G.—l

SESS. 11.—1897. NEW ZEALAND.

LANDLESS NATIVES IN THE SOUTH ISLAND (REPORT RELATIVE TO SETTING APART LAND FOR).

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

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 14th June, 1897. We have the honour to submit an interim report relative to the setting-apart of land for landless Natives in the South Island ; but, before detailing the work performed in connection therewith, it appears advisable to furnish a brief retrospect of the causes which led to the necessity for setting apart land for the aforesaid purpose. In consequence of the numerous petitions received from the Natives in the South Island relative to the non-fulfilment of promises made them at the cession of their land to the Crown— that additional land sufficient for their future wants should be set apart for them—several inquiries were held under Eoyal Commission for the purpose of ascertaining their actual requirements. A Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament was also appointed in 1888, and again in 1889 and 1890, to report on the Middle Island Native claims. These several inquiries eventually resulted in the setting-apart of the under-mentioned areas of land, to provide for the persons found to be landless, or insufficiently provided for at that date, subsequently augmented by 19,721 acres to meet the requirements of other persons not included in the earlier enumerations :— Land originally set apart. Acres. Acres. Marlborough ... ... ... ... ... 6,111 Waiau, Southland ... ... ... ... ... 60,110 Stewart Island ... ... ... ... ... ... 9,184 Tautuku, Otago and Southland ... ... ... ... 11,819 Wanaka ... ... ... ... . . ... 2,980 Westland ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,764 85,857 91,968 Augmented area ... ... ... ... ... ... 19,721 111,689 The following allocations have been made up to date, viz. : — Acres. At Tautuku, in favour of 370 persons ... ... ... 12,371 At Stewart Island, „ 239" „ ... ... ... 8,725 At Marlborough, „ 375 ... ... ... 12,914 At Westland, „ 129 „ ... ... ... 3,660 At Heaphy Eiver, „ 38 „ ... ... ... 1,600 1,151 „ ... ... ... 39,270 The number of persons whose claims have been considered up to date comprises 3,483, of whom 1,151 persons have been located, leaving 2,332 yet to be dealt with. These persons have been grouped into families to facilitate their location so soon as the surveys at Waiau and Wanaka are sufficiently advanced to admit of this being done; and it will not therefore occupy long to perform this duty as soon as matters are otherwise in readiness. In addition to the claims referred to in the preceding paragraph, there are about 460 persons in the Kaikoura and Marlborough districts whose position will have to. be considered, as many of the number, it is alleged, have no land, and others are insufficiently provided for. An additional area will therefore be required to meet their wants if the same concessions are to be made in their favour. A great deal of difficulty exists in providing for these claims in the Marlborough District, and the question arises where it will be possible to locate them-.