G.— iii.

1908. NEW ZEALAND

NATIVE LAND AND NATIVE-LAND TENURE: INTERIM REPORT OF NATIVE LAND COMMISSION, ON NATIVE LAND IN THE COUNTIES OF COOK WAIAPU, WAIROA, AND OPOTIKI.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Native Land Commission, Whanganui, 18th February, 1908. May it please Your Excellency,— We have the honour to submit for your consideration the following report on Native lands in the County of Cook, and in so much of the adjoining Counties of Waiapu, Wairoa, and Opotiki, as is necessary to take in the lands vested in the Commissioner under " The Bast Coast Trust Lands Act, 1902," and its amendments. The area of the county is 1,319,014 acres, approximately, of which 946,600 acres approximately have been acquired by the Crown and by Europeans, the balance being lands owned by the Maoris or held in trust for them. To the latter may be added the area taken from the adjoining counties, as hereafter set forth, and amounting to 92,339 acres. The Native lands may be classified for the purposes of tilis report as follows :— (1.) Lands subject to " The East Coast Trust Lands Act, 1902," held in trust and administered by a Commissioner for the Maori beneficiaries. Area, 186,388 acres. Particulars are given in the First Schedule. (2.) Lands subject to decrees of the Validation Court, and which are administered by a Eeceiver appointed by that Court. The area is 12,325 acres. Second Schedule. (3.) Lands subject to " The Mangatu No. 1 Empowering Act, 1893." The area is 79,296 acres. Third Schedule. (4.) Lands comprised in what is known as the Wi Pere Trust Estate. The area is 38,168 acres. Fourth Schedule. (5.) Lands vested in the Tairawhiti Maori Land Board. The area is 2,325 acres. Fifth Schedule. (6.) Lands leased to Europeans, not included in any of the above and held under lease approved by the Maori Land Board or confirmed by the Native Land Court. Area, 50,087 acres. Sixth Schedule. (7.) Lands held by the Maoris, occupied by them or not disposed of at the date of this report. We make specific recommendations in respect of some of the lands in this class. The area is 95,714 acres. Seventh Schedule. We may say that our data for the last two schedules have been compiled from returns supplied to us by the Native and the Lands and Survey Departments, and by the District Land Kegistrars. There are many discrepancies as between the various returns. Many leases confirmed by the Native Land Court have not been registered, and are not shown in the returns. It will probably be found that the area held under lease by Europeans is larger than is shown in the Sixth Schedule. Dealing with the schedules seriatim, we wish to make a few comments on the East Coast Trust lands. I— G. iii.