posals is to increase the value of these uneconomic interests to £25, which would mean that there would be less fragmentation of land titles, but more people would be cut out without receiving any compensation. As the law stands at present it is necessary for the Judge of the Maori Land Court to apply the £10 rule if he has any doubts about a particular case. The Department's second suggestion is to make it mandatory for the Judge to apply the rule whatever his doubts. Maori Committees throughout the country are being asked to say whether they are for or against these two proposals.

A Change in Secretary For many years Norman (Mana) Perry has worked for the well-being of the Maori people and he has always been a strong supporter of the Tribal Committees and Executives. With Major Vercoe and others in the Wai-Ariki District he was instrumental in having District Councils re-formed and in getting the Government to agree to the establishment of the New Zealand Maori Council. With a great many other activities connected with his church work and his business keeping him busy, Mr Perry found it necessary to let go of part of his burden and he has therefore given up the Secretaryship of the Council. Fortunately he will always be available as a consultant and adviser. The position of Secretary has been taken over by the writer who, before this, had been Associate Secretary of the Council.

Changes in the Maori Welfare Act The Maori Welfare Act, under which the New Zealand Maori Council has been set up, was passed last year with some sections changed from what the Council had approved. As the Minister had stated in Parliament that the Act had the support of the Council he has agreed to make the alterations that will bring it into line with the Council's wishes. The most important changes are that Maori Committees will be given authority over the work of Wardens, that the number of members on a Committee may be increased to more than seven, and that a person may be elected to a Committee in the place where his home marae is, even if he lives some distance away.

New Committees to be Elected The Maori Welfare Act lays it down that all Maori Committees (those that used to be called Tribal Committees) will be re-elected on the same day, the last Saturday in February in every third year. The first such election will be held next year on February 29th. During March each Maori Committee must choose its delegates to its Executive Committee. In April the Executive chooses delegates to the District Council, and in May each District Council selects its three representatives to sit on the New Zealand Council. The Council is hoping that next February will see a lot of interest in the work of the Maori Committees, and that plenty of good men and women will be elected to the Committees and sent on to represent their people on the Executives, the District Councils, and on the New Zealand Council. Te Awamutu Courier Photo Miss Kiri Te Kanawa, a talented Auckland soprano, has recently been having a great many successes in competition events. She took nine first places in the recent Te Awamutu competitions, and in the two classes she entered in Auckland she took one first prize and one ‘highly commended’. She is also joint winner of the Cambridge Scholarship, and took second place (winning a prize of £100) in this year's Mobil Song Quest. Kiri, who is 19 years old, is a full-time music student at St. Mary's College. Her spare-time studies include drama and Maori.