G.—7.

Reasons for Recommendations. 1. (a) Mohaka-Waipapa (interest and two-thirds of principal).—Poor quality land, drop in values, and the proved necessity of developing the lands and the settlement of the owners at a figure which will offer a fair opportunity of making good. (b) Putere. —Number of useless and uneconomic partitions—small areas, bad shape, want of access, and to afford necessary assistance towards the desire of the owners to develop and work the land. 2. Northern Waiapu.—To a large extent the land comprised in this scheme has failed to attract Luropean or Maori settlers, otherwise liens would have been paid on alienation or on the land being farmed. Hie proposed remission is in the best interests of the settlement of the land at a fair value 3. Waiapu. All old liens and interests written off. The new liens, amounting to 3s. per acre plus interest, remain on the area. The old liens cover the balance remaining of a much greater sum and represent surveys which are no longer of any use. 4. Tuparoa.—There remains on the land 2s. 6d. per acre. This is considered the maximum amount the land can be fairly asked to pay. 5. Tuparoa (not consolidated). —This area is comprised of blocks not yet dealt with under consolidation, being held in reserve for adjustment purposes in connection with the main consolidation scheme. The remission represents the interest due on the old liens. 6. Waipiro.—The remission in the case of the lands in this scheme represents a third of the interest and principal, and comprises small areas such as papakaingas, reserves, and other blocks incapable of bearing the burden of the charges. 7. Apanui. —This settlement represents a remission of the interest and two-thirds of the principal. The coastal lands in this series are capable of settlement by the owners ; but behind the coastal lands there exists extensive areas of poor steep bush and hills, which are unfitted for development by Maoris, and the burden of these poorer lands in connection with the limited. area of cultivable land renders it encumbent to afford relief to the owners. 8. Ngaitai.—ln this scheme the settlement represents a remission of two-thirds of the total of principal and interest. Reasons same as Apanui. In this scheme it is proposed to offer to the Crown Torere 1b 2, Torere 1b 15, and Lots 1 and 2 of Torere No. 3 Block, comprising an area of 6,614 acres, to liquidate the remaining one-third of the total survey liens and a sum of £435 due to the Opotiki County Council. The Lands Department representative on this committee desired to make some separate observations, which are appended hereto. 9. Whakatohea.—The remission over this area represents two-thirds of the total of the principal and interest. The lands are included in a development scheme, and the remission will facilitate the development and settlement of the lands, which are the major portion of the lands returned to the Whakatohea Tribe following on the Bay of Plenty confiscations. Separate remarks oj Mr. Shaw (Lands Department representative) concerning Ngaitai recommendation.— As land offered does not appear to have utility value, do not consider Crown, in addition to writing down liens, should have to pay out money for rates, otherwise offer of one-third principal and interest might be accepted ; but consolidation is small, and not much scope for good settlement.

Rotorua and Taupo Districts.

The poorness of the land over the greater portion of the area of this district has induced this committee to give special consideration to the need for substantial relief being recommended. The recommendation is based on a remission of all sums in excess of 5 per cent, of the unimproved value, with a maximum collection of 2s. 6d. per acre and a minimum of Is. per acre. Liens of £1 and under to be wholly remitted, and land of an unimproved value of 15s. and less to have the liens remitted. The total remission recommended amounts to a writing-off of the whole of the interest owing and two-thirds of the principal.

6

Survey Liens. Scheme. Area. ~~~ Amounts to be A paid remitted. p Principal. Interest. Total. or an(1 ' Rotorua and Taupo Districts Lands. Arawa Consolidation A. B. P. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Scheme— Taheke Series .. 4,105 1 0 592 1 0 192 12 10 784 13 10 " Rotoiti Series .. 14,094 0 32 993 4 8 442 19 2 1,463 3 10 Rotomahana-Pareka- 47,839 3 24 1,993 17 0 734 19 6 2,728 16 6 rangi Series 3 2 3,435 0 0 Tuhoe Series .. 3,411 0 39 281 3 9 101 19 0 383 2 9 Ngati-Manawa Series 13,117 1 36 1,124 19 9 333 4 1 1,458 3 10 Ngatiawa Series .. 85,728 0 22 5,322 9 5 1,793 13 0 7,116 2 5 Totals .. 168,296 0 33 10,307 15 7 3,599 7 7 13,907 3 2 10,472 3 2 3,435 <T~Ō