G.—6g

1936. NEW ZEALAND,

THE NATIVE PURPOSES ACT, 1935. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION No. 225, OF 1933, OF RANGI TUANUI TAMIHANA AND OTHERS, PRAYING THAT THE NATIVE LAND COURT BE AUTHORIZED AND EMPOWERED TO INVESTIGATE THE TITLE TO, AND ASCERTAIN THE OWNERS OF, THE PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND KNOWN AS PART SECTION 65, TURANGANUI BLOCK, IN THE WAIRARAPA DISTRICT.

Presented to Parliament in pursuance of the Provisions of Section 22 of the Native Purposes Act, 1935.

Native Land Court (Chief Judge's Office), Wellington, C. 1, 30th July, 1936. The Right Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Petition No. 225, of 1933.—Turanganui Block. Pursuant to section 22 of the Native Purposes Act, 1935, I herewith transmit the report of the Native Land Court upon the matters referred to in the above-mentioned petition. In view of that report I have no recommendation to make. R. N. Jones, Chief Judge.

In the Native Land Court of New Zealand, Ikaroa District. —In the matter of section 22 of the Native Purposes Act, 1935; and in the matter of Petition No. 225, of 1933, of Rangi Tuanui Tamihana and others, praying that the Native Land Court be authorized and empowered to investigate the title to, and ascertain the owners of, the piece or parcel of land known as part Section 65, Turanganui Block, in the Wairarapa District. At a sitting of the Court held at Wellington on the first day of July, 1936, before JoĪn Harvey, Esquire, Judge. Upon a reference by His Honour the Chief Judge of the said petition for inquiry, the following report is submitted: — (1) The land, the subject of this petition, is not as stated in the petition part of Section 65 on the plan of the Turanganui Block. The said Section 65 was on the 20th day of January, 1863, granted, by Crown grant, to Eaniera te Iho te Rangi; and although its boundary-line at one point touches the land now in question it does not actually include any of it. (2) The land now in question is an area of about 200 acres situated at and forming what might be termed the delta of the Turanganui River at its confluence with the Ruamahanga River, which in that locality acts as the channel between the upper and lower Wairarapa lakes (Wairarapa and Onoke, or Wairarapa Moana North and Wairarapa Moana South). (3) The land is not papatipu land, but is Crown land held under an order of the Native Land Court dated the 14th January, 1896, vesting it as part of the land known as Wairarapa Moana in Her Majesty the Queen for an estate of inheritance in fee-simple. (4) At this stage the following remarks dealing with the land must be made: — The original title for Wairarapa Moana was a certificate of title under the Native Land Court Act, 1880, made on the 13th November, 1883, for an area of 24,590 acres. As hereinbefore stated, this area was vested in Her Majesty on the 14th January, 1896.