waterfall in the neighbourhood, which was one of the wonders of the country. Mr Lemmone applied to the Governor for permission to visit it, and the Minister of the Interior, Sir Joseph Ward, notified us that the Government would be very pleased to have me visit the place and the chief guide of New Zealand, Mr Warbrick, would call on me and make all the necessary arrangements. “Mr Warbrick came to our hotel and to our surprise told us that it was an excursion of at least three days. There was no hotel there, just a cabin, so we had to carry our own food and bedding, which was something of an undertaking. Well, everything was arranged and we were to start at five in the morning. Suddenly at midnight, somebody knocked at the door. It was Mr War-brick to tell us that the excursion was off. He deeply regretted it, but he had just been notified that there had been an earthquake in the vicinity and the waterfall we were to visit had disappeared! “The Maori people were a source of great interest to me. They were brown in colour and very good-looking. They were supposed to have come from Tahiti. (sic) They travelled at least a thousand miles before they established themselves in New Zealand, and they are said to have come in boats made from one log of wood. These Maoris are a fine, handsome people, but the women become perfectly abominable when they are married, for they immediately tattoo their chins horribly—an awful sight. As long as they are girls, they are very pretty to look at, but as married women they are perfectly hideous. “Mr Nelson claimed that they were very intelligent. He said, ‘Ask any Maori about his ancestry, and he will tell you, 32 generations back, the names, not only of those who founded the colony, but of everyone belonging to that tribe. More than that, they will tell you the particulars of everyone, at what age he died, and so forth.’ “I have known several Maoris of exceptionally high education. One was a member of the Cabinet of New Zealand (Sir James Carroll), who received the Duke and Duchess of York during their visit here. He gave an admirable address at their reception, and then took them afterwards to the Rotorua district, of which he was a native. Then, to add to his prowess, he actually took part in a war dance before the royalties and finally, at the grand finale, tried to frighten them by putting his tongue out almost to his navel! Of course, in the dance, he had to wear another and special attire which completely disguised him. After the dance he made a little address in Maori, and created a tremendous impression. Later on at the reception he sat with the royalties at the table, and the Duke of York said, ‘Tell me, who was that wonderful dancer who made such a fine address afterwards, and who danced with his tongue hanging out so long?’ ‘Oh,’ replied the Cabinet member, ‘it was myself. I am a Maori, you know, and a fine dancer.’ “It is to be added that as well as their own Maori language, they all speak English, which they learn at school.”

NO RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN ROTORUA There is no racial discrimination in Rotorua district, according to Mr B. Adam, the man in charge of the Maori apprentices' hostel at Rotorua. “I have never been questioned on the fact that a boy I bring along for a job is a Maori,” said Mr Adam. The hostel warden was speaking at the 23rd annual conference of the Women's Health League, held at the Kearoa Meeting House, Horohoro, recently. “Maori youths are accepted equally with Europeans in the Rotorua area,” added Mr Adam. “People often ring me up and ask me for another boy like the Maori youth they have working for them already. I have had to turn down nine offers of apprenticeship recently because I did not have the boys to fill them. I would appeal to all Maori people to keep their children at a high school for at least two years, three if they can manage it. I know that this is often difficult, but I believe that Maori youth should be trained to take a full part in the development of New Zealand—a task that they are so well fitted to carry out,” he said.

MAORI WELFARE LEAGUE The Dominion President of the Maori Welfare League was the guest of honour at a luncheon in the P.D.C., Palmerston North, some weeks ago, given by the Ngati Pamutana Branch of the League. The President, Mrs E. J. Magee, welcomed Mrs Hirini, the Mayoress, Mrs G. M. Rennie, the patroness, Mrs M. Durie, Aorangi, and members representing Maori groups. In reply to Mrs Magee and Mrs Rennie, Mrs Hirini said that it was an honour and a privilege to be with the group. She had lately been travelling throughout the Ngati Pamutana League's district—Otaki. Tokorangi, and Palmerston North, and the direct contact with the Maori groups would be of valuable assistance to the council. This was, she said, the first time a Dominion President had visited the area and it was her intention to tour the whole of New Zealand. “We must be of one mind,” said Mrs Hirini, “pull the canoe and forge ahead with the work for the betterment of the Maori people. New Zealanders are one people and we must work to that end.”