93

G.—2.

P. TUMARUA.].

32. And are you milking on the whole of the land?— Yes. 33. It is not very good land, is it? —It is gorse land. 34. And who do you hold the 90 acres from? —The 90 acres was given to the Natives as a tirewood and timber and fencing reserve, and the grass on it was given to my wife, and as she was the sole owner of 100 acres the people said she could occupy this. 35. Therefore you milk upon it? —Yes. 36. And do you pay rent to anybody for it?— No. 37. How many other people are interested in the 90 acres besides yourself and your wife? — I do not know how many. 38. Are you a member of the union? —Yes. 39. Are you a grantee of any lands under the Act of 1881 which are leased to Europeans? —Yes. 40. Which lands? —Mokoia, Taumaha, Hapotiki, and Okotare. 41. What rent do j 7 ou receive from those lands?— Sometimes £11 and sometimes £12 a half-year Mr. Zachariah: Okotare is the only block in which there are any leases under the 1881 Act. There are 319 acres, eight original grantees, and thirty-four successors. Kirn Apimameke sworn and examined. (No. 39.) 1. Mr. Bell.] You live at Okaiawa? —Yes. 2. Do you lease any land?— Yes, I lease three different pieces of land. 3. What is the area of the first piece? —24 acres, at £1 10s. per acre. Then there are 18 acres at 12s. 6d. per acre, and then 20 acres (more or less) at 12s. 6d. 4. When did you take up those leases? —When I first started milking, in 1904. 5. In what condition was the 24 acres? —It was good land, but the fencing was not good. 6. Was it already improved?— Yes. 7. What sort of fence has it- got on it now? —It only had a wire fence when 1 took it up, but 1 have planted boxthorn fences now. 8. As to the 18- and 20-acre pieces, what condition were they in when you took them up? — All gorse, with the exception of perhaps a few open spaces. 9. I think the owners of those three sections are Maoris?— Yes. 10. And they hold under occupation license? —Yes. 11. When you took up those leases in 1904 had you any money? —I had a small amount, which I had worked for. 12. Who did you work for?— For Europeans. I also planted 10 acres of potatoes on land which I got from the Europeans. 13. Did you lease that land from the pakeha?—No, the arrangement was that 1 took the land in its rough state, cleared it, and planted potatoes, and left it improved. 14. What about the gorse on the 18 acres and 28 acres?—l and my brothers and some others 1 employed and paid cleared the gorse. . 15. What are you doing with the land now? —It has reverted back to the Maoris. lam not in possession of it. 16. For how long did you lease it? —From 1904 till last winter, except the 24 acres which reverted back last January. 17. What did you do on the land while you were leasing it? —Dairying. 1 started with twenty-six cows, and they gradually increased up to forty-seven. 18. How did you get the money to buy the first lot of cows?—l applied to the factorymanager, Mr. Joll, and he gave me the cows. 19. Did you pay him back for the cows? —Yes, long before he died. 20. Out of what money did you pay him?—He kept half the milk cheque. Sometimes I left the whole of it, so that 1 could get out of the debt quickly. 21. Were the 18 and 20 acres fenced when .you' took up the lease?—On the 18 acres two sides were fenced, but the creek side was not, neither the front. Since then I have fenced the front, and the creek forms the fence on that side. 22. What about the 20 acres?— That was fenced by the creek on one side, two wire fences on the other side, and I added two more wire fences. 23. What value do you put upon the improvements which you have effected ?—They are up to £4 10s. per acre. 24. What did you do with the cows when you gave up the lease? —I sold them. 25. Did you get any compensation for improvements?— No. 26. You held the lease for seven years?— For the 24 acres seven years and the other six years 27. You paid a rent of £1 10s. for the 24 acres and 12s. 6d. for the other land?— Yes 28. Was the whole thing profitable to you?— Yes. 29. Did you try to get a further lease of the land?— Yes. I did not get another lease because the owners wanted to do some milking. 30. Have they done anything with the land since you gave it up ?—Yes The 20 acres wis sown with grass, and I am having a house or kainga built there. 31. And you have put it down in grass again?— Yes, and lam prepared to start milking 32. Have you done anything with the 24 acres?—l only returned it to them in January and there are cows running on it. * " au " d <>, 33. What is being done with the 18 acres?—l do not know myotnb^llocks^ 6 ™ W & Hying -" 1 am takin 8' oontracte «n the road-driving