G.—lo.

Maketu : Te Puke. The Te Puke scheme comprises an area of 422 acres, which is bounded on the eastern side by the Kaituna River. One dairying settler has already been established, but owing to excessive growth of noxious weeds further settlement has been delayed, and it will be several years before the pastures on the balance of the area will be suitable for dairy farming. It is proposed during the next season to divert a stream, and if this work is undertaken the excessive flooding of the pasture land will be overcome. Work carried out during the year has been confined to clearing 60 acres, grubbing 70 acres, a small amount of new fencing and draining, and cleaning and widening a number of drains. The scheme wintered 240 breeding ewes and 20 beef cattle. Maketu : Waewaetutuki. Gazetted for development as part of the Maketu scheme, this block containing 767 acres is a separate undertaking and is providing useful work for approximately fifty unemployed Maoris from Te Puke. The area is located near Maketu and contains 700 acres of swamp country running between Waihi Bluff and the Kaikokopu Stream, the northern boundary being the Waihi Estuary. The remaining land lies above the bluff. The greater portion of the land is suitable for development, but levels are being taken on an area of 150 acres, next to the Waihi Estuary, in order to ascertain whether this piece can be drained sufficiently to enable its successful development. The balance of the block should become good dairying land once the gorse is cleared and the swamp land suitably drained. It is proposed, as soon as the property is ring-fenced, to stock the area with store cattle. Matakana Island. A portion of Matakana Island, which is situated off Tauranga, was brought under the provisions of the Native Land Act during the year, when 112 acres were gazetted for development. It is estimated that some 3,000 acres are available for settlement, and the land when cleared is ideally suitable for dairying, pig grazing, and cropping. At present two settlers have been established, but the scheme has provided work for twenty-eight unemployed Natives and will, it is hoped, be the means of preventing a number of young men from seeking assistance on the mainland. Ragwort is a menace on portions of Matakana Island, and unless this weed is checked the livelihood of the people will be seriously affected, but every effort is being made to cope with this pest. Maize production should be encouraged as the harvesting of the crop provides seasonal work besides being a profitable crop. Ngatimanawa. The lands comprising the Ngatimanawa (or Murupara) scheme, which were made subject to the provisions of Part I of the Native Land Amendment Act, 1936, in January last, are of a total area of 6,264 acres, of which some 4,000 acres are suitable for development. The location is about forty miles from Rotorua on the Rotorua-Wairoa Road near the Galatea Settlement. There are two distinct areas —one portion, known as Karatia, lying between the Rangitaiki River and the State Forest Reserve ; and the other portion, known as Whirinaki, is on the opposite bank of the Rangitaiki and between that river and the Whirinaki River. The country consists of tablelands of pumice formation covered with light scrub and fern, extensive flats of a shingly formation along the Whirinaki River, and good alluvial flats along the Rangitaiki River. At present the river-flats are infested with ragwort and other noxious weeds. Generally, however, the lands are considered to be quite suitable for development, as is evidenced by the results achieved on the small-farm scheme at Murupara and the operations at Galatea. The Native owners of the lands were unanimous in their desire to have their lands brought under development, and have displayed enthusiasm in the initiation of the scheme. The existing housing accommodation is fair, and it is not proposed to make further provision under this heading at the present juncture. There is on the lands a certain amount of grass and rough feed that will carry stock. It is estimated that some fifteen miles of fencing will be required, and it is proposed to take the area on a face and fence defined portions suitable for stocking, but ensuring that new fencing lines will comply with future subdivisional plans. It is proposed to commence operations on two areas each of 250 acres in the Karatia and Whirinaki sections. On completion of development the scheme area should be suitable for subdivision into dairyfarms of from 80 acres to 100 acres capable of carrying 1 cow to li acres to 2 acres. In addition, a certain number of sheep will require to be kept to control noxious weeds. There is at Te Whaiti an extensive seed-bed of ragwort, and during floods there is considerable spreading from this area. It is estimated that the full cost of development should not exceed £15 per acre. Active work on the scheme was commenced at the beginning of December last, and the first work undertaken was the clearing of ragwort on 2,500 acres. Then followed 350 acres of clearing and stumping scrub, 300 acres of ploughing, of which 229 acres have been grassed, and the balance allowed to lie

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