5

G.—3a

means of getting the country settled. In regard to Rangitoto Tuhua No. 61 Block, I have been unable to persuade the owners to sell, except in one or two subdivisions. They ask a higher figure than 10s. per acre. On receipt of your memo, re these blocks I made a further effort to acquire them, but so far without effect. No doubt they will sell in the course of a little time ;it only makes matters worse to show any great desire to buy. In Rangitoto Tuhua No. 21 (Ngairo) Block, I have acquired a good many interests. This block will be a valuable asset when all acquired. It is all good timber land, so also the 3,000 acres adjoining, called Rangitoto Tuhua No. 51, cut off for survey costs and other expenses, which has been wholly acquired, the Chief Surveyor being one of the parties to sale. These two blocks at 7s. 6d. per acre are cheap, and if the Government put them into the market the timber alone would bring in a splendid profit, but I would not advise such a step until all or nearly all the Native owners have been bought out, and no private dealings by Europeans from now should be allowed for timber or otherwise. Some owners are holding out from selling, thinking that they may get better terms from private sources. Several of the Rangitoto Tuhua blocks situated in the Tuhua Survey District have been offered me by the owners, but as they are not very suitable for settlement, except perhaps in very large areas, the soil being of a pumice nature and therefore poor, besides being rough, and also in compliance with your recent memo, to curtail entering into fresh purchases, &c, as funds were now pretty well appropriated, I have refrained from buying in them. As to other Rangitoto Tuhua blocks in which I have been buying, and situated to the south-east of Otorohanga, and east of Te Kuiti, all comprise good country for farming purposes, and every effort should be made to acquire as much land in that locality as possible, especially as same can be easily roaded, and is in proximity of the railway-line. I have, &c, W. H. Grace, Native Land Purchase Officer. Wm. C. Kensington, Esq., Under-Secretary for Lands, Wellington.

Purchases and Negotiations by Mr. W. H. Grace. Area. Area. A. R. P. A. R. P. Te Akau (part), .. .. .. 11,000 0 0 Kinohaku East No. 3a, Section 2 .. 296 0 0 Rangitoto Tuhua 3d (Taraunui) .. 620 0 0 ~ No. 2, Section 25b .. 588 0 0 „ 21 .. .. .. 7,157 0 0 Kinohaku West N. No. 2 .. .. 304 0 0 24 .. .. .. 976 0 0 „ No. 12, Section 1b .. 389 0 0 26p .. .. .. 6,634 2 0 Pukenui No. 2z . . .. .. 312 0 0 29c No. 1 .. 63 0 36 „ No. 21, Section 2 .. . . 1,068 0 0 32b .. .. .. 1,304 3 0 Mangauika No. 3 .. .. .. 100 0 0 37 .. .. .. 5,527 0 0 „ No. 1b No. 2, Section 2 .. 992 2 0 57a.. .. .. 6,772 0 0 Kakepuku 3a, Section 2 .. .. 60 0 0 68 (Whatitokarua) .. 21,100 0 0 ~ 4a .. .. .. 72 0 0 60a (Pukepoto) .. 2,506 0 0 „ 4d .. .. .. 471 0 0 60c (Pukepoto) .. 2,382 0 0 „ 5c .. . . .. 160 0 0 61b (Puhanga) .. 1,500 0 0 „ 5d No. 1 .. .. .. 20 0 0 61d (Puhanga) .. 2,820 0 0 „ 6a . . .. .. 60 010 72 .. .. .. 18,837 0 0 Hurakiaß.. .. .. .. 1,895 0 0 77 A 2 .. .. 20,815 2 0 Tokanui No. I . . .. .. 1,366 3 14 77c-.. .. .. 3,676 2 0 No. 1a .. .. .. 290 0 0 77 F2 .. .. 785 0 0 Tokanui C No. 1 .. .. .. 421 3 38 77 F3 .. .. 1,060 0 0 „ No. 2 .. .. .. 180 2 39 61m.. .. .. 80 0 0 „ No. 12 .. .. .. 418 2 36 62 .. .. .. 3,000 0 0 „ No. 14 .. .. 346 128 25, Section 1a .. 701 0 0 „ No. 15 .. .. 376 2 8 25, Section 2.. .. 1,779 0 0 „ No. 16 .. .. 308 3 4 25, Section 3.. .. 1,079 0 0 „ No. 17 .. .. 120 1 39 25, Section 4.. .. 431 0 0 „ No. 19 .. .. .. 180 2 39 25, Section 5.. .. 4,503 0 0 „ No. 20 .. .. 502 0 11 60d .. .. 1,980 0 0 „ No. 21 .. .. 1,284 2 20 60f .. .. 627 0 0 Pirongia West 3b, Section 2b .. .. 271 0 0 Rangitoto A No. 6 .. .. 759 0 0 Otorohanga 2b No. 2 . . .. .. 183 2 16 No. 8 .. .. .. 1,328 0 0 2c No. 2 .. .. .. 259 1 24 No. 9 .. .. .. 284 0 0 „ No. 4 .. .. 1,677 0 0 No. 10 . . .. .. 71 I 0 0 Taumatatotara No. 1b .. .. 407 0 0 No. 12 .. .. .. 320 0 0 „ No. 2 .. .. .. 310 0 0 No. 31 .. .. .. 1,422 0 0 „ No. 4 .. .. .. 500 0 0 No. 32 .. .. .. 1,154 0 0 Kapua No. lo .. .. .. 225 0 0 No. 34 .. .. .. 901 0 0 i „ No. In .. .. .. 50 0 0 No. 37 .. .. .. 2,276 0 0: „ No. Is, Section 2b ..' .. 1,610 0 0 No. 46 .. .. .. 3,936 0 0 i Hauturu West F No. 2. Section 2 . . 400 0 0 No. 27 .. .. .. 4,073 0 0 Parihoro 1b .. .. .. 280 323 No. 25 . . .. .. 842 0 0 Waiwhakaata 3c .. . . .. 328 220 No. 36 .. .. .. 4,458 0 0 Pehitawa No. 2 .. . . .. 2,056 0 0 No. 50 .. .. .. 1,233 0 0 Maungarangi 2b .. .. .. 231 1 13 No. 51 .. .. .. 569 0 0 Korakonui .. .. .. .. 2,000 0 0 No. 56 .. .. .. 1,326 0 0 Taharoa A .. .. .. 16,188 0 0 No. 58 .. .. .. 652 0 0 „ B No. 1b .. .. .. 1,240 0 0 No. 60 (part) .. .. 1,700 0 0 Maraeroa A, Section 3 .. .. 5,873 0 0 No. 60 (part) .. ..' 1,381 0 0 „ B, Section 2 .. .. 4,476 0 0 No. 61 (Pukepoto) .. 364 0 0 Te Kuiti No. 2b No. 18 .. .. 433 2 0 No. 65 .. .. .. 344 0 0 „ No. 66 .. .. .. 568 0 0 Total .. .. .. 212,125 238 Kinohaku East No. 2, Section 1 .. 222 1 20