No. 1.
Copy of a letter from Mr. A. Mackay, to the Under Secretary Native Department.

Sir,—

I have the honour to enclose herewith a tracing of the Native reserve at Arahura, showing the lines of road laid through it by the County Government, who have seen fit, owing to an imaginary right on their part to intersect the property with a perfect net work of roads and other thoroughfares, thereby rendering the land, if some of these lines are carried out, comparatively useless for occupation.

The Government appear to imagine that, because an excess of 560 acres was made for road purposes when the reserve was laid off, in excess of the area of 2000 acres the Natives are legally entitled to, it has a right to step in and lay off lines of road any where through the property, whether the land is occupied or not.

The railway line, as shown on the enclosed tracing occupies an area of fully 100 acres of the best land in the reserve, and there are other roads laid off to the extent of 170 acres.

I have written to the Chief Surveyor, protesting against many of these lines of road being carried over the reserve, especially the line for the railway, and I would beg to suggest, without wishing to throw any obstacle in the way of the County Government forming necessary roads over the Native reserves, that, if under the plea of being entitled, owing to an excess of 560 acres having been included in the reserve, to step in and lay off roads and other lines of thoroughfare, without considering the interests of the property; the Government should take back the 560 acres, off the upper end of the reserve—this being the only place they could legally claim to take it—and so reduce the reserve to its page 44original size, in order that the Natives may enjoy the full benefit of the block to which, they are entitled without fear of encroachment for the future.