Mr and Mrs Bill Proctor, of Pukekohe. Mr Proctor is one of the people who have done much to improve race relations in Pukekohe, and recently became the first Maori to be elected to the Pukekohe Borough Council. Which Way Are The Winds Blowing? by B. Kernot I suppose there were many more likely places where one would expect to find Maoris on the borough council than Pukekohe, the market-gardening centre near Auckland. For twenty-five years or more we have become accustomed to hearing unpleasant reports which generally reflected poor understanding between the various races living in the district, but particularly between Maoris and Pakehas. Yet in the elections of November last the people elected their first ever Maori borough councillor, Mr Bill Proctor, in a keenly fought election.

Better Understanding Successful gardeners on the Hill will tell you good crops don't just happen—the soil must be well prepared in advance. And better understanding between the people is being cultivated, apparently with good results. For more than a year before the elections I was living in Pukekohe, and I took a long, hard look at the situation. Part of the time I lived with Bill and his most hospitable family, where the distinction between boarder and guest scarcely exists, and I was well placed to observe the Maori life about me. Add to that my membership in the tribal committee and my teaching at the Maori School, and you probably feel that my observations were biased. You may be right. Anyway the following is a summary of my observations and impressions as a visitor to the town.

Two Worlds My first impression was also the most striking and lasting. As a newcomer I found board with a European family and went daily to the school and attended Maori gatherings. I found myself living in two scarcely compatible worlds. Passing from one to the other was like passing through a heavy door that closed firmly behind, cutting me off entirely from the other world. Europeans were curious to know what was going on among the Maoris, while Maoris, though always courteous, were somewhat reticent, perhaps suspicious, because my private life was entirely unknown to them. Such a state of affairs is not surprising when we remember that not so many years ago Maoris were confined to the gardens for employment and accommodation, and contact be-