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07/3018; 170/53. 28th May, 1907. Gentlemen, — Taupo Totara Timber Company's Tramway. Immediately on receipt of your letter of the 20th instant I referred the draft Order re the above to the Croxvn Laxv Officers for their concurrence, and they now advise that under section 6 of the Second Schedule of the Tramways Act, 1894, the Order must not only specify the nature of the traffic, but also the tolls and charges which may be demanded and taken in respect of the same. They consider clauses 6 and 7 of the proposed Order are not sufficiently definite to meet these requirements, either as to goods or passengers. Under the circumstances I shall be glad if you xvill kindly amplify the clauses referred to to meet the objections of the Laxv Officers, and xvhen done forxvard a draft of the amended clauses to this office for approval. Please also comply xvith the last paragraph of my letter of the 17th instant, asking for an intimation from the Piako County Council that they do not desire to join in the application for the Order. I have, &c, H. J. H. Bloxv, Under-Secretary. Messrs. Findlay, Dalziell, and Co., Solicitors, Wellington.

07/3018; 171/621. Public Works Department, Wellington, 19th July, 1907. Gentlemen, —■ Taupo Totara Timber Company's Tramway. . The draft Order to authorize the above tramxvay under the Tramways Act, 1894, having been amended to meet the Croxvn Law Officers' views, the same has now been finally passed by them. A copy of the Order is returned herewith, and I shall be glad if you will kindly forxvard to this office two copies of same printed on parchment for the signature of His Excellency the Governor, and twenty-four copies on cream-laid paper for this Department's use. I have not yet received the intimation from the Piako County Council that they do not desire to join in the application for the Order. Please forward as early as possible. I have, &c, H. J. 11. Blow, Under-Secretary (Per A. H. K.). Messrs. Findlay, Dalziell, and Co., Solicitors, Wellington.

Public Works Department, Wellington, N.Z., 6th September, 1912. Sir, — Re Taupo Timber Company's Tramway. 1 have the honour to forxvard herexvith for your information a copy of the letters which I read to your Commission this morning. W. S. Short, Assistant Under-Secretary, The Chairman, Taupo Totara Petition Committee, L Committee-room, House of Representatives.

EXHIBIT No. 2. [Original Petition.] In Parliament, Nexv Zealand. To the Honourable the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives of Nexv Zealand in Parliament assembled. May it please your Honourable House, — The humble petition of the Taupo Totara Timber Company (Limited), a company duly incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1882, and having its' registered office in Putaruru, Auckland, showeth : — 1. That xvith the viexv of working large areas of timber-country in the Taupo district your petitioners in conjunction with the Wellington Industrial Development Company (Limited), constructed a tramway fifty miles in length from Putaruru (on the Morrinsville-Rotorua line) to Mokai, which is run under the authority of an Order in Council dated the 29th day of January, 1908, and made under the Tramways Act, 1894, fixing the maximum rates for passengers and goods. 2. This line is distant twenty miles from the Toxvn of Taupo. An extension to that town, connecting with the steamer service on Lake Taupo, xvould at once tap the entire district, and xx-ould lead to a large amount of settlement that at present is impossible. The cost of cartage of the necessaries of settlement and of products for markets and export renders settlement under present conditions virtually impossible. 3. That the area beneficially affected by a Putaruru-Taupo line is about two million acres (2,000,000 ac), of which eight hundred thousand acres (800,000 ac.) are Native lands, and three hundred and fifty thousand acres (350,000 ac.) Croxvn lands. This huge territory is lying undeveloped, and is in no sufficient degree contributing its due share to the production, prosperity, and taxation of the Dominion. 4. That the demand for the opening-up of available land for settlement is so great and incessant that your petitioners believe the bringing-in of the Taupo country for settlement would