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APPENDIX G.

NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY. Ebpoet on the charactkk of the Lands affected vii Centkal Eoute, by Me. H. J. Lowe. Department of Lands and Survey, District Office, Wellington, 4th September, 1899. Eefebeing to your memorandum of the 22nd ultimo (S.G. 39554), I have the honour to forward herewith a report by Mr. District Surveyor Lowe on the value of the lands adjacent to the line of railway between Taihape and the northern boundary of the Wellington District. I regret that time has not permitted the work being done more fully. Mr. Lowe and a couple of draughtsmen have done cheir best; and the information and plans, so far as I can find, are as asked for. J. Mackenzie, The Surveyor-General, Wellington. For Chief Surveyor.

Wellington, 4th September, 1899. Table showing Lands along the Central Eoute of the North Island Main Trunk Eailway, starting from an East-and-West Line through Taihape, and extending for Ten Miles on either Side of the Line to the Boundary of the Wellington Land District at Taumaranui, showing the Crown, Native, and Alienated Lands, their Approximate Areas, and Present and Past Selling-values ; also some Notes of Timber, Soil, &c.

Area within Ten-mile Limit. Tenure. Name of Block. General Kemarks. Crown. Value. Native. Value. Value. 55,048 Acrfs. 900 £ 1,350 Aores. £ Acres. £ Awarua Awarua Awarua Motukawa Motukawa Te Kapua Ponuiotane Ponuiotane 6,600 32,935 8,200 10,'278 2,200 300 2,750 8,300 375 22,657 31,300 62,600 30,000 22,848 7,900 4,400 33,000 9,875 5,500 680 acres open fern and grass country, 220 acres undulating bush country, medium - size mixed. Average price, £1 10s. per acre. Mostly open fern and grass country, hilly, undulating, with areas of agricultural land all suitable for small farms. Average price, £2. Contains about 3,000 acres of good milling timber. Occupied in farms under 640 acres. Sold at £1 10s. 900 acres low country on river, partly open, partly good bush; 1,300 aores high open country, light soil, on limestone ; 8,000 acres high bush and open country, on limestone, containing rimu, matai, and some totara, also a great quantity of good kaiwaka (or pihautea): 12s. 6d. to £1 2s. 6d. Open fern and grass country, some up to 2,000 ft. above sea, some up to 3,000 ft. ; also undulating and flat bush, of which at least 2,000 acres could be milled. Plat and undulating land around Turangarere could be cropped. Practically all sold in farms of 200 acres, with some small improved farms nnder 50 acres; also contains site of proposed township of Mataroa, 300 aores. Average selling-price of whole block, 17s. 6d. to £1 10s. Bush country; hilly; cut into farms of 200 acres, but forfeited, and now open for selection. Hilly bush country ; sold in areas of 200 acres each, and now being felled and cleared for sheep. Hilly, mixed-bush country, good soil; can cut into small areas ; not much for milling purposes. Average price, £1 5s. Hilly bush and open country, good soil; could out into small farms. Average price, £1 5s. Some good flax-swamps. Hilly mixed-bush and open country, improved ; let to Europeans by the Natives. Hilly, undulating, and flat bush and open country; improved, and carrying about three sheep to the acre. Leased by Natives to Europeans. High land, 2,000 ft. to 3,000 ft.; open tussock, bush, and swamp; some suitable for farms under 640 acres, and balance under 2,000 acres. Bush eontains good rimu, and matai, and kaiwaka, also some good totara, but somewhat difficult of access for milling purposes, more especially the eastern portion. Sold over ten years ago, in areas under 2,000 acres, at 15s. per acre ; mostly cleared and under sheep. High, open tussock country, 2,000 ft. to 3,000 ft.; pumice-sand on limestone. Partly bought by the Crown ; leased until 1903 to Europeans ; could be greatly improved if cut into areas up to 5,000 acres. Ngaurukehn .. 9,251 1,120 1,400 Ngaurukehu 8,131 10,164 Ruanui 11,166 1,610 3,220 Ruanui 9,536 27,668 Raketapauma .. 19,689 7,976 6,640 11,718 10,400 Maungakaretii.. 9,744 535 535 1,509 1,509 7,700 5,775 Rangipo-Waiau 43,000 34,598 21,625 I 8,40?, 5,274 Carried forward 195,633 46,195 ; 93,248 147,615 59,517 42,848 54,150