C—3a

1924. NEW ZEALAND.

TIMBER ROYALTIES COMMISSION (REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

COMMISSION. Jellicoe, Governor-General. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to John Strauchon, Esquire, of Wellington : Greeting. In pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities vested in me by section forty of the Finance Act, 1921-22, and the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, and of all other powers and authorities enabling me in this behalf, I, John Kushworth, Viscount Jellieoe, Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, do hereby appoint you, the said John Strauchon, to be a Commission to inquire and report upon the extent to which local authorities may have incurred or may incur loss of revenue from royalties consequent on the passing of the Forests Act, 1921-22, and upon the provision which should consequently be made from the revenues of the State Forest Service or otherwise, and generally to inquire into and report upon such other matters relating thereto as may come under your notice in the course of your inquiries and whicli you consider require to be investigated in connection therewith. And you are hereby authorized to conduct any inquiries under these presents at such times and places as you deem expedient, with power to adjourn from time to time and place to place as you think lit, and to call before you and examine on oath or otherwise such persons as you think capable of affording you information as to the matters aforesaid, and to call for and examine all such books, papers, plans, writings, documents, or records as you deem likely to afford you information on any such matters. And, using all due diligence, you are required to report to me under your hand and seal not later than the twenty-third day of July, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three, your recommendation on the aforesaid matters. And you are hereby strictly charged and directed that you shall not at any time publish or otherwise disclose save to me in pursuance of these presents or by my direction the contents or purport of any report so made or to be made by you. And it is hereby declared that these presents shall continue in force although the inquiry is not regularly continued from time to time or from place to place. And, lastly, it is hereby further declared that these presents are issued under and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908.

I—C. 3a.