G.—lp

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" Provided that no lease of any share or interest in land owned by Maoris shall be valid unless there is indorsed thereon the approval of the Board of the terms thereof. " (2.) Such approval shall not be granted unless and until the Board is satisfied— " (a.) That the rent proposed is adequate (where the capital value of the land has been assessed under ' The Government Valuation of Land Act, 1896/ a rent on the basis of not less than five per centum per annum on such capital value shall be deemed adequate): " Provided that the Board may, if it considers such assessment excessive, having regard to any circumstances affecting the land, require that a revaluation of the land be made : " (b.) That the Maori alienating has a papakainga, or sufficient other land for the purposes of a papakainga, or (with the rent payable under such proposed lease) an income sufficient for his support: " (c.) That the proposed lease is for the benefit of the Maori lessor : " (d.) That such lease takes effect in possession and not in reversion. " (3.) No lease of any land owned by Maoris shall be for a term exceeding fifty years, nor for an area exceeding that specified for the respective classes mentioned in section eight.hereof. " (4.) The minute of approval of the Board upon any lease shall have the same force and effect as confirmation of the Native Land Court. " (5.) The provisions of this section shall not apply to lands owned by Maoris in the Middle Island or Stewart Island, or lands vested as Native reserves in the Public Trustee." On the assumption that this section destroyed the original restriction, and set aside or repealed the Act before named—namely, " The Orakei Native Reserve Act, 1882 " —certain leases have been executed by the owners of sections, or lots, or subdivisions. Of these, the Maori Land Board has dealt with them as follows :—

It will be noticed that the said section 16, subsection (d), provided that leases made by virtue of that section took effect in possession and not in reversion. The following leases did not take effect in possession : — Orakei 1a 2, 9 acres, to Thomas Coates; 21 years from 1/6/1920. Orakei If, 23 acres 1 rood, to Thomas Coates; 21 years from 12/8/1919. Orakei 3c, 29 acres and 24 perches, to E. Coates; 27 years from 1/2/1920. Notwithstanding this, one of such leases has been registered under the Land Transfer Act —namely, Orakei 3c, of 29 acres and 24 perches, to Elizabeth Coates, for twenty-seven years from the Ist February, 1920.

Block. Area. Lessee. Approved. Term. 1b.. A. 20 B. P. 0 0 W. R. Holmes 7/1/07 50 years from September, 1906. 42 years from 2/6/05. 42 years from (no date given). (Not signed.) 21 years from 16/11/98. 42 years from 30/3/08. (Not approved ; objection lodged.) 42 years from 2/6/05. 42 „ 2/6/05. 42 „ 30/3/08. (Not approved ; objection lodged.) 42 years from 30/3/08. (Not approved; objection lodged.) 3a Ba West 3f 1 17 23 2 38 0 12 T. Coates John Peach .. 16/2/06 8/10/07 4a 2a 2 37 23 0 24 1 13$ J. Brodrick .. A. Southey Baker 9/5/07 3a and 3a 2 East lc. 14 17 42 0 30 0 0 1 18 T. Coates 23/11/05 15/12/05 2b . A. Southey Baker 1g and 3g .. 46 0 24 ?>