You can purchase any of these blocks at 5/- per acre. Deal with each on a separate deed. I enclose lists of owners. At present I have not the names of trustees for minors but I will send them to you later on when obtained from the Native Land Court.
The question of the sale of the timber on No 2 to which you refer in your memo of the 24th [May 1889] will be looked into, meanwhile I would be glad if you supplied some further information on the subject.25
In July 1899 he commenced purchasing interests in Awaiti ID.26Most of the shares purchased were obtained between July and September 1899. All but two of the shares in Awaiti 1G were purchased in September 1899 (the second to last was purchased the following month).27 Four
shares in Awaiti ij were purchased in September and October 1899.28 All but one of the shares in Awaiti IF were purchased in October 1899.29Two shares in Te Awaiti rH were purchased in October and November 1899.30
Mair supplied the further information sought in July 1899.
Re Awaiti No 2, 3000 acres, and certain timber rights thereon claimed by RP Gibbons, the block passed the Native Land Court in 1894 and formed part of an area of some 18,000 acres. A rehearing was applied for which was dealt with in 1896 by Judges Butler and Edger, the original order being varied as to a portion of the block. Immediately after the Appellate Court gave its decision, Mr Gibbons of Kopu commenced to deal with the three owners, paying them some hundreds of pounds for the white pine timbers growing thereon. All the valuable timber on the adjoining blocks has been acquired in like manner by Messrs Gibbons and Bagnall. In order to evade the Native Land Court Act of 1894, a very cunningly drawn Deed has been used by which the owners contract to supply these Europeans with the timber or forfeit a nominal sum, and on making default the Europeans are empowered to enter upon the land and carry out the terms of the said contract which the native owners, as contractors, have failed to do. In 1897 a great fire swept over the 3000 acres and destroyed all the timber, and I very much doubt whether these Europeans will ever consider it worth their while to cut any of it, as white pine deteriorates so rapidly after being burned in this way. Apart from the loss of the timber, the land has been much improved by the fire as it is now drying up very quickly and grass is spreading through the burnt and fallen forest. If it can be purchased the natives would accept four (4/-) shillings an acre.3'
He was told that he could purchase Awaiti 2 for 4/- an acre, but, on the instructions of the Minister of Lands, he had to "first give notice to the Europeans in order that they may have an opportunity of protecting whatever rights they may claim over the timber".32
Mair gave notice to the two agents who had been working for Gibbons. These were James Mackay, who was working as a native agent in Paeroa, and a solicitor in Thames, AP Harper.33
25 Chief Land Purchase Officer to Land Purchase Officer Thames, 24 June 1899. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1905/39. Supporting Papers #B154.21.
31 Land Purchase Officer Thames to Chief Land Purchase Officer, 21 July 1899. Maori Affairs Head Office
file MLP 1905/39. Supporting Papers #13154.22-23.
32 Telegram Chief Land Purchase Officer to Land Purchase Officer Thames, 27 July 1899. Maori Affairs
Head Office file MLP 1905/39.Supporting Papers #B154.23.
33 Land Purchase Officer Thames to J Mackay, Paeroa and A Harper, Thames, 5 August 1899,attached to Land Purchase Officer Thames to Chief Land Purchase Officer, 3o September 1899. Maori Affairs Head Office file MLP 1905/39.Supporting Papers #B154.24-27.
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