G— 6d

1917. NEW ZEALAND

NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT AND NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1916. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 116 of 1913, RELATIVE TO TE HAKA No. 7 AND TE TAPUAE BLOCKS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly in 'pursuance of Section of the Native Land 'Amendment and Native Ijand Claims Adjustment Act, 1916.

Native Land Court (Office of Chief Judge), Wellington, 29th August, 1917. The Hon. Native Minister, Wellington. Petition No. 11.6 of 1918, Waireti te Aohinga Tackata and Others. Pursuant to the provisions of section 24 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1916, I have the honour to transmit herewith the report of the Native Land Court (Judges MaoCormiok and Wilson) on petition No. 116 of 1913, of Waireti te Aohinga Taekata and others, prajdng that rents retained by the Government re Te Haka No. 7 and Te Tapuae Blocks be paid to them; and to recommend that the sums of £125 14s. 6d. and £87 14s. 6d., plus interest from the 16th October, 1917, computed, at the rate which each sum respectively would have produced if it had lain in the Public Account for that period, be paid to such persons as the Native Land Court shall by a further and final order determine, and in such relative shares or proportions as the Court shall by such final order further determine. The total amount payable under this recommendation is found to be £559 55., computed as follows : Twenty-eight years, 16th October, 1889, to 15th October, 1917, at 3| per cent, compound interest :— Te Haka No. 7—Principal ... ... ... 125 14 6 Interest ... ... ... 203 13 6 329 8 0 Tapuae— Principal ... ... ... 87 14 6 Interest ... ... ... 142 2 6 229 17 0 £559 5 0 Jackson Palmer, Chief Judge.

Rotorua, 17th July, 1917. Sir,— Te Haka No. 7 Block; Te Tapuae Block. We have the honour to report that in terms of your reference to the Court under section 24 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1916, directing the Court to inquire and report as to the allegations contained in petition No. 116 of 1913, of Waireti te Aohinga and others, we held the inquiry at Rotorua on the 27th and 28th June, 1917. Mr. G. Urquhart appeared of counsel for the petitioners, and Mr. Meredith of counsel for the Crown. The lands the subject of the petition are parts of the Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block. The boundary of that block cuts Te Tapuae Block and Te Haka No. 7 Block into two parts. Separate titles are issued to the petitioners for the parts outside that boundary. Titles have also issued for the parts within that boundary in manner which we will hereafter explain. At the commencement of the hearing Mr. Urquhart, for the petitioners, abandoned any claim to rent-moneys payable in respect of the lands in question subsequent to the date of the deed of

I— G. 6d.