G.—s

Clareville, a convenient position between Mastcrton and Greytown, in the Wairarapa Valley, and near to a railway-station, and this has been leased to the trustees of the Papawai and Kaikokirikiri trusts at an animal rental of £70, and a school has been established which fulfils the trust. The school was opened nearly two years ago, and on the occasion of a visit made to it by your Commissioners last month had eight scholars, who, unfortunately, were on holiday at the time of the visit. It at present numbers twelve scholars, from fourteen to sixteen years of age, who are maintained free. The expenditure on account of the school for furnishing, adapting the building to its new purpose, salaries, and maintenance between March, 1903, and 31st Maroh, 1904, amounts to £1,775 7s. 5d., of which the Kaikokirikiri trust bears half—namely, £887 13s. Bd.— which lias been charged in the accounts. The cost of education and maintenance works out at about £55 per head; this contrasts strongly with the cost at St. Stephen's (£2O) and Te Aute £25), and may be attributable probably to the small number of boys at present at the school, but is suggestive of the necessity for economy in administration. A Maori committee has been formed with a Maori chairman in connection with this school, which should tend to render it popular. The Masterton Natives are not satisfied that the Kaikokirikiri funds should be absorbed at Clareville, which they think should be supported by the Papawai trust, and earnestly desire that a school for girls on similar lines should be established on the trust land or near to it. This desire we hope the trustees may be able to realise in the future, if not out of their own funds then with outside assistance. The income of the Papawai trust is:— £ s. d. Rent ... ... ... ... ■ .;. ... ... 350 0 0 Interest from investments ... ..':.. ... ... ... 138 17 8 Total ... ... ... ... ... £488 17 8 The capital value of the land is £4,066. The present leases of the Kaikokirikiri land were granted for the term of ten years, and will fall in in May, 1909. A considerable rise in values has taken place since their issue, and the income of the trust will probably be greatly increased if new leases are granted under the powers given by existing legislation. Your Commissioners are of opinion that the Synod should place on the board of trustees a Native who, preferably, should be a member of the Ngatihamua or Ngatimoe Hapus of Ngatikahungunu. MOTUEKA (WaKAREWa). The inquiry into the Motueka trust occupied your Commissioners a considerable time, and involved a visit to Nelson and to Blenheim. : The grants in -this case, issued in 1853, have evoked a large amount of discussion from the time of their issue, the fact that a large portion of the land was taken from the tenths reserved for Natives (whether so taken with or without the consent of those interested is not quite clear) being one of the causes of dissatisfaction. We have not, however, been called upon to go into the circumstances of the creation of the trust, but into its administration. The recital of the grants is as follows: "Whereas a school is about to be established at Motueka," &c, and the trust is "so long as religious education, industrial training, and instruction in the English language shall be given to the youth educated therein or maintained thereat." The trust estate at the present time consists of — Land, 1,075 acres, according to the grants, but said to have £ s d. been reduced by the action of the river to something less, valued at ... ... ... ... ... ... 20,251 0 0 (Included in this amount are improvements valued at £8,556, of which £5,470 is for buildings and £550 for fencing. -■ Included in the amount for buildings is the sum of £2,271, at which the buildings used for an orphanage are valued, the balance, £3,199, representing the value of buildings on the leased portions of the property. The unimproved value is £11,695.) £ s. d. Money, cash in hand, 31st March, 1905 ... 176 13 8 Rents in arrear, due December, 19T)4 ... 54 11 9 Total funds in hand ... ... ... ... £231 5 5 Against which is a liability for loan of ... ... ... 305 0 0 Leaving a balance against the estate of ... ... ... 73 14 7 Income, rent (gross) ... ... ... ... ... £434 3 '7

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