G.—6e

Session 11. 1921. NEW ZEA LAN D.

NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT AND NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1920. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION NO. 16/1918, AS TO PERSONS ENTITLED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BENEFITS OF THE TITI ISLANDS.

Presented to both Houses of $>£. 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, 18th August, 1921. Re Titi Islands.—Petition No. 16 of 1918. Enclosed I herewith forward report of the Native Land Court herein. Pursuant to section 32 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1920, I recommend that, in view of the fact that a substantial number of persons are apparently entitled, to a participation in the benefits of the Titi Islands in addition to those already found by the Court, legislative authority should be passed giving sucli persons an opportunity of proving their right in the Court and having such right permanently recorded. The Hon. Native Minister, Wellington. R. N. Jones, Chief Judge. In the Native Land Court of New Zealand, South Island District. —In the matter of section 32 of the Native Land Amendment and Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1920, and in the matter of an application by the Chief Judge for an inquiry and report re Petition No. 16 of 1918, of Sarah Gilroy and forty-five others, praying for the right to take mutton-birds from the Titi Islands. The Native Land Court, sitting at Invercargill on the 16th June; 1921, and following days, inquired into the merits of the above petition, and I have the honour to report as follows : — On the purchase of Stewart Island, and adjacent islets in 1864 by Commissioner Clarke on behalf of the Crown certain reservations were made for the Natives. Those included eighteen Titi islands, which were placed under the protection and management of the Governor. As a result of an investigation held by the Native Land Court in 1910, lists of persons found to be entitled to go to each of these eighteen islands were published in the Gazette of the 10th August, 1911. Some of these lists contained the names of deceased Natives, to whom successors have since been appointed. Besides these Titi islands there are numerous other islands near Stewart Island abounding in mutton-birds. These belong to the Crown, and the Commissioner of Crown Lands at Invercargill is authorized to grant permits to Natives to go on them in quest of birds. In recent years the number of birds frequenting both the Titi and the Crown islands has enormously increased. There is a growing demand for mutton-birds all over New Zealand, and, as the Natives privileged to visit the islands are driving a lucrative business, the jealousy of those who are not on the lists and have no prospects of being included in succession orders has been aroused, and they are determined to make strong efforts to secure mutton-birding rights.