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An Epitome of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

No. 4. — Mr. J. A.Wilson, Land Purchase Officer, to the Hon. the Native Minister

No. 4.
Mr. J. A.Wilson, Land Purchase Officer, to the Hon. the Native Minister.

East Coast arid Bay of Plenty.—Land Transactions. Land Purchase Office, Gisborne, 10th June, 1875.

Sir,—

I have the honor to report, as Land Purchase Officer for the East Coast and Bay of Plenty Districts, that, during the financial year now about to close, an unusual amount of business has been done, and that the following transactions have taken place.

page 388
1.Former Negotiations Completed.—I would refer to negotiations of the previous year that have been completed in this. Motu and Waikohu Matawai Blocks come under this head. The former is a lease of 68,482 acres; term, fifty years. The latter is a lease for 43,479 acres; term, twenty-five years. These blocks have finally passed the Native Lands Court, and have been awarded to the Natives with whom I had dealt. The Natives, two only excepted, have ratified the preliminary agreements under which they received advances in previous years. The deed for Motu is at Wellington, and that for Waikohu Matawai will be there before the end of this month. The rent for these blocks, as shown in my returns, will, I think, be considered moderate. The average rent on the nearer block is £3 9s. 9d. per 1,000 acres per annum. The average rent on Motu, which is more remote, is £2 17s. 1d. per 1,000 acres per annum.
2.Purchases of Country Lands made this Year.—During the period under report I have made extensive purchases of lands at reasonable rates in the district extending from Poverty Bay to Tokomaru and the Watershed of Upper Waiapu. Although these purchases are in many blocks, yet they may be classified according to price in manner following:—
Price.
Estimated Acreage. s. d.
44,000 1 0
104,000, partly surveyed 2 0
7,660, surveyed 2 10
4,000 unfixed.
159,660

On these lands I have advanced moneys, in various sums, to the extent of £2,166, being about 3⅛d. per acre. These lands are of the same character and quality as the numerous sheep runs that fringe the coast line from Poverty Bay to Tokomaru,—hilly but good, and well adapted to sheep; some of this country is open, some covered with scrub, and some with light bush. There is, however, but little valuable timber on the ground, which is to be regretted, as the whole is suited to settlement in its agricultural and pastoral forms. The surveys, so far as they have progressed, show that the area of this fine country has not been over estimated, the natural outlets to which are at Gisborne and Tologa Bay.

Leases of Country Lands made this Year.—I have also to report that, in addition to the above-mentioned 160,000 acres of purchased lands, I have leased 133,000 acres for forty years, surveys in progress, and 98,000 acres for thirty years, surveys in progress: making a total of 231,000 acres leased this year. The annual rent on these lands is uniform, amounting as nearly as possible to £1,500, which is rather less than £6 10s. per 1,000 acres per annum. In all cases, the advances are to be recouped out of the rent, the payment for which will not commence until the Government shall have received a title through the Court. The character and quality of the leased lands is hardly as even as that of the purchased; some of the leased land is well situated and very superior, and some is more remote and rugged. The leased and purchased lands adjoin each other, so as in one case to form a block of 247,000 acres, extending from within six miles of Gisborne to the Ngatiporou boundary in Upper Waiapu, and from the upper branches of Waipaoa or Turanga River to the back line of Mr. Arthur's run, on the coast at Tokomaru. The natural outlets to these lands are at Tokomaru, Tologa, Gisborne, and Wairoa. In every agreement to lease, there is a covenant by which the Natives bind themselves not to sell the freehold during the term of lease to any person other than the Government. Advances on these leases to the extent of £1,808 have been rendered necessary by the keen competition of certain influential Europeans in this district, who, regardless of the prior claims and moneys advanced by the Government, and of warnings received to that effect, have made advances also, and have obtained authorized surveys on lands negotiated and surveyed by the Government. I do not, however, propose to occupy your valuable time on these and other unjustifiable encroachments on the public domain, having already reported to you fully on all such cases in my letters Nos. 51–75, 53–75, 48–75.

  • 4. Purchases of Town Lands made this Year.—I have to report that I have purchased the township site at Tologa Bay, the same being situated at the entrance to Uawa River, and is in fact the only ground available for the purpose. The European portion of the village at Tologa has always been upon this land. The site is not extensive, being little over 400 acres, the title-deed to 252 acres of which is now in the hands of the Government at Wellington. I regret that the balance of this valuable land (properly called Mangarara No. 2) appears for the present to be classed in the category of lands unjustifiably interfered with by Europeans, vide my letter No. 48–75. In this, however, as in similar cases, I have applied for the statutory protection afforded by the 42nd clause of "The Immigration and Public Works Act Amendment Act, 1871."

The money paid on the township site at Tologa amounts, on the portion to which the title is secure, i.e. on the

Township proper, to£637181
Mangarara No. 2, to338311
97620
  • 5. Purchases and Leases of former Years still Incomplete.—The area of lands coming under this head is 132,000 acres; the number of blocks four, one of them being in Poverty Bay and three in the Bay of Plenty. The amount of money advanced in each case is £90, £20, £10, and nil: total, £120. This sum is amply secured in the interests on which it has been advanced.

It would be too much to expect to escape opposition in a district where the land is good, and where it may not have been advisable to apply the restrictive clauses of the Immigration and Public Works Acts. As a matter of fact, I have experienced an opposition from European owners than page 389which nothing could be more strenuous, partaking sometimes even of a personal character. Yet I have given no cause for such behaviour, for, excepting in the case of Puhatikotiko, the township site near the oil springs, ten miles inland of Ormond, I have not interfered with prior negotiations by Europeans. It is to be remarked, however, that embarrassments of the nature referred to have been mostly experienced by me among persons whose position and circumstances should have been a protection to the interests of the Government. When I came into this district to purchase land, the whole country at the back of the sheep runs on the coast was a terra incognita, as far as the Natives and myself were concerned. In some cases a human foot had scarcely ever passed over it, while in other localities no human being had seen the land for many generations. The only road was the coast road, and a few tracks, mostly sheep tracks, running a short distance inland. As the acquaintance, therefore, of the Natives of the present generation with its tribal boundaries was almost entirely of a traditionary kind, and as business could not be conducted satisfactorily on either side without data of a more certain nature to go upon, I deemed it necessary to explore this unknown district, in order to define the boundaries and areas, and to ascertain the quality and topographical character of the country. This exploration, though conducted in the summer season, proved to be a no less arduous undertaking than Sir James Alexander, in his last work on New Zealand, had predicted it would be. The service was ably performed by Captain Simpson, and the expense attending his explorations, amounting in all to £278 13s. 3d., has, I believe, been amply repaid to Government by the information gained, and the security and facilities afforded to the transactions of this department, no advances of importance being allowed by me until the character of the country had been ascertained.

Sir, before concluding this report, I beg most respectfully to thank you for the discretionary powers entrusted to me during the period in which these negotiations have been in progress, as I feel sure that these powers have contributed largely as an element of success to the extensive transactions and engagements that have been carried out by me on behalf of the Government during the year that is now about to expire.

I have, &c.,

J.A. Wilson,
Land Purchase Commissioner.

The Hon. Sir D. McLean, K.C.M.G., Native Minister, Wellington.