H.—lB

XCV

13. In respect to the amendment of the Commissions of Inquiry Act : Your Commissioners are unanimously of the opinion that section 2 of the Act should be amended to widen its scope. This section provides at present for Commissions reporting "upon any question arising out of the administration of the Government, or of the working of any existing law, or regarding the necessity or expediency of any proposed legislation, or concerning the conduct of any officer in the public service." As some doubt was expressed as to the validity of the powers of the Commission, we recommend, in order to remove all doubt, that section 2 should be made wide enough to cover any similar inquiry in the future. The Commission wish to place on record their sense of the admirable manner in which the secretary, Mr. J. W. Collins, has discharged his duties. The Commissioners feel that the concise and systematic way in which the secretary prepared the work for them during the short recess greatly expedited the compilation of the finding. The complete analysis of the evidence prepared by him proved invaluable, and assisted greatly in weighing and sifting the evidence expeditiously. In witness whereof we have hereunder set our hands and seals, this thirtieth day of August, in the year nineteen hundred and twelve. Edward Tbeg-ear. A. Fairbairn. Edwin Hall. James Hight. Geo. W. Leadley. W. G. McDonald. J. Robertson. W. A. Veitch.

Commissions of Inquiry.

Secretarial duties.