No. 242.—Petition of Wepiha Apanui and 55 Others (No. 2).

Petitioners desire the restrictions upon the alieation of their land at Whakatane to be removed.

I am directed to report as follows:—

That this is one of a series of petitions where the names in the grant are only entered as trustees for a tribe. These grantees not unfrequently let the land, and appropriate the rent to their own use. Legislation is needful for the purpose of fixing individual interests. Merely to take off restrictions is not the course to be adopted. The Committee recommends the subject to the early attention of Government.