G-. —ii.

1908. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LANDS AND NATIVE-LAND TENURE: REPORT OF NATIVE LAND COMMISSION ON LEASE OF WAIMARAMA BLOCK 3a, HAWKE'S BAY.

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

Napier, Bth February, 1908. To His Excellency the Governor. May it please Your Excellency,— We have the honour to state that by section 46 of " The Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act, 1907," we, as Commissioners, were appointed to more accurately define the area of land which should be leased to Gertrude Ellen Meinertzhagen in Waimarama Block 3a in Hawke's Bay. In pursuance of this authority we held a sitting at the Courthouse, Napier, on the 7th and Bth February, and heard Miss Meinertzhagen and counsel and agent for the Native owners in Block No. 3a and its subdivisions. We found that the points in difference between the parties were few. There were three points— (1.) Should the lessors have reserved to them the wool-shed, sheep-dip, and sheep-paddocks, or should the lessee have these ? (2.) Where should the northeast boundary be as between the Native lessors and the lessee ? (3.) Should the lessee have any part of the land in the north in Block 3a No. 5 granted to two lessors—Pani Karauria and Tv Tiakitai—and Airini Tonore and Iraia Karauria, non-lessors ? (1.) The first point in difference was between those who signed the leases and Miss Meinertzhagen alone. We have already, in our report dated the 19th March, 1907, referred to by Parliament in the statute we have quoted, stated that in our opinion the lessee should have included in her lease the wool-shed, sheeppaddocks, and dip, and we see no reason to vary the opinion there expressed. As we have stated, however, we are of opinion that the lessors should have the proper use (which we will hereafter define) of the wool-shed' sheep-paddock, and dip, and access from their land to them and to the sea. We are also of opinion that the lessors should have 60 acres the western part of cow-paddock, as approximately marked by us on the plan " A " in red. (2.) The second point was not strongly contested, and the parties, once the first point was settled, would really have agreed to the boundaries we now fix. The boundary will be as marked by the red line on the plan. Starting from the western end of the cow-paddock, the road-line will form the boundary until the second crossing of the Pouhokio Stream is reached at the point "B." The stream will then form the boundary until a point marked "A" on the plan is reached. Then the line will swing in a westerly direction to the boundary-line (see line marked " swinging-line " on the plan) so as to include 5,000 acres.