G.—l

12

(3.) Tutaekuri No. 1. Area, 12,552 acres. This land is now held under partition orders dated 11th April, 1906. As in the case of Mohaka, the orders require surveys to complete them. An appeal is pending against the partition, but the appellant (Ihipera Tamihana, nee Te Kore) has expressed a wish to withdraw it. Our recommendations in respect of this block are set forth in the attached schedule, and are summarised as follows: (1) To be reserved as papakaingas, portions being subject to further adjustment, 690 acres ; (2) to be used as family farms, 2,993 acres; (3) to be leased to Maoris, 7,088 acres 2 roods; (4) area leased to Europeans and awaiting the approval of the Board, 1,780 acres 2 roods: total, 12,552 acres. Of the area, 7,088 acres, proposed to be leased to Maoris, the specified Maori tenants own 2,769 acres, leaving 4,319 acres on which they would be liable to pay rent. (4.) Tutuotekaha Block. This block was originally investigated by Judge Munro in September, 1868, and certificates of title ordered to be issued under the Native Land Acts, 1865 and 1867, as follows : — Tutuotekaha No. 1 .. .. 3,440 acres, to 10 owners. 2 .. .. 2,670 „ „10 „ 3 .. .. 2,865 „ „ 10 „ 4 .. .. 1,085 „ „ 8 „ No trust was expressed in any of these cases. It appears that No. 3 was subsequently sold, and the title is now vested in Europeans. As to No. 2, application was made under " The Equitable Owners Act, 1886," and by order dated 27th February, 1889 (Judge Wilson), a trust was declared. The list of beneficiaries put into the title was 223, sixty-seven being awarded 267 acres in equal shares, 156 receiving 2,403 acres in equal shares. On the 12th February, 1890, the Chief Judge made an order under section 12 of " The Native Land Court Act, 1889," declaring Judge Wilson's orders of 1889 to be of no force and effect, and directing that same be not issued. Next, by Order in Council dated 6th March, 1895, jurisdiction was conferred on the Native Land Court under section 14, subsection (10), of " The Native Land Court Act, 1894," in respect of this block. The Court exercised this jurisdiction and made an order (23rd July, 1896) in favour of 222 beneficiaries. The final stage of this lengthy litigation was an order of the Native Appellate Court, dated 28th October, 1896, whereby the order of the 23rd July, 1896, was suspended, and the order originally made by Judge Wilson under the Equitable Owners Act was affirmed; so that after seven years' delay and expensive litigation the original order was restored. In the interval between 1889 and 1906, the ranks of the beneficiaries had lost by death fourteen, and gained by succession orders sixty-five, the net gain being fifty-one. In 1890 No. 1 was subdivided as follows : No. la, 777 acres 1 rood, representing interests sold to Europeans ; No. Ib, 2,331 acres 3 roods, remaining to Natives (the total area of No. 1 showing a variation of over 300 acres on survey). No. 1b was further subdivided on 25th October, 1894, the subdivision not having been surveyed. No. 4 has not been partitioned, and is held under the original certificate of title. Our recommendations in respect of this block (set forth in detail in the schedule hereto) are summarised as follows': (1) To be reserved as papakaingas, 100 acres ; (2) to be used as farms by individual owners or families, 1,243 acres ; (3) to be leased to Maori tenants as specified, 2,123 acres; (4) to be leased to the highest bidder, 2,620 acres. Of the area, 2,123 acres, to be leased to Maoris, the specified tenants own 500 acres. (5.) Nuhaka No. 2 Subdivisions. Area, 15,500 acres 3 roods 23 perches. The detailed history of this block will be given in our general report. Owing to the absence of the owners of some of the subdivisions of this block, whose ideas we could not therefore ascertain, we thought