G.—lo.

" G."—SOUTH ISLAND MAORI LAND DISTRICT. Of the two Schemes inaugurated in this district, which comprises the South Island, the Wairau Scheme, affecting the Wairau Native Reserve near Blenheim, showed no movement during 1932-33, the expenditure remaining at £359. Arrangements have now been completed for carrying out the work of banking and draining as an unemployment work under the supervision of the Wairau River Board. The Commissioner of Crown Lands at Blenheim has been consulted, as also the River Board. The estimated cost of the work was £1,161, of which £774 was for labour and £387 for hire of horses and necessary equipment and feed. The second Scheme is a combination of the several blocks known as Oraka and Kawhakaputaputa, situated near Colac Bay. The gross expenditure on this Scheme, detailed in the Schedules hereto, amounted at the 31st March, 1933, to £9,168. The receipts, which comprised sales of cream £136, of live-stock £149, unemployment subsidies £587, and other receipts £175, total £1,047, reduced the net expenditure to £8,121. A special report was prepared by an officer of the Department in conjunction with a topographical survey carried out by the Lands and Survey Office, Invercargill, to show the progress of the development work and allocate expenditure to each area or section comprised in the Scheme. The following summary has been compiled from the report :• — Number of sections occupied .. .. .. .. .. 16 Number of sections unoccupied .. .. .. .. .. 9 — 25 Acres. Area of bush felled, burnt, and grassed .. .. .. 1,336 Area stumped .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 171 Area logged up .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ 26 Area cultivated .. .. .. .. ~ .. .. 81! Chains. Fencing, including repairs and rabbit-fencing . . .. .. .. 744 Judge Harvey, who inspected the Scheme during October of the current year, reported that the grassing of Kawhakaputaputa was well done, but that in the case of Oraka too much had been missed. A change in the administration of this Scheme has been effected during the current year, when it was decided to transfer it to the Lands Department at Invercargill.

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