TAI-RAWHITI LAND BOARD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11056, 23 August 1907, Page 5

TAI-RAWHITI LAND BOARD.

Decision was reserved yesterday by the Board concerning the large areas applied for by lease m thc Wairongomai block, and the sitting of tlie Board was resumed to-day. Continuing his evidence, Aperaliama Tamihere stated that at present the office of the corporation was at his place at Tuparoa. Tlie seal was m his custody, at present at Mr Nolan's office. - He had sent out all proper : notices. Tlie block was awkwardly situated for cutting up, and it was for that reason it was better to lease it m three blooks as they had /done. Mr Nolan said the land was as high ias Arowhana. He had shown the value of tine land, that; it was beneficial to the Natives, and that they were, agreeable to give their consent to lease. The President said they would hear the three applications before deciding. Mr Nolan said that he was only " putting one case before them at a time. Tlie President said that it would be better to take the three cases. < Mr Nolan i In that case I will simply tender the same evidence. lam not asking it to be decided on as three m one; each is a separate lease. ■'' '" . The President : We have no proper survey. Mr Nolan : We have sufficient for a lease; the area js all made up.' " The President : It is more than made up. . ' - Mr Nolan said the survey waft sufficient for the Registrar, and m that case was more than sufficient for tlie Board. The President said there were one or two points the Board desired to .'consider, and it would give 7 its decision m , the morning, -.' '" . The application of Edward 7 R- : Ludbrook,, 4200 acres, m Wammgomai, . was theirt taken; the rent offered 6 per cent, on the capital value for the first 21 years, and 5 per cent, on the capital, yalue for ' the balance of the term, 14 years.— The Preeident said tliere could ; be no. doubt : of this being ihird-class land. ' The next application was 7 Samuel R. Ludbrook, 6844 acres, Wairongomai, which Mr CRyan said was undoubtedly fourth-class land. ' : ,:";.''.''- -Tlie President: There is no doubt' -we can take that' as fourth-class.' In teply to a -further question-,- Mr O'Ryan said the area had been taken from trig to trig and checked by the total.- . '■•■ ■' 7' 7'- ' .--'." '.-.. Tlie President: We want to ascertain/ if the Registrar is satisfied. _■--.-. Mr Nolain : That is my trouble. We have to satisfy him to get a 'title. • He claimed that he had placed the whble matter before the Board m a way that showed Wy the Act they -' were clearly entitled to have the consent to lease approvedin regard to each application. * . 'Tjie President: We would like time to consider some points, and will give our decision m th? morhing. • . Upon the Board resuming this morning judgment was given m the Wairongomai cases, evidence m, which was taken yesterday. . -■'-'■'."" Before giving his decision the President explained the Acts under which the sittings of the Board were held. The Board's decision was as follows : "The title to this land \0 held by 428 original beneficiary -Maori' proprietors under an' order of ' incorporation, made by the Native Land Court, dated 10th May, 1907. / Tho jease ia executed under the rules .and regulations made m pursuance of section 22 of the Native Land Court Act, l&W---the said rules being by orderriri-Cbuncil dated the Ist April; 1895. The Board's Consent to the alienation is asked for under the special powers imposed upon it by section 23, sub-s-ction 4, of the Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act, 1906. After full consideration of the evidence, the Board is satisfied that the lessee and- lessors have complied with the' provisions of the /Maori Lands j-dmini-tration A!ct, 1900, and the rules and regulations above recited, also that the terms 'and.; conditions of lease are for the benefit of the proprietors, who appear to liave acted unanimously m tho "incorporation and leasing of tlieir land. The Board therefore approves the lease and tlie alienation effected thereby, subject to (1) production of a separate Government valuation for the part leased; (2) the rental per acre to be stated m the lease after such valuation is made; (3) the area leased to be described m the leaso and shown upon theplan for registration purposes." Mr Nolan, suggested that Mr <Lewis, the Government valuator for tbfe district, be called to' give evidence as to the value. Tlie President raid ho knew the value of the land himself. If Mr Lewis wits prepared to say what the real valuation - was from Mr Coutts'. books, without going up, they would have nothing to say* Mr Nolan pointed out it would -make no difference if Air Lewis went up to the-' place, as he would not differ from the value of his superior. Gerard T. Williams applied for ths lease' of part of Tapuwaeron IA block, , : containing 3946 acres, for 21" years; 'at a rental of 4s 9d per acre. — The President said they would require evidence of a resolution by the owners at a general meeting, sanctioning the lease ofthb la^id.— Mr Tamihere said there ho /minute, , but the resolution wascarried by. a public meeting.-^Mr Nolan explained there could be ho minute-book R;ept7 : by' the owners prior to tlie incorporation;— Mr Tamihere; said they only kept -minutes subsequent to the incorporation, "There was no secretary or chairman -befdr^ 'a' committee was appointed; 'All the' otmerß were called together to sign. ■ tlie ap> plication for iricorporation.-^Th© "President : The minute-book does -riot say so. He wonted : the resolution .pt the first meeting directing' '" the ' committee to lease the land.— }lv Nolan . said it was embodied m ; the mirtutfe of the committee meeting. -'-''The President could not find it^ and the Board would require evidence on the subject.— Mr -Nolan : I have atiiple evidence by. outsider^, members of the- committee themselves, that they are carrying out the wishes of the bwners.-^The -President mentioned a case^at Tolaga Bay that was thrown out, as the resolution agreeing to the lease of the land could not be found. Eruera Moeke, chairman of the committee, stated the proprietors bad a number of meetings about leasing the block before the incorporation; They were all m favor of incorporating the block for the ''puri pose of leasing the block, and it was now proposed' to do so. The block was incorporated for the express purpose of carrying th6se leases. Tlieir first intention waV to leas© to the present applicants direfct from tbe natiyes, and it was 031 being pointed out to them that the most simple and cheaper way to do it was /.to incorporate that they incorporated.— By/t he President :" The ' meeting of the people held prior to incorporation passed a resolution to lease the land.' Tliere' was no intention to retain part 0 f it.— Mr Nolan : There was hot m this Mock.— Witness could riot remember the date of the resolution passed by tlie proprietors, but it was recorded m the minute book.— Mr Nolan produced the minute book, recording tlie election of the committee ajnd chairman, but ho resolution;— Tho President said the book cleared up what h? was wanting to get at, that the committee were not acting on their own account. —Witness said that under the old Maori lease, which had been abandoned m order to carry the proposed one out, they received a rental of sid an acre. Wifncss said- the proprietors of the blocks had never spent any money m improving it. The land at present was occupied .by' T!, S. Williams, wh 0 vacates the landlwhe'ri the applicant gets the lease. Witnpss offered the land to applicant/to which the present occupier was agreeable. Tho part* applied for was all hill, with some ! very high mountains. It was for the proprietors' benefit to lease it 4o appli- ! cant. A road ran along the boundary, but did not actually touch the section. — Tlie Chairman: It is accessible ?— Mr Noland: Providing they own the .land through which the road runs.-Witn.es?> said there were no buildings on the land, but was fenced and grassed— At the termination of the old lease, what improvements there were went to the Naitiy^ They were all satisfied to have Mr G, T. Williams as their tenapt. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm