G.—s.

1904. NEW ZEALAND.

LANDLESS MAORIS OF THE NGAITAHU TRIBE (REPORTS IN REFERENCE TO LANDS SET APART FOR).

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives dated the 18th August, 1904. Ordered, " That there be laid before this House the reports of the Survey Department in reference to the lands set apart for landless Maoris of the Ngaitahu Tribe at Waiau, Lord's River (Stewart Island), Tautuku, and Wairaurahiri." —(Mr. Paeata).

LAND FOR LANDLESS NATIVES AT WAIAU, ALTON, AND ROWALLAN DISTRICTS. Department of Lands and Survey, District Office, Invercargill, 18th July, 1903. Land for Landless Natives, Waiau. In compliance with your wire, and various communications upon this subject, I have now to send the attached particulars. Personally I have never traversed the bush within the blocks surveyed for landless Natives in Alton and Rowallan Districts, although I have gone along the beach on several occasions and passed through the bush to the north where the land is generally very valueless, being covered to a great depth with moss, and I may say the opinion I formed of the country now surveyed, which can be found in my annual report 1882-83, extract from which is attached, appears to be fairly accurate when compared with the reports of the surveyors who actually made the subdivision. I attach a copy of Mr. John Robertson's general report upon the two surveys—viz., Rowallan and Alton—and a copy of a general report by Mr. Treseder, who laid out most of the roads. I also attach a similar report from Mr. A. McGavock, County Engineer for Wallace, who at the time of subdivision, &c, acted first as Mr. Treseder's assistant, then, later on, as Mr. Robertson's assistant. From the information now supplied, I think the Commissioners will have little difficulty in coming to a decision. John Hay, The Surveyor-General, Wellington. Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Extract prom Annual Report op 1882-83. Being the Opinion of the Chief Surveyor for Southland, Mr. John Hay, of the land at Waiau now proposed to be set aside for Landless Natives, given in a Report of Exploration in the Fiord County made by him when District Surveyor. The land between Sandhill Point and the big bight in Te Waiwai Bay, a distance of, say, eight miles, is similar in quality and breadth to the preceding block, but considerably steeper, and covered with a mixed bush probably of an improving nature. Immediately behind Mussel Beach I noticed some good red-pine, which appeared to run up the spurs some distance towards the Hump. I presume a report has already been made on the land from the big bight in Te Waiwai Bay to Waiau Mouth, a distance of eleven miles, but I may mention that it is similar in quality and breadth to that between Waiau Mouth and Orepuki. Between Te Waiwai Bay and the east arm of Hauroto Lake it appears to be poor, mossy, ridgy land, covered mostly with birch. There is some red-pine on the spurs adjacent to the south side of the east arm of the lake, but no great quantity. It will be seen that there is a strip of good land, in breadth about one mile, running along the coast from Waiau Mouth to Big River, which will at some future date, no doubt, be used for settlement.

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