by Mr E. B. Corbett. Minister of Maori Affairs, in the beautiful Maori Affairs' Committee Room, “but you all had him longer than any party of schoolchildren ever have before”. Certainly Mr Holland gave them a rare time—for a whole hour he conducted them on a tour of interesting rooms. In lighthearted manner he explained the ceremony of the Opening of Parliament—“Just then”, he said with a twinkle, “Mr Nash and I walk in together and approach the throne. We try to keep in step, and we do it pretty well—mind you, we practise a bit before-hand!” Milly Smith sat in the Prime Minister's seat in his private office, signed his guestbook and said she would keep forever the apple Mr Holland gave her from his sideboard, “but I'll take one bite out of it”, she added. Showing the children the mounted sword of a swordfish, the Prime Minister passed on a bit of knowledge he'd been interested to learn. “You'd think, wouldn't you”, he aked, “that if a swordfish is going to fight another fish, he'd ram it with the sword. But he doesn't. He bangs the other fish on its head with his sword. Strange, isn't it?” In the Cabinet Room, where the children sat round the handsome table in the ministers' seats (“You see”, said Mr Holland, “there are no ink wells. That's because Ministers, like Tikitiki school children sometimes spill ink”.) Mr Jennings thanked the Prime Minister with the words, “You're the most delightful teacher they have ever had.” After showing them the view from the roof of Parliament Buildings, Mr Holland took the party to visit Mr Nash, Leader of the Opposition, who in his turn showed them round his premises. Their first day was certainly packed with interest. In several places the children sang songs and did hakas. One song, Te Ropu Tamariki, was composed by Mrs M. Poi of Tikitiki specially for the Wellington visit, and her daughter, Maureen, led the singing of it to the Mayor, at 2ZB, and to the Prime Minister. The purpose of the visit to Wellington was threefold: to enhance the children's general knowledge; to let them see what the city was like; and to show them the layout and atmosphere because most of them would probably come to the city to live after leaving school. Perhaps it will start them on the way to doing what Mr Corbett hoped for them. “Think of the heights”, he said, “of the achievements of some of your people. Be good men and women, and good New Zealanders”.

EAST COAST LAND TITLES GREATLY IMPROVED The Northern Waiapu consolidation scheme can soon be realised. Full agreement was reached during a sitting held at Te Araroa last March, when the whole scheme, comprising over 100,000 acres, was placed before the people by Judge Norman Smith of the Tairawhiti Maori Land Court. Consolidation of Maori land interests was a major portion of Sir Apirana's plan for the Maori people. He took a great personal interest in the Northern Waiapu scheme which was started before the war but interrupted then because of lack of staff. Consolidation is not aimed at settling the individual owners but at identifying for each family group an area of land proportionate to its aggregated interests, over which it could exercise control. Completion of the Northern Waiapu consolidation scheme may produce drastic changes in the outlook of Maori owners. It may ultimately help to increase farm production. The Tikitiki school children, sitting on the Ministerial benches are given a lecture by the Prime Minister on parliamentary procedure. (N.P.S. Photo.)