G.—dv

Session 11. 1921. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT AND NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1920. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 313/1915, RELATIVE TO SHARES ALLOTTED TO OWNERS OF WAIRARAPA-MOANA BLOCK.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly in pursuance of Section 32 of the Native Land Amendment, and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1920.

Office of the Chief Judge, Native Land Court, Wellington, 17th August, 1921. Wairarapa Lake and Pouakani. — Petition 313 of 1915. Enclosed I forward the Court's report therein. Pursuant to section 32 of the, Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1920, I make, the following recommendation : That legislation be passed— 1. Authorizing and empowering the Native Land Court to inquire and determine whether the relative interests in which, the Maori owners hold the, Pouakani Block, mentioned in section 57 of the Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 19.14, as ascertained and defined by an order of the Court dated the 22nd January, 1915, are fair and equitable as representing the proportionate, undivided share, that each Maori owner was entitled to according to Native usage and custom in the land known as Wairarapa-Moana, formerly held under certificate of title of the Native Land Court dated the 13th November, 1883, and make an order accordingly. 2. If it finds such relative interests are not in the circumstances fairly and fully ascertained and defined, power to be given to redetermine and redefine them in such manner as shall seem to the Court just and equitable, to make an order accordingly, or amend or cancel the former order, but without prejudice to the title of the owners to the said Pouakani Block. 3. Upon any order made thereunder maturing, the District Band Registrar for the Auckland Land Registration District, upon production of such order with a plan approved by a, Judge of the Court endorsed thereon, together, if necessary, with a list of the Maori owners and their respective, relative interests, to be authorized, without further warrant, to issue a certificate of title, in fee-simple in possession to the said. Maori owners as from the 22nd January, 1915. The Court to be declared to have had jurisdiction to make succession and trustee orders as from that date. R. N. Jonjos, Chief Judge. The Hon. Native Minister, Wellington.

In the Native Land Court of New Zealand, Ikaroa District.- In the matter of the Pouakani Block, and of a reference by the Chief Judge under section 32 of the Native Land Amendment and Native, Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1920, for inquiry and report regarding Petition No. 313 of 1915, respecting the shares allotted to the former owners of the Wairarapa Lake. This matter came before the Court at Carterton on the 9th August, 1.921, and the following report is submitted: — 1. The title, to the Wairarapa Lake was investigated by the Native Land Court, and a certificate of title under the Native Land Act, 1880, ordered to issue in favour of 139 owners named therein. 2. The certificate of title is dated the 13th November, 1883, and does not ascertain the amount of the proportionate undivided share that each owner of such land was entitled to according to Native usage and custom, nor does there appear to have ever been any application to determine such shares. 3. In two instances names are grouped together as showing them entitled to one share among the respective groups, but this has always been understood to indicate that those persons were participants in the same right, but not that they owned any particular aliquot share of the land.