F.—No. 4
OF NATIVE BESEKVES.
61
The average proportion of 87 acres of reserved land to each Native, as shewn by the returns ; or, accepting the highest estimate of the Native population—3,ooo souls— ss acres is not of a character to cause much apprehension of the Natives having a scarcity of land for their future wants. The Auckland Provincial Government offered 40 acres for each adult immigrant, and 20 acres for each child ; or, roughly, 30 acres per head, as an inducement to persons to settle. By the New Zealand Settlements Act the General Government were enabled to offer 50 rural acres to each military settler, which, as nothing was given to the children, was not a higher rate than that of the Provincial Government. With these the amount of Native reserved land does not compare disadvantageously. But at Hawkes Bay much of the land is fit only for pasturage, and, relatively, a much higher rate ought to rule. It is, therefore, necessary that each individual transaction of Natives in selling their land should be watched by the Commissioner, especially as some of the Natives have but a very small area of their once large possessions left for their own and their children's uses. I have reccommended that the Trust Commissioner should be instructed to bear in mind the circumstances of the following Natives in respect to the sufficiency of land that is to be reserved for them, viz.:—the chief Te Heketa, who has no land reserved for him ; he is desirous of having Pohirau made inalienable. Paora Kaiwhata has no land reserved for him, he is desirous of having Otukarara. Paora Korokoro has no reserve ; he requires Pukehou to be secured in trust. The chief Noa Huke has nominally 262 acres reserved at Ngatarawa; he is desirous of having Te Torohanga reserved for his children ; and the chief Tareha te Moananui indicates Tutake Opake and Te Koau as proper to be made inalienable. There are 150 acres already reserved for Tareha, but, considering that chiefs position, I beg to recommend that these places be excluded from the possibility of alienation, and placed in trust as soon as possible. Charles Heathy, Trustee of Native Reserves. Auckland, 31st July, 1871