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1949 NEW ZEALAND

MAORI PURPOSES FUND BOARD ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1949

Presented to Both Houses of the General Assembly Pursuant to Section 14 of the Maori Purposes Fund Act, 1934-35

GENERAL The annual meeting of the Board was held on the 23rd September, 1949. 'On his retirement from the position of Under-Secretary of the Department of Maori Affairs in September, 1948, Mr. Gr. P. Shepherd ceased to be a member of the Board, and it is desired to record the Board's appreciation of the keen interest taken by Mr. Shepherd in the operations during his term of office. His place has been filled by Mr. T. T. Ropiha, now Under-Secretary for Maori Affairs, in accordance with section 7 of the Maori Purposes Fund Act, 1934-35. OPERATIONS Education. —A grant of £750 was again made to the Education Department to be used for assisting promising Maori students in furthering their studies at secondary schools and University. In expending this grant the Department of Education takes into account the financial circumstances of the parents and endeavours to assist those students who, by reason of remoteness from schools or other causes, might otherwise be unable to continue with post-primary studies. During the past year thirty-three students have been assisted to attend secondary schools and two others have received grants to help with University courses. A grant of £2OO was made to enable Miss Miraka Petricevich to take up a Pacific Fellowship which had been awarded to her by the American Association of University Women. The fellowship provided for a post-graduate course of one year in social science at the University of' Hawaii, and the Board's grant was made to assist Miss Petricevich with expenses not covered by the fellowship. The Board congratulated Miss Petricevich in the distinction she has earned for herself and for the Maori people. Publications— Sir Peter Buck's " Coming of the Maori " is now about to be released, and the Board is confident that it will be enthusiastically received by the public. The book presents in a most attractive and readable form a summary of our knowledge of Maori tradition, mythology, and material culture, and it is appropriate that it should be a member of the Maori race who has carried out this extremely important work.