NATIVE LANDS AND NATIVE-LAND TENURE: INTERIM REPORT OF NATIVE LAND COMMISSION, ON NATIVE LAND KNOWN AS PAKOWHAI RESERVE, HAWKE'S BAY.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1908 Session I, G-01l

G.—lL.

1908. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LANDS AND NATIVE-LAND TENURE: INTERIM REPORT OF NATIVE LAND COMMISSION, ON NATIVE LAND KNOWN AS PAKOWHAI RESERVE, HAWKE'S BAY.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Native Land Commission Rotorua, 11th June, 1908. To His Excellency the Governor. May it please Your Excellency,— We have the honour to submit for your consideration the following report on a parcel of land in Hawke's Bay, known as Pakowhai Reserve. The area is 130 acres, and the reserve is situated on the north of the Ngaruroro River. By section 14 of " The Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act, 1906," it is provided that " the Governor may, by Order in Council, confer upon the Court, or upon any person or persons named in such Order, all powers and jurisdiction necessary or expedient to enable the Court or such person or persons to carry out and give effect to any agreement or arrangement made by and among the plaintiffs in the action or suit No. 818 in the Supreme Court of New Zealand, Wellington District, holden at Napier, for ascertaining and determining the names of the owners of, or persons entitled to, and the relative share or interest of each of them in, that parcel of land situate in the Provincial District of Hawke's Bay, known as Pakowhai, or such part of the said parcel of land as is now vested in the Venerable Archdeacon Williams, of Te Aute, on behalf of such plaintiffs and other aboriginal Natives of New Zealand." In pursuance of this section the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court and Mr. J. N. Williams were appointed to make the necessary inquiry. The inquiry was held at Hastings in September, 1907, and an order made dated the 22nd day of October, 1907, determining the persons entitled (seven) and their relative interests. The Commission of Inquiry, we understand, had no power to put restrictions on the title. The circumstances surrounding this reserve justify, in our opinion, the absolute restriction of it from alienation in any form. It is the remnant of a most valuable estate that seems to have been mismanaged and squandered. The persons now found entitled have very little other land. We accordingly recommend that this land be brought under the provisions of section 54 of " The Native Land Settlement Act. 1907." We have the honour to be Your Excellency's obedient servants, Robert Stout, A. T. Ngata, Commissioners.

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