5

C.—3

COMMISSION. Appointing Commissioners to inquire into Question or Coal-workings at Brunnerton and Wallsend. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to Sir James Hector, of Wellington, in the Colony of New Zealand, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George; Ridley William Moody, of Auckland, in the said colony, Esquire; and William Brown, of Dunedin, in the said colony, Esquire,— Greeting : Whereas representations have been made to me to the effect that certain extensive and valuable collieries in the Cobden and Bruunerton-Mawheranui districts of the said colony cannot at present be profitably worked, in view of the high charges to the lessees of the said collieries in respect of rents and royalties payable to the Crown, and the cost of haulage of the coal by rail to the Port of Greymouth : And whereas it is expedient that a Commission should be issued for the purpose of inquiring into the correctness or otherwise of the said representations, and for other the purposes hereinafter mentioned ; Now, therefore, know ye that I, William Hillier, Earl of Onslow, the Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, reposing trust and confidence in your knowledge, integrity, and ability, and by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said colony, do hereby constitute and appoint you, the said Sir James Hector, Ridley William Moody, and William Brown, to be Commissioners for the purpose of making inquiry into the representations hereinbefore referred to, and into the several other matters mentioned in these presents : — 1. As to the extent to which the work in the said coal-mines in the Cobden and Bruu-nerton-Mawheranui districts aforesaid has been interrupted and intermittent from various causes, and the nature of such causes of interruption. 2. As to whether, in your opinion, any steps can reasonably be taken by or on behalf of the Crown, or the lessees of the said coal-mines, or the miners, in the shape of better provision for storing coal or otherwise, in order to prevent or reduce the interruptions in the working hitherto subsisting. 3. As to the rates of wages which it has been possible for the miners engaged in the said coal-mines to earn, shortly before and since the month of March of this year, under the several conditions subsisting in respect of such mines as to the prices paid for hewing or getting the coal, and the regulations as to the size of coal to be produced, and all other regulations or conditions affecting the winning or obtaining the coal from the said mines by the miners; and also as to the wages which such miners did earn prior to and since the said period. 4. As to the cost per ton to the lessees at various times (including rents and royalties, and railway- and sea-carriage) of producing and delivering Greymouth coal at the chief ports of New Zealand and Australia, and the prices obtainable by the lessees for such coal at such ports. The cost of the lessees' head-office administration chargeable to Greymouth mines. The total annual export for some years in the past, and probable export in the future. The probable total quantity of coal made accessible by the lessees' existing works, machinery, and appliances. The market-value of such of the said works, machinery, and appliances as have been from time to time in use, corresponding with the annual exports hereinbefore mentioned. The return which the lessees have been getting from time to time, and could probably get in the future, as interest on the market-value of the works, machinery, and appliances in use as aforesaid. 5. As to whether the processes adopted in working the said coal-mines or any of them, or the general administration thereof, could be so improved as to yield better results in the 2—C. 3.