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in this behalf, and acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion do hereby constitute and appoint you, the said The Honourable Sir Harold Featherston Johnston, K.C., to be a Commission to inquire into and report upon : (1) Whether, having regard to all the conditions and circumstances surrounding the finding of the Electra aircraft and the recovery of the bodies therefrom, there was any undue or improper withholding of information from, or the imposition of any undue or improper restrictions upon Press reporters in obtaining information and photographs for the purpose of publication by the newspapers they represented. (2) If so, by whose orders or directions was such information withheld or restrictions imposed ? (3) Whether arising out of the present inquiry it is expedient or practicable to lay down any general principles as to the privileges or freedom or obligations of the Press in similar circumstances. And you are hereby authorized to conduct any inquiry 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 fit, and to call before you and to 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 papers and reports as you deem likely to afford you the fullest information on any such matters : And, using all due diligence, you are required to report to me not later than the thirty-first day of December, one thousand nine hundred and forty-eight, your finding and opinion on the matter aforesaid together with such recommendations as you think fit to make in respect thereof: 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, tlie contents or purport of any report so made or to be made by you : And it is hereby declared that this Commission shall continue in full force although the inquiry be not regularly continued by adjournments 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. Given under the hand of His Excellency the Govern or-General [l.s.] of the Dominion of New Zealand, and issued under the Seal of that Dominion, this 13th day of December, 1948. W. NASH, For the Prime Minister. Approved in Council — T. J. SHERRARD, Clerk of the Executive Council.

9.