BISHOP WALLIS.]

31

G.—s.

13. Are they of Ngatikahungunu fathers ? —lt may be so. If Bishop Hadfield is correct, and you have to eliminate out of those the women, there is a very small area to select from. 14. Mr. Chapman.] The Natives at Otaki seem to have a notion in their heads that the Whitireia funds are being spent for the benefit of the Clareville college, for Wairarapa Natives : is that a correct impression ?—Absolutely incorrect. I have heard it said at Otaki, and have always denied it. The money now spent is for the education of these three boys from the West Coast, and no penny will ever be spent for any purpose except scholarships for the West Coast Natives. It amounts to some £30 a year. 15. Mr. Quick.] According to the scheme, there is no right to exclude boys belonging to any denomination whatever : there is no religious test at Clareville ? —No, we train them all in Church of England doctrines. 16. Supposing there was a Ngatitoa Mormon sent there, what would happen ? —We should have to consider the matter. The trust is so specific in saying that it is for education in religion that we could not very well cut him adrift from religious teaching. It is a question we have not yet faced ; no boy has been rejected because he was not a member of the Church. 17. You would admit him without asking questions ? —We never have asked them. We are forbidden to ask the question of West Coast boys ; we are not allowed to refuse a boy on that ground. 18. One reason the Natives eliminate religion is on account of there being Mormons and others ? — We regard it as a Church school, at which religious education is considered on" of the essentials. 19. You do not exclude any children of any denomination ?—We never had an application from another denomination. • 20. The Chairman.] The meaning of that is, " We will not keep you out because you are a Mormon, but as soon as you come we will turn you into a good member of the Church of England " ? —Yes, that is what it means, and I should try to with all my might. 21. You understand that to be the proper meaning of the scheme of the Supreme Court ?—Yes; I should have no hesitation in doing so. If the father or mother said, "We do not want that to be done," we should have to think it over.

Auckland, Monday, 19th June, 1905. William Stephen Cochrane examined. Witness : I have been the Church of England Diocesan Secretary for the last twenty-five years. I have received a copy of the Commission, and, in compliance with your request, I have had some information compiled as to the annual income and disbursements for each of the several trusts, which I produce. 1. Mr. Quick.] Have you any idea what schools these would have been that are referred to in the grants as having been established ?—There was a school at Puniu under the Eev. Mr. Morgan, one at Taupiri (Hopuhopu) under the Rev. B. Y. Ashwell, and one at Kohanga under the Rev. R. Maunsell. 2. Were St. Stephen's and St. John's existing at that time—when the grants were given ? —Yes. 3. It might apply to them as well as to the Waikato ?—Yes. 4. Mr. Wardell.] Have you access to early accounts of this Kohanga trust ?—There was no income in the way of rent from 1853 to 1890. Prior to the Maori war it was worked by Mr. Maunsell. All expenses were defrayed by contributions towards the maintenance of the scholars The land was used for farming purposes, and cattle were kept on it. 5. Was any record of the income kept ? —No, Ido not think so, but it was before my time. I believe they lived on the produce of the land, and sold and bought just as a farmer would do now. There were contributions made by the Government towards the cost of the scholars, but that was spent on maintenance. From 1890 there was a small income, but it fell off, because generally farming property depreciated. Then, in 1897, a lease was granted for twenty-eight years. The land was covered with gorse so high and thick that a man on horseback could not see over it nor ride through it. It was found there was very little chance of letting it in that state, so it was let for twenty-eight years —the first seven years at Is. a year, and the other twenty-one years at an annual rent of Is. per acre, on condition that the tenant spent £500 in clearing off the gorse and improving the land. This he has done, and it is now fenced and clear of gorse except for young growth. The seven years has just expired, and the first year's rent at Is. an acre is now available, and will appear in the accounts for the present year. The " disbursements " shown in the accounts are rates and sundry charges. The total net receipts for the last years, for the 750 acres, are £32 13s. lid. 6. In 1860, the property was let to a Mr. Spargo at £50 : have you any note of that ?—I must refer you to the following statement of Sir William Martin before a Commissiou of inquiry, 24th March, 1869. "I became a trustee of this property (Kohanga) in 1861, but having been previously a member of the Native Board of Education lam conversant with the history of the school prior to that date. There was a school established at Maretai, a little below Kohanga, under the superintendence of the Rev. R. Maunsell (now Archdeacon) at the date of these grants, removed to Kohanga in the year 1853. In 1855 the number of scholars at Kohanga was 81. Prior to the Act of 1858 public money was annually given to the support of the school, the distribution of which is shown by the returns regularly furnished, such grants commencing in the year 1853. The school was maintained at Kohanga until Mr. Maunsell was obliged to leave the place, and the scholars were dispersed by the commencement of Native disturbances in 1863. The distribution of the capitation allowance under the Act of 1858 will be found in Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives for 1865, E. No. 3b. On Mr. Maunsell's removal the' Rev. Joshua Te Moanaroa, a Native deacon, was left in charge of the station. A part of the buildings was temporarily let for a few months, for which a small sum was obtained. In the