vealed his typical modesty and his abiding affection for the battalion. One could visualise his delight at being asked to renew a direct association with the men whom he had commanded. In selecting vice-presidents, the choice fell on genial Roy Te Punga, former adjutant and intelligence officer and now senior probation officer in Auckland, and Matiu Te Hau, who has scope for his efficiency as an Adult Education tutor. The purse strings are being held for the association by H. G. Lambert who agreed to accept the post of treasurer although his time is fully taken up with his new appointment as lecturer in Maori studies at Auckland Teachers' College. The executive was headed by a former officer in I. Harris and a non-commissioned officer in G. Harrison. Other members elected were T. Marsden, S. Royal, H. Harding and E. Emory. E. Reweti, who is with the Lands and Survey Department in Auckland, was installed as honorary auditor and the recently ordained Rev. Maori Marsden, of Frankton Junction, as honorary padre. In asking Mr S. C. Clarke to accept the office of honorary solicitor, Mr Wikiriwhi said: “Mr Clarke has been with us in the Tokerau Land Court and knows us better than we do ourselves.” Mr Clarke represented the Auckland Returned Services' Association and with officers from other unit associations pledged support for the new organisation. “We mean what we say,” said Mr Clarke. “The support offered is real.” He congratulated the association for appointing an honorary padre, adding: “One of the things which struck us as judges in moving around among the Maori people was how very rarely Grace is not said in Maori households and how rarely it is said in the Pakeha household.”

BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTRIC POWER BOARD There is a vacancy for an Assistant to the Accountant in the Board's Office at Kaikohe. Preference will be given to a Maori young man over the age of 20 with at least some subjects in the Accountant's Professional Examination and with a genuine desire to complete the examination. There are excellent prospects in the Power Industry for future promotion to Executive positions. For further details, apply to:— WALLACE S. THORPE, SECRETARY, P.O. BOX 243, KAIKOHE, NORTHLAND.

There was a feeling among those present that Auckland was the logical place for the national headquarters of the association. It was thought unlikely that there were as many former battalion members in other centres as there were in Auckland. No subscriptions were sought from those who attended the first meeting but they were asked for donations to cover initial expenses. Later, finance would be wanted for specific purposes, but it was clearly stated that the executive would investigate all immediate sources of money. One source was revealed as soon as the members sat down to kai after the meeting. The ladies of the wartime reception committee announced that they had a substantial sum of money left over from their entertainment fund. They were willing to hand it over to the battalion body. Those who attended the battalion meeting were satisfied that their efforts had started something really big. They had relit the lamp of the Maori Battalion in the country. If there was one thing which they wanted to achieve it was to retrieve the identity of the battalion as a military unit. They would like to obliterate those sorrowful words which provide the ending to the official history—“Trains throughout the afternoon carried the Maori soldiers to a hundred welcoming maraes. The 28th (Maori) Battalion had ceased to exist.” The twenty-one year jubilee of the Maori Women's Health League was celebrated in the Tonuhopu meeting house, Ohinemutu, last September. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ A new youth club has been started in Hamilton. To be known as ‘Te Rau Aroha Hamutana,’ the club has been sponsored by the Anglican Maori Mission and is open to all denominations. Chairman is Mr H. Baker, secretary, Mr R. Paparu. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ The fine new cafeteria at the Otaki Maori Racing Club is now open. A full article on the Club appeared in our issue 23. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ The Department of Maori Affairs established a new district office in Christchurch. South Island Maoris had long desired such an office which enables them to do all their transactions concerning land in Christchurch, whereas previously the Court and title records were kept in Wellington. Land development, housing, and welfare will also be conducted from Christchurch. Reserved lands at Greymouth, Hokitika, Motueka, Nelson and other areas administered by the Maori Trustee, are now also controlled from this new office which is situated in the Public Trust Building in Oxford Terrace.