West Coast Native Affairs.

Patea Mail, 4 August 1881, Page 4

West Coast Native Affairs.

REPORT BY SIR W. POX.

The Report on West Coast Native Affairs by Sir William Fox, though not appearing in the Parliamentary Paper which contains the usual annual report from Civil Commissioners or Native Agents, is doubtless intended as the report for the West Coast which under ordinary circumstances would have made out by the Civil Commissioner. The import lately presented to Parliament is a continuation of the reports previously Issued by the Native Commission, now solely represented in (he person of Sir William Fox. It will he recollected that the Commissioner was absent from the district towards the latter end of 1880. On returning in January following, and noting how much of what had been actually performed in the shape of surveying and road making, he concluded in the words of the report “ That difficulties, so far as the Waimate Plains are concerned, appeared to have completely varnished, and if anything more Was wanted to prove that they had, it was found in the successful sale and occupation of the whole of the open lands which followed almost immediately afterwards.”

The Commissioner then mentions that Captain Skeefc was appointed chief surveyor for the West Coast Native district, from which time surveying and other workconnected therewith proceeded with despatch, with the following results : ** The surveys of the whole of the reserves from the Ouri River, including those on the Waimate Plains, have been completed either since I went to the district, or previously, in the course of the sectional surveys under Major Parris, With which they were intermixed, and 'the same applies to a great extent to the external boundaries of the reserves son th of Waingongoro ; but the subdivision of the larger ones and the outside boundaries of some of them require a great deal of work, which, however, is now far advanced. While this has been going on, I have, with the assistance of Major Parris, after an interview with the local Natives, got the names of the individuals of every hapn to which I propose to recommend, or have recommended, separate grants, which being endorsed on or included in the grants, will removes ground of dissatisfaction which has frequently existed elsewhere affecting the subdivision of rents when the lands may he leased to European tenants. There is Still a good deal of this work to be done, but with co-operation of the Natives there is no difficulty in it; and as 1 have had frequent interviews and satisfactory discussions on the subject with every group of Natives concerned between Ouri and Waitotara, I anticipate no impediment to the early completion of the transaction beyond the inevitable delay caused by the execution of surveys where they are necessary. I append a list of grants already issued or recommended by me, or in transition between ■the offices. I held a formal sitting at Opnnaki for the purpose of hearing some special claims there, but more particularly to endeavour to ascertain the feelings of the Natives who are entitled to that block on the subject of its subdivision, and it being Crown-granted

or otherwise technically removed from from the effect of confiscation under the circumstances mentioned in the report of last year. The feeling of those present, including Wiremu Kingi Matakatea, the principal chief of one of the two bapus, was apparently in favor of the survey and subdivision of the district; but a large number of Wiremu Kingi’s relatives being at the time among the prisoners held in custody on account of the recent difficulties on the coast, he expressed a wish that nothing should be done until their return. Judging, however, by his own expressions, and others of the tribe who were present, the prisoners having been now released, the matter will probably be successfully dealt with as soon as I can again visit them.” The Commissioner expresses confidence that there will be no further trouble with- the natives and says “ I will conclude by expressing to your Excellency my entire satisfaction with the progress so far of the work of carrying into effect the principles and recommendations of the reports made by Sir Dillon Bell and myself last year, and my confident belief that what remains to be done will be accomplished by a continuance of patient labor for a not very protracted period. Every successful step facilitates that which.is to follow, and I already see many indications of the satisfactory influences which the work already done has had on the minds of those to whose district I have not yet been able to extend my operations.”