G.—6c.

1936. NEW ZEALAND.

THE NATIVE PURPOSES ACT, 1934. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 136 OF 1934, OF TE KATA TAMIHANA AND OTHERS PRAYING FOR RECTIFICATION OF TITLES OF NATIVE RESERVES IN TOWN OF ROTORUA.

Presented to Parliament in pursuance of Section 9 of the Native Purposes Act, 1934.

Chief Judge's Office, Native Land Court, Wellington, 21st May, 1936. The Right Hon. Native Minister, Wellington. C+ss, Petition No. 136 of 1934« Rotorua Native Reserve. Pursuant to section 9 of the Native Purposes Act, 1934, I herewith transmit the report of the Court herein. The Court has found that the reserve was intended for Ngatiwhakaue alone, and that the names of Ngati Wewehi and Ngati Uenuku Kopako were introduced by mistake. The mistake has been remedied by legislation, and the Chief Judge has no recommendation to make. n R. N. Jones, Chief Judge. p?" 1 -- In the Native Land Court of New I c Waiariki District.» ■ Jn the matter of section 9 of the Native Purposes Act, 1934, and of Petition No. 136 of 1934, with respect to reserves set aside for Natives in the Township of Rotorua. Report of Court. —The Court begs to submit the following report on the inquiry held by it relative to the above petition: — 1. This petition refers to an area of 20 acres set aside for Natives after the sale of the Township to the Crown. 2. The genesis of the setting aside is explained in a memorandum by the SurveyorGeneral dated 11th January, 1897— " It has only recently been discovered that a promise is in existence to the Native sellers of the Rotorua Block that an area of 20 acres shall be set aside for their use within the boundaries of the township block. Following are the terms of the promise: ' When the title of the Crown is complete a reserve of 20 acres to be selected by the Crown in one or more places within the block as the Crown may think fit shall be made for the vendors to be an inalienable reserve for themselves and their children.' " 3. The promise is corroborated by another document which is as follows: — " This is to certify that Eruera Aramo Karaka is entitled to have his name inserted in the Crown grant of the reserve of 20 acres promised to the owners of Pukeroa-o-Ruauhata who have conveyed their interest to the Crown. — T. W. Lewis, Under-Secretary, Rotorua, 11th December, 1889." 4. It will be noted in both these cases that the reserves are to be for the vendors to the Crown which implies that they must be owners in the title of the Pukeroa-Oruawhata Block.