H.—3o.

3

(Limited), Gisborne, stating when and where the Commission would commence its sittings. Vestey Bros. (Limited) were not formally cited as a party to the proceedings, and no counsel asked leave to appear 011 their behalf. Inspection op Certain Documents. It was deemed necessary to inspect certain letters, cablegrams, and copies of letters, and certain statements of account, belonging to the Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited), (generally referred to as the " Admiral Codrington file ") 011 certain conditions agreed to by the counsel engaged, and we have also had access to and inspected certain files, including confidential files, of the National Bank of New Zealand (Limited). We have perused a copy of the letters and cablegrams supplied as having passed between the representatives of Vesteys in New Zealand and Vest' vs in England relative to the sale and purchase of the freezing-works and other properties of the Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited), referred to in the order of reference. Evidence. Evidence in support of the charges of Mr. Lysnar and the complaints of the Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited), was presented at very considerable length. The evidence led by the other counsel engaged was also of a considerable length. At Gisborne certain witnesses not called by any of the counsel engaged desired to be heard, and their evidence was duly taken. Inspection of Premises. Your Commissioners deemed it necessary during their stay at Gisborne to go through the Waipaoa works and to inspect the land said to have been purchased by Vesteys as an alternative site for the Taruheru works. We also inspected the site of the now dismantled Taruheru works, and the location of the Kaiti works and the buildings, accommodation yards, and paddocks belonging to same. Definitions. With a view to saving some time and space we propose, 011 certain occasions to refer to — A meat-export slaughterhouse as a " slaughterhouse " or " freezing-works " : A license issued in respect of a meat-export slaughterhouse under the provisions of the Slaughtering and Inspection Act, 1908, and its amendments as a " license," or " slaughterhouse license " : The Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited) as the " Waipaoa Company," or " Mr. Lysnar's company " : The freezing-works which did belong to this company as the " Waipaoa works " or " Mr. Lysnar's works " : The Gisborne Sheep-farmers' Frozen Meat and Mercantile Company (Limited) as the " Kaiti works " : Nelson Bros. (N.Z.) Limited as " Vesteys " : The freezing-works at Taruheru which did belong to Nelson Bros. (N.Z.) Limited as the " Taruheru works " : The Slaughtering and Inspection Act, 1918, as the " Act of 1918 " : The s.s. " Admiral Codrington " as the " Codrington " : The New Zealand Meat-producers' Board as " the Meat Board." Prefatory Kemarks. We propose in our report to follow as closely as possible the sequence in which the questions are set out in the order of reference. Before dealing specifically with the particular questions we think it necessary to make a few prefatory remarks.