5

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ing well established among the Natives, that all the guiding on the Native Reserve should be restricted to those who were in the title or their relatives. In 1905 there was the first attempt made by a section of the owners to introduce guides who had no interest directly or indirectly in the reserve. This was resented by the other owners. The parties came to blows, and figured in the Magistrate's Court. The trouble was repeated this year. We were requested to investigate the matter, and to suggest a method of administration satisfactory to all parties. The investigation elicited the following points of agreement:— (a.) That a Committee should be appointed to manage the reserve, to regulate the guiding, to levy and collect admission fees, to make necessary improvements such as fencing, and generally to administer the reserve in the interests of the owners and to the satisfaction of visitors. (b.) That all profits should be disbursed among the owners according to their relative interests. To this end it was urged that the collection of fees should be above suspicion, that accounts of receipts and expenditure be carefully kept and properly audited. The device of a toll-gate was suggested, (c.) That the guiding should be restricted to the owners or their relatives. We suggested that there was only one way to constitute a Committee with the powers and functions proposed, and that was by incorporation. This was approved. We therefore recommended that the owners of this reserve be incorporated under section 61 of " The Native Land Settlement Act, 1907." Our former recommendation remains, as it merely proposed to make the reserve subject to section 54 of the said Act. The Committee when duly elected may be trusted to carry out the arrangements indicated above. This matter is a pressing one. If the present recommendation is approved it is for the Hon. the Native Minister to make application to the Native Land Court for an order of incorporation. Agricultural Education. In our report of the 10th March we suggested the establishment of communal farms for each of the chief hapus of Te Arawa. Since that report the Ngati-Whakaue have been considering the proposal in its practical bearings. They have realised that it is absolutely necessary for their young men, if they are to engage in farming pursuits, to be properly trained. There is no opportunity of training them in the Eotorua district. There are very few farms in the locality. The young Maoris require technical education, and instruction in practical farming. The Maori Mission Committee of the Presbyterian Church have, with the sanction of the Anglican community at Rotorua, generously offered, if an area of land were available for the purpose of a farm, to provide instructors, and also to erect the necessary buildings for housing the instructors. The committee does not desire, however, to have the land transferred in trust, but agrees that it should remain Maori land, and only stipulates that its control and management shall be guaranteed for a period long enough to secure the success of the instruction, and that it should have the right to furnish instructors. Tihiotonga Block. In order to take advantage of the Maori Mission Committee's offer the Ngati-Whakaue appeared before us, and made the following offer : If the said committee considers Tihiotonga Block suitable for the purpose of a farm, the Ngati-Whakaue offer the portion of the said block to which they are entitled. We understand that there has been a subdivision of this block, and that after cutting off the interests of other hapus the Ngati-Whakaue are entitled to a residue of 1,950 acres, or thereabouts. In this is included an area estimated at 600 acres, an excess area found after survey.