94

[Si apiMareke.

G.—2.

35. Cross-examined by Mr. Welsh.] Can you tell us the number of cows you were milking?— From twenty-six to forty-seven. 36. Are you a grantee of any lands leased under the Act of 1881 to Europeans? —1 am not sure. 37. Do }ou draw rents from the Public Trustee? —Yes, from the side of my mother and my aunt. 38. Where are the blocks?—Kairoa, Araheke —those are my mother's interests, and my aunt is in Kairoa. I do not know about my father's interest. We do not receive any rents for his interest, and Ido not know whether he is included or not. It is freehold land. 39. What is the name of your aunt? —Kerengahau. 40. Are you the only successor? —There are six of us. 41. What is the name of your mother? — Merehawanga. 42. And how many successors are there? —Eight of us. Mr. Zachariah: The witness has one-sixth of one-thirtieth of one share in Kairoa. His share would be 3s. sd. half-yearly, and in Merehawanga one-seventh of twenty shares out of 4,080, which amounts to 7d. Morkrb Whatitibi sworn and examined. (No. 40.) 1. Mr. Bell.} You live at Bell Block?— Yes. 2. You have got some laud at Kaipakopako? —Yes. 3. Have you ever worked that land?— No. 4. Now, part of that land was leased under the Act of 1881 and converted into a lease under the Act of 1892?— Yes. 5. What was the area of land remaining to the Maoris? —I have got 7 acres. 6. That is your share of the land that remains? — Yes. 7. What is being done with your 7 acres?—l gave it to my elder brother. lam putting cattle on it, and using it in the best way possible for the land and for milking. 8. 1 think you occupy it with your own share and your mother's share?— Yes. 9. On what land do you work? —On my wife's land. 10. Where is that?—Hoewaka, Bell Block. 11. Has your brother-in-law got any interest in that land? —Yes. 12. How many acres are there in the Hoewaka Block?—I understand there are 47 acres. 13. Used you to use that land? —Yes, 9 acres. 14. What crops did you have in it? —Oats, potatoes, 3 acres; corn, 1 acre. 15. What was the condition of the rest of the land?—lt is good land. 16. Was it all cleared when you started? —One part was in grass. 17. Did you work on it for many years?— Yes. 18. How many acres were cleared of gorse in 1907 ? —lt was the same in 1907 —it was nearly all grass; there were only one or two portions that had gorse on it. 19. Before the year 1907 had you cleared the land of gorse? —Yes. 20. What happened in 1907?— There were fences and a house built on it. There was an old house on it, and the railway was taken through the land. The old house is on one side of the railway, and the new house is on the other. In 1907 Mr. Fisher came and said to my brother-in-law that the land belonged to him. He chased us about, and said that we had to take the house off and go away. 21. Did he tell you to take the house away?— Yes. My brother-in-law said to him, "This land belongs to me and my ancestors," and Mr. Fisher replied, " No, that is not so —the land is mine." 22. Who was your wife's ancestor who owned the land? —Tatahana-. 23. How did he get the land? —He assisted the Government at the time of the war. 24. And was that why he got his land? —Yes. 25. When your brother-in-law told Mr. Fisher that the land had come from Tatahana what did Mr. Fisher say?—He said that did not matter, the land belonged to him. 26. What did Mr. Fisher do with the land?—He took it and leased it. 27. Do you know under whatT Act he leased it?—No, I do not know. He leased it to two men named Frank. Solway and Harry Lynn. 28. What did you do about the house which was on the land?—l told my brother-in-law that we would leave the house there, and let Mr. Fisher take it off. 29. Did you leave it there? —No, my brother-in-law pulled it down. He was the owner of the land, but he was afraid of what Mr. Fisher had said. . . 30. Did Mr. Fisher ask you to consent to his taking the land?— No. 31. How many acres did he lease to Solway? —Fifteen. 32. And how many to Lynn?—Eleven. 33. What has been done with the rest of the land? —Charlie Bayley took 5 acres. 34. That leaves 16 acres?—l heard from Mr. Jack, who was the Reserves Agent after Mr. Fisher, that we were to have that to settle on. 35. How many people?— Nine of us. 36. Do you live there now?— Yes. 37. Now, of the 47 acres, which was the best part, the part taken from you and leased or the part which remains? —The portion that was taken and leased. 38. Was that the part that had been improved by you?— Yes. 39. And what are you doing now?—We are just living on the portion left. 40. Are you doing any work?— Yes, for Solway.