G—la.

Recapitulation . A. B. P. Lands leased ... ... ... ... ... 7,019 119 Lands for Maori occupation ... ... ... ... 24,159 320 Lands for general settlement — By lease ... ... ... ... ... 54,798 2 3 By sale... ... ... ... ... ... 69,317 3 0 Total ... ... ... ■ 155,295 2 2 We also have the honour to submit a further report on Native lands in the Coromandel County. Our previous report on this county is printed as Parliamentary Paper G Is, 1908. Our recommendations are set out in the accompanying schedules: the following is a summary of the information contained therein : — A. E. P. Lands leased ... ... ... ... ... 813 2 0 Lands for general settlement —By sale . . ... ... 2,105 0 0 Total ... ... ... 2,918 2 0 The total area covered by this report is as follows : — A. B. P. Lands leased ... ... ... ... ... 36,376 0 39 Lands for Maori occupation ... ... ... ... 55,483 322 Lands for general settlement— By lease ... ... ... ... 81,503 0 32 By sale ... ... ... ... 77,375 2 19 Grand Total ... ... 250,738 3 32 This area comprises the bulk of the lands owned by the tribes forming the Waikato confederacy and acknowledging the leadership of the Hon. Mr. Mahuta, M.L.C., but not those of the tribes that have seceded under Taingakawa. We met the Hon. Mr. Mahuta, M.L.C., and Mr. Kaihau, M.P., on behalf of their people, both in Auckland and in Wellington, and met their people at Kihikihi and Huntly. Lists were handed in, showing how 'the people wished the lands to be disposed of. We found, after much examination of the lists and records in the Native Land Court and Crown Lands Offices in Auckland, that land appearing in the lists as Maori land had ceased to be so for a long period. We also found, in the lists some lands in the Eohe Potae district that we had dealt with. It will be noted in the schedules that blocks or parts of blocks are recommended for sale for " mana." It was represented to us that the proceeds of the sale of these lands should be held in trust so as to form a fund for the purchase of lands at Ngaruawahia and Taupiri, which places were from the earliest times associated with the "mana" and prestige of the Waikato tribes. We are of opinion that the President of the Waikato Maori Land Board should be associated with the Hon. Mr. Mahuta and Mr. Kaihau, M.P., as trustees for the proceeds of the sale of these lands, and that no disbursement of any proceeds should be made without the consent of such President. The lands now held by the Waikato and kindred tribes are but a remnant of the lands they once possessed. Most of the tribal land was confiscated, and much has since been sold. The area left, considering the number of the people and the quality of much of the land, is not very large. We have the honour to be Your Excellency's most humble and obedient servants, Robert Stout, ) r , ■ ■ A. T. Noata, j Commissioners.

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