G.—7

12

[See description in previous pages.] Acres. 5. Tauhara Middle, lease; claim for excision sent; surveyed ... ... 93,871 6. „ „ purchase ~ ~ ... ... 11,594 7. „ North, under settlement by Land Purchase Agents ; surveyed 7,829 8. Oruanui, purchase; succession claim sent „ 10,000 9. „ lease „ „ 20,142 10. Runanga No. 2; claim for excision sent „ 45,400 11. Tatua West, lease ; claim for hearing ;to be surveyed ... ... 25,000 12. Te Hukui, purchase „ „ ... (say) 1,000 Lands, Maketu District, Bay of Plenty. Light Soil, with bush ; fit for settlement, pastoral and agricultural. Acres. 1. Te Puke, purchase; claim for hearing sent; surveyed ... ... 25,000 2. Paengaroa „ ~ under survey ... ... 20,000 3. Kaikokopu ~ ~ surveyed ... ... 12,000 4. Otamarakau, purchase „ „ ... ... 27,700 5. Koikokopu, leaso block „ „ ... ... 28,000 6. Rangiuru, lease ~ is partly surveyed ... 40,000 From the foregoing, it will bo seen that all the Government land transactions in the Taupo and Bay of Plenty Districts are in a fair way of being brought before tho Native Land Court at an early date. In my various meetings with the Native owners, lam glad to be able to report that a general disposition, with a few exceptions, exists amongst the tribes to faithfully carry out the agreements made with the Land Purchase Agents. The one general grievance is the question of back rentals for the lands leased to the Government in 1573 ; and although a clause was iuserted in all the original agreements providing for the commencement of the rents after adjudication of disputed titles, and not to be payable before, still the belief is prevalent that the rentals should be paid from the date of theso preliminary negotiations, when neither the Natives nor the Government Agents anticipated such prolonged delays in tho final settlement. The land transactions in Botorua-Kaingaroa District are not, I regret to say, in such a forward condition ; and ihe opposition of many of the Tuhourangi, including the anti-land leasing organization called "Te Putaiki," and some Ngatiwhakaue chiefs, to the completion of the Government leases remains in much the same state as at the beginning; so that the District Officer does not see his way clear yet to recommend the survey of the blocks in question, of which the following is a list, showing areas and terms of rent as originally agreed with the leasing Kaput: — Pastoral Country (pumice formation; contains many hot springs). Acres. 1. Parekerangi, estimated 80,000 ... £200 per annum for first term of years. 2. Tumunui „ 50,000 ... 150 3. Ratoreka „ 35,000 ... 100 4. Paeroa „ 100,000 ... 200 5. Kapenca, "1 6. Owhatiura, 7. Rotomahana, . , . , r , „ n , ,- >- Areas and terms not fixed. 8. Te Ivoutu, 9. Rerewhakaitu, | 10. Ngatirangitihi, J 11. Kaingaroa East, estimated 136,000 ... £250 per annum. 12. Te Pokohu „ 100,000 ... 300 13. Rotohokahoka „ 20,000 purchase. During the last few months a much better feeling has begun to manifest itself amongst tho Tuhourangi and other obstructionists towards the Government operations iv these districts, and I am in hopes of being able to report some definite evidence of this change in the way of a general application for adjudication of the disputed land titles by the established tribunals of the country. The only blocks not previously alluded to in this report are those in the neighbourhood of Matata —namely, Otuhanga and Tawhitinui leases, hitherto delayed by the refusal of one awardee, Harata Paraone, objecting to sign the deed. An application has been lodged with the Chief Judge of the Land Court for excision of her interest, so that the deed may be completed, and the reserves promised the lessors surveyed and indorsed thereon. Te Whakarewa Lease: 35,000 acres. —Title Crown grant in favour of trustees, who have all signed the deed, but who are not unanimous regarding the division of the rentals. Two small reserves will be laid off and surveyed by Mr. Edgecumbe, the surveyor at Maketu, for the use of the resident Natives, and then the deed will be transmitted to Wellington. Te Haehaenga Block: 15,000 acres, chiefly timber country; one-third open fern hills.—Natives are anxious to bring this before the Court, and applications have been forwarded. They propose to pay a surveyor's claim over this laud by selling a part of the block to the Government, and which can easily be arranged, I believe, after the ownership is decided. The small blocks of—Te Rau o te Huia at Maketu ; Opakau at Tarawcra ; Opureki at Runanga; Kahakaharoa at Tokaanu; and upon which certain small deposits of Government money have been paid, 1 would propose to cancel three of them, and place the amounts against the blocks named below, as already arranged with the Natives: — [To be includi-d in Maketu Reserve.^ Te Rau o te Huia, advances to be placed against Paengaroa Block.