The Queen's Visit

Organisation of the hui at Waitangi and the reception to the Queen there was partly the responsibility of the New Zealand Maori Council, with the Tokerau District Council doing most of the work connected with the camp for visitors. The Council has expressed its gratitude for the work done by all those who made this such a successful occasion.

The Treaty of Waitangi

The President of the New Zealand Council, Sir Turi Carroll, was given warm support by the crowd for the importance he laid on the Treaty of Waitangi in his speech to the Queen. Consequently, the Queen's reply in which she mentioned the sacred nature of the pact between the Crown and the Maori people, was received with delight.

The Council is making every effort to see that the recognition given to Maori rights by the Treaty is maintained and strengthened in today's world.

Statutes and Legislation

It is not proposed to press the Government to write the Treaty into the country's statutes. To do so would raise all sorts of questions regarding title to land and other matters that would benefit no one but the lawyers who would have to be paid to straighten out the answers.

Present-day statutes provide a sufficiently large field in which the Council can exercise its function of protecting Maori rights. New legislation is being constantly checked to ensure that the Maori point of view is adequately considered. The Council is being helped in this by the Maori members of Parliament.

Meeting at Ngaruawahia

One of the purposes of having its most recent meeting at Ngaruawahia was to make sure the point of view of the ordinary Maori is not overlooked by the Council. It is plain that this type of meeting is going to be of great value and another is planned for Rotorua towards the end of the year. The people of Ngaruawahia showed the Council tremendous hospitality and it is hoped that the chance to meet the Council may have given them the feeling that they stand to benefit from the work it is doing for all Maoris.

Council's Work

The New Zealand Maori Council has not been formed for the good of the 24 members who represent the eight District Councils throughout New Zealand. Indeed, the members have had to sacrifice a great deal of time and work to the Council, for the benefit of every Maori in the country. One thing that they are most anxious to do is to make sure that you, the ordinary Maori reader of ‘Te Ao Hou’, know what the Council is doing and that you may feel that you can come to the Council, through your Committee, Executive and Dis-

trict Council for help in solving your own problems.

Elections next year

Under the new Maori Welfare Act, all Maori Committees (they used to be called Tribal Committees) will come up for re-election next year on the last Saturday in February. To be on the New Zealand Council a member must first be elected to his local Committee and then selected to go on to his Executive, the District Council and finally the New Zealand Council. This means that you govern the Council because you elect the Committee members from whom the Council is chosen.

How the Council affects you

The Council is dealing with very many matters, such as the effects of the Town and Country Planning Act on rural Maori housing, the protection of Urupa from desecration, the conservation of sea-foods, the law affecting Maori land. If you are on your local Maori Committee you will soon see some of the results coming through to you in the form of data papers and newsletters that will tell you in detail what is being done and that will ask for your views to be carried forward by your delegates to your Executive. The Council is out to win your support by doing what you want it to do and by being your mouth-piece in all matters that affect our well-being.

More than £1,800 has so far been given to relief funds for injured victims and dependants of the victims of the Brynderwyn Hills bus disaster, in which 15 Maori people were killed on their way home from the reception to the Queen at Waitangi.

At Onehunga £607 has been collected for the family of Mr Peter Tapene, who was a borough councillor. At Helensville, a fund organised by the Lions Club stands at £400. Lions Clubs throughout the country have been sending in cheques to this fund. In Whangarei £383/12/10 has come forward, and in Auckland a concert realised about £370, including a donation of £24 from the Auckland branch of the Women's Welfare League. Further Auckland donations should be sent to Mr P. B. Taua, Secretary of the Auckland District Council, care of the Department of Maori Affairs.