. By the time I left primary school I had been taught to listen to the music of the Maori language from those who were still able to speak it. Each morning the roll was called, and our headmaster used to read the Maori names first, all at once, and compare them with the more jerky English names: Ruru, Katene, Rangi, Mua, Puketapu — what musically soft names they were! It was good for us to hear the music of another language. One of the events we most looked forward to each year was the making of a Maori oven. Every year the new children would watch, but what gave us most pleasure was the look on the faces of the older children, new to the school, who had never seen one before. Each of us brought food to cook, and it was delicious—even more so because of the excitement of fire, red-hot stones, steam, and more steam. Opening the oven itself was like undoing a mystery packet. Many of the Maoris themselves had never seen a Maori oven, and they were no less interested. While I was at this school the district had a very large tangi for a relative of a chief. People came from all over the North Island, and many of the women wore the mourning green. For a few days the Maori salutation was seen many times in our small town, and the lamenting for the dead man was heard at night. It was fortunate that our Headmaster was a man who knew some Maori, and loved Maori customs. He took pains to explain their history to us as well as their customs, the ones we were supposed to learn as part of our lessons. He told us of Sir Peter Buck and Sir Maui Pomare, as well as of the legends. At that time the Maoris had left their decline behind, and were increasing in numbers. When I left school two Maori children had reached Standard VI, and only one had left the school to go on to High School. Now it is a different story, and there were more Maori students in my class at the University than there were in my last standard at primary school. I began by saying that I was grateful to the Maori people, and I conclude by repeating that I am grateful. You have a lot to teach us and I, for one, hope that you will retain your traditional customs and arts, and let them grow into a new Maori culture. Someday, perhaps, New Zealand will find that her artists are Maoris as well as the men who man the factories and farm the land. The Maoris will come into their heritage again 'as New Zealanders. PAKEHA

MAORI LAND BOARDS (Continued from page 47) The chief reason for abolishing the Boards now lies in the desire to simplify the handling of Maori matters, to cut down the number of bodies concerned, and also to avoid overlapping of work on the administrative side. Instead of the Department, seven Maori Land Boards, and the Maori Trustee, there will be only the Department and the Maori Trustee, and although the work of the Maori Trustee will be largely done in the districts, under the supervision of the District Officer, it will be in accordance with a common policy laid down by the Maori Trustee. The change will also free the Judges of the Maori Land Court from their administrative duties as Presidents of the Maori Land Boards, and enable them to concentrate on their judicial duties. From the point of view of the Maoris and of the general public who deal with Maori matters, the change will not appear as much more than a change of names. The Europeans are taking the top half of social security—the age benefit—and the Maori people are taking the bottom half—the family benefits—Rt. Rev. W. N. Panapa, at Napier, October, 1951. * * * Collection of Maori rates in Rangitikei County was a record last year, over 85% of the rates struck being collected within the specified time. — The Wanganui Herald. (Mai i te wherangi 47) mana whakahaere ki te Tari Maori me te Kaitieki Maori, ahakoa ko nga Apiha whakahaere o Nga Tari o Nga Rohe kei te mahi i nga mahi a te Kaitieki Maori ko te kaupapa o nga mahi na te Kaitieki Maori. Ka watea inaianei nga Tiati o nga Kooti Whenua Maori ki nga mahi anake o nga Kooti. Ki nga Maori a ki te katoa noa iho o te tangata ka mutu ano te rereketanga ko te ingoa—kua kore nga Poari Whenua Maori ko Te Kaitieki Maori inaianei.