Crown Purchase of Interests in Awaiti i Subdivisions and Awaiti 2
Following the definition of interests of the 182 owners in the block,19 Awaiti I was partitioned into io subdivisions in October 1898:
Awaiti 17 owners
Awaiti TB, 39 owners
Awaiti IC, 120 acres 1 rood, 2 owners
Awaiti 74 owners
Awaiti tE, 4 owners
Awaiti IF, 400 acres, 12 owners
Awaiti 1G, 411 acres, 12 owners
Awaiti 1H, 53 owners
Awaiti II,
Awaiti 4343 acres, 71 owners
In October 1898 the owners of 3540 acres of Awaiti block offered the land for sale to the Crown in a letter to Gilbert Mair, the land purchase officer in Thames.
There are between 3o and 4o owners, I am told, and all will sign. ...
I think one uniform price should be adopted for all these lands. The natives ask 7/6, but 6/-, the price given for land of similar quality and near to, is ample."
But the Surveyor General considered that
5/- is quite enough for this land. If Government obtained it, it could not be used until much more land has been acquired.21
The following month Mair advised that the owners were anxious to have a reply to their offer,22 but the response to Mair was that
For the present at all events Awaiti purchase is declined. Let Waitakaruru have all your attention. It was principally on account of Waitakaruru that you were sent to the Thames in the first instance, and we will have to explain hereafter if any private purchaser gets in front of us.23
In March 1899 Mair explained that
The native owners of Te Awaiti No z, that is the northern end containing some 6000 acres, are constantly inquiring if Government will be prepared to entertain their offer to sell. The title is, I believe, quite clear, but the dividing line has not yet been cut.24
It was ascertained that there would be no difficulty in preparing a plan for deed purposes, so Mair was told that he could purchase any of the subdivisions of Awaiti apart from Awaiti z, Awaiti 4 being already Crown Land.
19 Hauraki Minute Book 49 pages 79-80. Supporting Papers #J56.1-2.
2°Land Purchase Officer Thames to Chief Land Purchase Officer, iz October 1898. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1905/39. Supporting Papers #B154.14.
21 Surveyor General to Chief Land Purchase Officer, zi October 1898, on cover sheet to file NLP 1898/173. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1905/39. Supporting Papers #B154.15.
22 Telegram Land Purchase Officer Thames to Chief Land Purchase Officer, 18 November 1898. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1905/39. Supporting Papers #B154.16.
23 Telegram Chief Land Purchase Officer to Land Purchase Officer Thames, 18 November 1898. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1905/39. Supporting Papers #B154.16.
24 Land Purchase Officer Thames to Chief Land Purchase Officer, 27 March 1899. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1905/39. Supporting Papers #B154.17-zo.
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