NATIVE LANDS AND NATIVE-LAND TENURE: FURTHER REPORT OF NATIVE LAND COMMISSION, DEALING WITH NATIVE LANDS IN THE WAIMARAMA ESTATE.

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

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1908. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LANDS AND NATIVE-LAND TENURE: FURTHER REPORT OF NATIVE LAND COMMISSION, DEALING WITH NATIVE LANDS IN THE WAIMARAMA ESTATE.

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

Native Land Commission, Te Kuiti, 3rd March, 1908. May it please Youb Excellency,— We have the honour to forward a further report dealing with portions of the Waimarama Estate, consisting of Waimarama, Waipuka, and Okaihau Blocks. We recommend that the following lands be reserved for the use and occupation of the Maori owners, and brought under Part II of " The Native Land Settlement Act, 1907 " :— Acres. Waipuka 3b No. 1 .... .... .... .... 2,729 „ 3b No. 2 .... .... .... .... 50 3a No. 1 .... .... .... .... 668 3a No. 2 .... ... .... .... 300 3a No. 3 .... .... ... .... 190 3a No. 4 .... ... .... .... 968 3d .... .... .... .... 1,378 And the balance of Waimarama 3a No. 6 after the portion to be leased to Miss Meinertzhagen has been cut off. In respect of Waipuka 3c No. 2, the area of which is 2,686 acres, one of the owners, Mrs. Donnelly, desires to exchange 250 acres of her interest, which amounts to 741 acres, for Okaihau No. 2f (250 acres), the property of Pukepuke Tangiora. The latter does not wish to retain Okaihau 2f, which is remote from her other lands, and is anxious to make the exchange referred to. We do not see any reason why the proposed exchange should not be given effect to. The question of the Crown acquiring by exchange the remainder of Mrs. Donnelly's interest in this block with the object of joining the lands owned by the Crown in Waipuka 3c No. 1 to 3a No. 5 is, we are informed, under negotiation with the Lands Department. The wishes of the other owners of Waipuka 3c No. 2 have yet to be ascertained. As to Waipuka No. 3d, we are informed that the owners would not be averse to the Crown acquiring the western end by exchange, to join the Crown interests in Okaihau and Waipuka, but they do not wish to sell. There are other blocks which belong to Mrs. Donnelly and her family namely, Tv Tiakitai, Iraia Karauria, and Pani Karauria. These are— Acres. Waipuka No. Iα .... ... .... .... 486 Okaihau No.3a .... .... .... .... 791 Waimarama 3a No. 5 .... .... .... .... 6,090 7,367

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The owners of these blocks desire to be empowered to sell certain portions and to lease other portions, both by public auction, without the intervention of the Maori Land Board. So far as leasing is concerned, there is ample power under existing legislation for the owners to deal with the land in the manner they propose. As to selling, we take it that an Order in Council will be required to remove the statutory restriction, and if it were within our province we should have been prepared to support the application for removal of restriction. The owners are quite competent to dispose of this area in the interests of settlement. The extent and locality of the lands to be disposed of are not yet decided on, and the area to be retained for the occupation owners cannot at present be ascertained. Mrs. Donnelly holds in severalty other subdivisions, namely : — Acres. Okaihau Iβ .... .... .... .... .... 122^ Waimarama 2a .... .... .... .... .... 50f Waimarama 3a No. 3b .... .... .... .... 685 The two former she desires to retain, and she is willing to dispose of the latter to the Grown by exchange. We recommend that. Okaihau Iβ and Waimarama 2a be reserved for Maori occupation. We may point out that the areas here given and the location of the various subdivisions are subject to variation in accordance with the orders of the Native Appellate Court, which we have not yet seen. We have the honour to be, Your Excellency's obedient servants, Robert Stout, A. T. Ngata, Commissioners.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation not given; printing (1,500 copies), £1 2s. 6d.

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