H.—42.

1917. NEW ZEALAND.

MUNICIPAL LEASES COMMISSION (REPORT OF THE); TOGETHER MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Presented to both /louses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

COMMISSION TO INQUIRE INTO AND REPORT AS TO THE OPERATION OF THE PROVISIONS OP SECTION 137 OF THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT, 1908, AND IN PARTICULAR AS TO ITS OPERATION IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN LEASES GRANTED BY THE WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL; AND FURTHER TO INQUIRE INTO AND REPORT AS TO THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE LEASING-POWERS CONFERRED ON BOROUGH COUNCILS BY THE SAID ACT. Liverpool, Governor. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to the Honourable John Henry Hosking, a Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand ; Charles P. Thomas, Esquire, of Auckland ; and William Milne, Esquire, of Oamaru : Greeting. Whereas it is enacted by section one hundred and thirty-seven of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, that every valuation made under paragraph (b) of section one hundred and thirty-six of the said Act (relating to the grant and renewal of leases by Borough Councils) shall be made by three independent persons, one to be appointed by the Corporation, one by the lessee, his executors, administrators, or assigns, and the third by such two appointed persons : And whereas by section one hundred and forty of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1915, after a recital that the system of arbitration prescribed by section one hundred and thirty-seven of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, was under the consideration of the Government with a view to amending legislation proposed to be passed during the then next session of Parliament, it was enacted that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, or in any of the leases to which the said section one hundred and forty relates (being leases granted by the Wellington. City Council), no valuation in respect of any of those leases should be made in the manner prescribed by section one hundred and thirty-seven of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, after the passing of the Eeserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1915, and

I—H. 42.