G.—ld

1909. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LANDS AND NATIVE-LAND TENURE: INTERIM REPORT OF NATIVE LAND COMMISSION, ON NATIVE LANDS IN MASTERTON, FEATHERSTON, WAIRARAPA SOUTH, PAHIATUA, EKETAHUNA, AND CASTLEPOINT COUNTIES.

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

Native Land Commission, Wellington, 19th December, 1908. To His Excellency the Governor. May it please Your Excellency,— We have the honour to submit a further report on Native lands in the Wairarapa district, in the following counties : Masterton, Featherston, Wairarapa South, Pahiatua, Eketahuna, Castlepoint. In our report (Gt.-Ir, 1908) on Native lands in this district we dealt with 20,879 acres and 14 perches in Masterton County. We make a special report on the Waitutuma Blocks of 22,800 acres, which are in Featherston County. The schedules show the position of Native lands in the counties referred to. The following is a summary of the information therein contained: — Leased or under In Occupation of Natives Negotiation. (not dealt with). A. b. p. A. b. p. Masterton ... ... ... ... 5,981 313 13,209 228 Featherstqn ... ... ... 49,855 2 27 15,244 1 4 Wairarapa South ... ... ... 11,856 3 28 5,359 3 9 Pahiatua ... ... ... 3,008 136 634 330 Eketahuna ... . ... ... 1,525 0 0 „ J,307 239 Castlepoint ... ... ... 52 1 0 19,682 2 16 72,280 0 24 56,839 0 6 We deal in this report specially with the following lands : — Acres. For sale by public auction : Waitutuma Blocks ... ... ... 22,800 For lease to specified Maoris : Mangatainoka X 2a ... ... 569 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... 23,369 Eecapitulation. a. b. p. Lands leased ... ... ... ... ... ... 72,280 024 For lease to Maoris ... ... ... ... ... 569 0 0 For sale by public auction ... ... ... ... 22,800 0 0 Not dealt with ... ... ... ... ... 56,539 0 6 Total ... ... ... ... ... 152,188 0 30 Time did not permit us to make an exhaustive inquiry into the area of 56,539 acres above shown. It will be seen from the schedules that with the exception of three large blocks these lands are in very small subdivisions, and consist for the most part of papakaingas and Native reserves in occupation of the owners. The confidential return supplied to us by the Lands and Survey Department shows that some of the larger blocks are in European occupation under unregistered leases, while others are used by the Natives for grazing. In the absence of

I—Gk Id.