G.—lo.

was thought that if steps were not taken at once to control and check the advance of the weed it would infest the whole district and take possession of the farm lands. It was therefore decided to enclose the flats on both sides of the mouth of the Motu River, and to stock the same with sheep. Two items only appear in the statement of expenditure on the Maraenui Section to the 31st March, 1932, one for fencing-material and the other for the purchase of sheep. The further story of the experiment falls into the succeeding financial year. Mr. Royal has prepared a statement showing the extent and state of the pastures on the various sections of the Te Kaha scheme as at the end of March, 1932, which may be given here ; also of the stock carried. But it must not be taken as a set-off to the expenditure stated above, although the value of the lands and stock, subject to liabilities known to exist but not closely assessed, may be regarded as security for the expenditure of State funds. The following table shows the areas in pasture or prepared for pasture at 31st March, 1932 : —

The following table shows the live-stock depasturing on the above lands at the same date

For the closer supervision and management of the various sections of this scheme two foremen were appointed, Weihana Delamere, of Maraenui, for the Maraenui and Omaio Sections, with occasional oversight of matters at Te Kaha, and Hirini Waititi for the Whangaparaoa Section. Mr. T. Wilkinson was transferred from the Public Works Department at the beginning of 1932 and was attached to Mr. Rangi Royal as surveyor for the Bay of Plenty group of development schemes, with headquarters at Ruatoki. To complete the supervision staff one of the accountants in the Rotorua office has been detailed to this group of schemes and accompanies the field officers to pay out wages. "D." TAIRAWHITI MAORI LAND DISTRICT. This district extends from Cape Runaway eastwards to Hicks Bay, thence follows the coast-line to the Waikari River, south of Mohaka, thence turns inland to the south-east boundary of the Urewera Country, and thence follows the south and eastern boundary of the Waiariki Maori Land district to Cape Runaway. Within its confines are the fertile grazing lands of the East Coast, Poverty Bay, and Wairoa, and what remains of the tribal territories of the Ngati-Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Rongowhakaata, and the northern section of Ngati-Kahungunu. The story of Maori farming on the East Coast has been told elsewhere. Parliamentary reports have recounted the settlement of lands at Tolaga Bay, Poverty Bay, and Wairoa, and the events which led to the creation of special trusts to liquidate the affairs of Maori estates and to administer what remained of the assets —the East Coast Trust, the Wi Pere Trust, and the Mangatu Incorporation. The development legislation of 1929 found the lands that remained to the Maori tribes of that part of the Tairawhiti district which lies south of the County of Waiapu either under lease to Europeans, or under the control of the East Coast Commissioner, or of special trustees, or of the management committees of incorporated blocks. Small scattered holdings were occupied in various ways by the owners thereof, most of whom received some assistance from the Native Trustee, the Maori Land Board, banks, stock and station agents, or dairy companies. The largest extent of undeveloped or partially developed land of this southern part of the land district was at Mohaka, and the position of that land was complicated by the sale of undivided interests to the Crown.

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I a ,. , c , , Good to Fair „ T1 , Pastured by Prepared for Section of Scheme. pasture> Poor Pasture. Scheme. I Pasture. Maraenui .. .. .. .. 120 Omaio .. .. .. .. 52 65 556 115 Te Kaha proper .. .. 741 620 .. 292 Te Wai-iti .. .. .. 300 250 Orete .. .. .. .. 389 964 .. 168| Whangaparaoa .. .. .. 213 316 .. 136J Total .. .. .. 1,695 2,335 556 712

Section of Scheme. Milkers. ! Springers. Yearlings. Bulls. Heroes Sheep. Butterfat £ Maraenui .. ,. .. .. .. .. • • 986 Omaio .. .. Not available. Te Kaha proper .. 487 114 52 18 45 .. 1,932 TeWai-iti .. ..65 18 25 1 10 1,200 416 Orete .. .. 221 53 76 12 38 450 982 Whangaparaoa .. 75 12 21 5 9 500 276 Total .. 848 197 174 36 102 3,136 3,606