G.—7

5

11. FINAL REPORT. To His Excellency the Right Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Youe Excellency. In continuance of my report of the 7th June instant, in which it was stated that the claims made by the people of the Ngatimutunga Hapu residing at the Chatham Islands did not contain sufficient information to enable the question to be dealt with at the first sitting of the Commission of Inquiry held at New Plymouth in May last, and that the matter had been referred back to Mr. Shand, licensed interpreter at the Chatham Islands, to obtain further particulars from the Natives interested, I have now the honour to inform you that on the 24th instant I received from Mr. Shand a letter dated the 15th June and a list of names, grouped in families. It was, however, necessary for me to proceed to New Plymouth in order to check the new claims by the records of previous awards and transactions. I have now investigated all the claims forwarded on behalf of the Chatham Islands people, and beg to report to Your Excellency that some of the applicants were debarred in consequence of their previous participation in awards of the Compensation Court, or being placed in the West Coast Settlement Reserves. I, however, found that twenty-six persons were entitled to interests in the lands promised by the Hon. J. C. Richmond. The total area required to satisfy these people amounts to 176 acres, equivalent to eleven full shares of 16 acres each. I therefore most respectfully beg to recommend Your Excellency to award the above area to the persons the names of whom appear in the schedule hereunto attached. A Native named Tutu te Hihi was the only person residing at Parihaka who advanced a claim, and I would most respectfully beg to recommend that an award of 16 acres should be made in his favour. I enclose herewith Mr. Shand's letter and list of names, together with his statutory declaration of the correctness of the information supplied by him. During this inquiry I have been very much impressed with the large families of half- and three-quarter-caste children which have been reared by the Ngatimutunga Hapu both in the Taranaki District and Chatham Islands. There are three generations now living. Of these the Dix family number 60 souls, the Retiti 39, the Kawhe 62, the Ngamate 47, and the Shearer 56 respectively— a total of 264 persons. From information received some of them are inadequately provided with land for their requirements. These last remarks scarcely come within the scope of my Commission, but the parents requested me to draw Your Excellency's attention to the fact, which is my apology for so doing. All of which is with great respect submitted to Your Excellency. James Mackay, New Plymouth, 30th June, 1905. Commissioner, Ngatimutunga Inquiry.

Area SCHEDULE. recommended. Acres. Tutu te Hihi (of Parihaka) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 Wiremu Dix, Makarini Dix, Ihipera Dix, Manuera Dix, Hana Dix, Marana Dix, Pohe Dix, Ema Dix, Wehe Dix (daughter of Retimana Dix, deceased), (as successors to the interest of Ngahiri Pauhuru, in equal shares) ... ... ... ... 16 Reriti ••■ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 NgaTau ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 Reta Pamariki, Kuramonehu (successors to Wikitoria Patea, in equal shares) ... 8 Tamihana Patea (successor to Rutu Patea) ... ... ... ... ... 8 Rihia Kawhe, Hariata Kawhe, Apia Kawhe, Peti Kawhe (successors to Wikitoria Kawhe, in equal shares) ... . . ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 Maikara Ngamate, Temihana Ngamate, Te Wari Ngamate, Reta Ngamate, Tuaki Ngamate, Retimona Ngamate (successors to Ngamate, in equal shares) ... ... 16 Rihania, Riaki to Wharepa (successors to Wharepa, in equal shares) ... ... 16 Tipuna Uia (successor to Toenga) ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 Himiona ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 Ngaki, Unaiki, Remihana, Tapae (successors to Tapae, in equal shares) ... ... 16 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 176 29th June, 1905. James Mackay, Commissioner.