G.-6.

1936. NE W ZEAL A N D.

THE NATIVE PURPOSES ACT, 1933. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 381 OF 1929, OF ROKA MEREHANA AND OTHERS: PRAYING THAT THE NATIVE LAND COURT BE EMPOWERED TO REHEAR TE REUREU Nos. 2 AND 3 BLOCKS.

Presented to Parliament in pursuance of the Provisions of Section 27 of the Native Purposes Act, 1933.

Native Land Court (Chief Judge's Office), Wellington, C. 1, 7th May, 1936. The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Petition No. 381 of 1929.—Reureu 2 and 3 Blocks. Pursuant to section 27 of the Native Purposes Act, 1933, I* herewith transmit the report of the inquiry held by the Native Land Court with regard to the grievances alleged by the petitioners. About the year 1870 Sir Donald McLean arranged for a reserve for the resident Natives consisting of N'Pikiahu, N'Waewae,- N'Maniapoto, and N'Rangitahi. In 1884 lists of these different hapus supposed to be entitled were prepared by Mr. Commissioner Mackay, but were not given effect to till 1895, when the Court, purporting to act under jurisdiction conferred by an Order in Council, ascertained the beneficiaries. The N'Pikiahu and N'Waewae were dissatisfied with the area awarded to them, contending that a boundary-line had been arranged. On appeal, the Court decided that a division should be made according to numbers. Eventually the parties themselves came to an arrangement by which N'Pikiahu and N'Waewae bepame entitled to Reureu No. 1 and the other two hapus to Reureu Nos. 2 and 3 Blocks. No great alteration was then made in the lists of the latter hapus, and although the owners of No. 1 petitioned and secured a reopening of that section the N'Maniapoto and N'Rangitahi have not shown that there is any widespread desire to reopen the case as far as they are concerned. I have no recommendation to make in view of the report by the Court that sufficient has not been shown to justify the Court in finding an injustice had been done. R, N. Jones, ..Chief Judge.

Office of the Aotea District Native Land Court, and Maori Land Board, Wangamii, 27th September, 1935. The Chief Judge, Native Land Court, Wellington. ReUKEU NOS. 2 AND 3 AND YOUR REFERENCE OF THE PETITION OF RoKA MeREHANA AND Others for Inquiry and Report. I have the honour to inform you that the Court sitting at Marton on the 24th September, 1934, held the inquiry directed by you into the petition, and I beg to report as follows: — At the date of the Court sitting Roka Merehana, the petitioner, was dead, but Taite te Tomo repeated to the Court a statement which he alleged Roka had made to him before her death. A copy of this statement is attached hereto. According to Taite te Tomo, the petitioner is asking for a redefinition of the interests and the inclusion of certain other names in the lists, but, as the statements in support of the petition were so very vague and unsatisfactory and disclosed no ground for reopening the case, the Court withheld its report in the hope that further evidence might be adduced. No further evidence has so far been brought forward.