? The Adult Education Centre in Auckland is holding a Leadership Conference at Auckland University on July 12, 13, and 14. The four speakers, who will present papers dealing with different aspects of Maori life in the city, will be Mr A. Awatere, district Maori Welfare Officer; Mr W. Karaka, a trade union official; Mr R. Oppenheim, a teacher; and Mr H. D. B. Dansey, Auckland Star Maori affairs expert. ? An interesting fact about Maoris and alcohol has been turned up by the National Society of Alcoholism. It is hardly news that, as the Society remarks, ‘there is a very grave national problem of excessive drinking among Maori people, particularly the young ones’. But, the Society adds, it has discovered that in spite of this, there are few Maoris who are alcoholics: in this respect, the Maori people present no problem. One of the main reasons for this, they say, is that ‘while admitting to the full that the Maori people suffer from tensions, they are not the same tensions that afflict the European’. ? One of America's largest show-business agencies is arranging to tour a troupe of Maori entertainers through the United States in 1964. Mr Harry M. Miller, a New Zealand entrepreneur, said recently that it would include appearances on network television, and that the troupe might also entertain at the World's Fair in New York. ‘This could be one of the greatest opportunities New Zealand has had to publicize this country in the United States,’ he said. The party's repertoire would include poi dancing, hakas, action songs and stick games. He envisaged a troupe of about 30. He had already been scouting for possible talent through Mr John Waititi, Maori educationalist and lecturer. Mr Miller said he had not previously known such awareness of New Zealand as existed now in the United States. People were talking about Peter Snell and Bob Charles, and a travel film on New Zealand was showing in conjunction with the new Hitchcock film ‘The Birds’. ? We have been asked to mention a playwriting competition which is being held to commemorate the Centennial of the City of Hamilton. Entrants must be New Zealanders by birth, naturalisation or citizenship, and all plays entered must have a playing time of not less than 90 minutes or more than 120 minutes. Play can have two or more acts. A prize of £100 for the winning play is offered by Messrs Plastic Products Ltd. of Hamilton, and the play will be performed by the Hamilton Playbox Repertory Society. Closing date for entries is 1 December 1963, and the organisers hope very much that there will be some Maoris among the entrants. Entry forms are obtainable from the Hamilton Playbox Society. Box 116. Hamilton. Last November in Perth, in Western Australia, there was held an international sports meeting of a new kind, known as the Paraplegic Empire Games. It was specially organised for sportsmen who suffer from physical handicaps. One of the athletes who won honours at Perth was a Maori, Mr Pompey Heremia. Pompey, who is at the Civilian Rehabilitation Centre at Otara, Auckland, won a gold medal in the javelin throw, and very narrowly missed a further medal when he finished a close fifth in the Lightweight Lifting Competition.