G.—lq

3

The area covered by the recommendations of the Commission is thus 1,295,268 acres 1 rood 33 perches. The following is an analysis of the recommendations :— 1. For Maori occupation, — a. b. p. a. k. p. (a.) As papakaingas, burial reserves, family farms, &c 517,695 0 16 (b.) As communal farms to be incorporated 89,722 325 (c.) To be leased to Maoris, whether specified or not ... ... 36,156 338 643,574 3 39 2. For general settlement, — (a.) By sale 64,192 0 28 (b.) By lease 409,647 1 2 (c.) To be incorporated under section 28 of " The Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act, 1907" ... ... ■•' 177,854 0 4 651,693 1 34 Total 1,295,268 1 33 We have been careful to point out in most of our reports that the schedules, so far as they relate to lands recommended for lease or sale by public auction, are arranged so as to indicate the mode of disposition urged by the Maori owners. In this connection we desire to direct attention to our report dated the 11th day of March, 1908 (G.-1f), in which we pointed out certain difficulties in administration created by the provisions of section 11 of " The Native Land Settlement Act, 1907." In that report we pointed out the numerous examples of the injustice that might be done were the Maoris under the said section compelled to sell half of the land they desired only to lease, or to lease half of the land they desired only to sell. We mentioned also cases in which the interests of minors might be prejudiced by this provision, and its likely effect upon other lands held on trust, or for endowment. It is true that under this section the duty is cast upon the Maori Land Boards in the various districts to carry out the equal division into lands for sale and for lease. It was not part of our duty as a Commission to recommend such division, but only, as it were, to declare that the Maori owners of a district or of particular blocks had so-much surplus land for disposal under this section. At the same time we were placed in the position of setting in motion machinery which brought into operation this section, and this we felt we could not do in many cases. There is no doubt that many Maoris were prevented from appearing before the Commission by their knowledge of the existence of this provision. It may therefore be said to be a direct encouragement to the Maoris not to put their lands under the management of Maori Land Boards, but .to allow that system of private land-dealing to continue which permits certain favoured persons only to obtain tracts of Maori lands. We referred also to cases where the Crown has recently purchased large areas of land from the Maoris, particularly in Upper Whanganui, in the Kingcountry, and the Thames. In a general review of the position of lands in any particular district, it appeared to us fair to take into consideration the area made available for general settlement by the Crown purchases during the last two or three years. Generally speaking, the question arose whether the area sold to the Crown should be deemed to be land sold under section 11, or were the Boards to be compelled, as to the unpurchased residue, to divide the same into equal parts, and so fulfil the letter of the section. We deemed it our duty to point out these difficulties, and to advise that the section may be amended so that the Boards may not be hampered in the administration of Native lands, in accordance as far as possible with the wishes of the Maori owners as outlined in the recommendations we have made from time to time. We desire in this summarising report to refer to recommendations of a general nature requiring legislative action. They are as follow :— 1. As to blocks vested in the Maori Land Boards by virtue of " The Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905," and its amendments, we have pointed out to the Native Minister that the system of leasing provided in Part II of " The Native Land Settlement Act, 1907," sections 55 to 57, does not apply to areas set aside for lease to Maoris out of lands vested in the Board by virtue of section 8 of " The Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905," notwithstanding section 23 of " The Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act, 1907." The latter refers only to lands vested by virtue of section 4 of " The Maori Land Settlement