G—l

2

The owners of these blocks desire to be empowered to sell certain portions and to lease other portions, both by public auction, without the intervention of the Maori Land Board. So far as leasing is concerned, there is ample power under existing legislation for the owners to deal with the land in the manner they propose. As to selling, we take it that an Order in Council will be required to remove the statutory restriction, and if it were within our province we should have been prepared to support the application for removal of restriction. The owners are quite competent to dispose of this area in the interests of settlement. The extent and locality of the lands to be disposed of are not yet decided on, and the area to be retained for the occupation owners cannot at present be ascertained. Mrs. Donnelly holds in severalty other subdivisions, namely : — Acres. Okaihau Iβ .... .... .... .... .... 122^ Waimarama 2a .... .... .... .... .... 50f Waimarama 3a No. 3b .... .... .... .... 685 The two former she desires to retain, and she is willing to dispose of the latter to the Grown by exchange. We recommend that. Okaihau Iβ and Waimarama 2a be reserved for Maori occupation. We may point out that the areas here given and the location of the various subdivisions are subject to variation in accordance with the orders of the Native Appellate Court, which we have not yet seen. We have the honour to be, Your Excellency's obedient servants, Robert Stout, A. T. Ngata, Commissioners.

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