G.—6

1931. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT AND NATIVE LAND CLAIMS ADJUSTMENT ACT, 1928. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 102 OF 1928, OF RANGIHAWE TE KAHO, RELATIVE TO OKAHU BLOCK.

Presented to Parliament in 'pursuance of the Provisions of Section 50 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1928.

Native Department, Wellington, 3rd March, 1931. Petition No. 102 of 1928. —Okahu Block. Pursuant to section 50 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1928, I enclose herewith report of the Court upon the above petition. In view of the opinion expressed by the Court in the report, I have no recommendation to make. R. N. Jones, Chief Judge. The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington.

Office of the Aotea District Maori Land Board, Wanganui, 28th November, 1930. Okaliu Block (289 Acres). I have the honour to inform you that the Court sitting at Hawera on the Ist, 2nd, and sth July, 1929, held the inquiry directed by you into petition No. 102 of 1928, of Rangihawe te Kaho, praying that inquiry be made into, the rights of descendants of Te Kaho to be included in title to Grant 3749, Okahu Block, and I beg to report as follows : — After the completion of the inquiry, the matter was postponed to enable a search to lie made in Wellington for the purpose of ascertaining if there were any information available relating to the matter other than that placed before the Court. No further information has, so far,°been produced. The area of the land is 289 acres, and the title is a Crown grant dated the 22nd May. 1882, in favour of Katene Tuwhakaruru, Rangiwhetu, Kaitana, Rangimahu, Karere, P.ipi, Karere Omahuru, and Kaho or Raho. The question for inquiry was as to whether the descendants of one, Te Kaho, are entitled to be included in the grant for the block, and incidentally whether there were not other persons entitled as well. . It appears from the information brought before the Court that Okahu and the adjacent lands belonged originally to the Ngaruahine Tribe, of which there were six main hapus —viz., Okahu, Inuawai, Ngatimanuhiakai, Ngatitu, Ngatihaua, and Omuturangi; and that each hapu was as nearly as possible located by the Roval Commission on its own particular part of the tribal lands, each part being called bv the name of the hapu to which it was allotted. According to the evidence of the Reverend R". T. Haddon, the Okahu hapu was one of the largest on the Waingongoro River, and the Okahu Block was the site of their pa, Okahuiti. It was admitted by the petitioners that when the Royal Commission sat in 1880 to inquire as to what land should be granted to the Okahu hapu, the majority of the members were adherents of Te Whiti and refused to appear before the Commission, and were therefore omitted from the title to the land granted ; but it was contended that the grant was for the hapu, and that the grantees were merely trustees. In support of this contention the Court was referred to a state-