1928. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT AND NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1927. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 53 OF 1927, OF TE HINA TE TUA AND OTHERS, AND PETITION No. 62 OF 1927, OF TE HUNA PAEWAI AND OTHERS, RELATIVE TO KAUANGAROA No. 3 BLOCK.

Presented to Parliament in -pursuance of the Provisions of Section 63 oj the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1927.

Native Department, Wellington, 26th September, 1928. Petitions Nos. 53 and 62 of 1927.—Kauangaroa No. 3. Pursuant to section 63 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1927, I forward herewith the report of the Native Land Court upon the above petitions. I recommend that legislation be passed authorizing the Court to rectify the title of Kauangaroa 3e by admitting thereto the rightful owners and reducing the interests of the present holders. As a matter of sentiment it may be wise to allow these to remain in the title. R. N. Jones, Chief Judge. The Right Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington.

Office of the Aotea District Maori Land Board, Wanganui, 9th March, 1928, Memorandum for the Chief Judge, Native Land Court, Wellington. Kauangaroa No. 3. I have the honour to inform you that at a sitting at Wanganui on the 2nd instant and following days the Court held the inquiry directed by you, in pursuance of section 63 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1927, into the claim's and allegations made by the petitioners in the undermentioned petitions, viz. :— (1) Petition No. 53 of 1927, of Te Hina te Tua and eight others, praying for a rehearing in connection with Kauangaroa 3r, 3c, and 3e Blocks. (2) Petition No. 62 of 1927, by Te Huna Paewai and others. Petitioners claim to be the lawful descendants of the deceased owners in Kauangaroa No. 3, and pray for inclusion in the title, and that certain persons now residing on the block be excluded therefrom. The petitioners in both cases are practically the same persons, but as each petition referred to a separate and distinct matter the Court decided to hold a separate inquiry as regards each. Petition No. 53 was taken first. This petition affects three partitions of the Kauangaroa No. 3 Block —viz., 3f, 3c, and 3e —but the petitioners stated, through their representative, that the evidence on the inquiry would be confined to 3e alone. Mr. Jack, of the firm of Currie and Jack, appeared for the petitioners, and Mr. Tustin for those opposing the petition. The title to Kauangaroa No. 3 was investigated by the Native Land Court (Judge Jack presiding) on the 12th June, 1913, and freehold orders made as follows : 3a (urupa), 1 rood ; 3b (urupa), 1 rood ; 3c {urupa), 1 acre ; 3d (urupa), 1 acre ; 3e, 50 acres ; 3f (marae), 2 acres ; 3g, 233 acres 1 rood 30