G.—l4b

1911. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1910 (REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION UNDER SECTION 28 OF THE), ON PETITION No. 501/1908, RELATIVE TO WHAKANEKENEKE BLOCK.

Laid before Parliament in compliance with Subsection (4) of Section 28 of the Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1910.

Native Land Court (Chief Judge's Office), Wellington, 15th July, 1911. The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Re Whakanekeneke Block (Petition 501/1908). Pursuant to section 28 of the Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1910, the Chief Judge has referred this matter for inquiry and report. The report has been made, and is now forwarded for your perusal, and to be dealt with under subsection (4). I have the honour to recommend that the Native Land Court should be authorized to determine whether, on the original investigation of the title of the block formerly known as " Whakanekeneke," Ani Ngakete, Te Tawa, Patu Hohaia, Kaiaho Hohaia, Hoana Hohaia, Raunateri Hohaia, Ripia Hohaia, and Ngakete Hapeta, or any of them, have as between themselves been awarded more or less shares than they were equitably entitled to, and to readjust such shares in as equitable a manner as possible in the block now known as " Whakanekeneke," after taking into account, if necessary, the allotments of shares made in other divisions of the original block; with power to amend the existing order for Whakanekeneke accordingly, including the power to add the names of any of the persons mentioned for the balance of the shares to which the Court may find them entitled ; such jurisdiction to be exercised without prejudice to any existing valid contract of alienation of the Whakanekeneke Block. It will be noted that this differs somewhat from the suggestion made by the Judge, inasmuch as it confines the inquiry to the particular parties and shares affected. R. N. Jones, Deputy Chief Judge. Native Land Court, Rawene, 4th May, 1911. The Chief Judge, Native Land Court, Wellington. Whakanekeneke Block : Reference for Inquiry and Report in Terms of Section 28 of the Native Land Claims Adjtistment Act, 1910. Sir — I have the honour to report that I duly held an inquiry here on the 2nd instant. Both parties were represented before me, but no facts were elicted beyond those appearing in the records of the Court and Native Department. lam not clear why any further report was required. The matter was fully reported on by the President of the Tokerau District Maori Land Board (Judge Browne) on the sth February, 1907. For your convenience I attach a copy of that report, the original of which appears attached to Native Department file 08/533. I would also direct your attention to the reports on that file from the Registrar at Auckland. Judge Browne's report correctly sets out the facts, and I agree generally with the views expressed by him. It appears from the lists of names, however, that the petitioners, through their children, received some eighty shares in No. 3 parcel in addition to the figures given in the report, while Te Tawa, one of the other party, through her children, received some seventy shares more than the 325 mentioned. This, however, does not affect the position, as there still remains the most extraordinary disproportion.