c.—s

14

Regulations under Section 193 of the Land Act, 1908, as published in the New Zealand. Gazette of the 27th May, 1909. That these be amended as necessitated by the amendment of the statute. Section in Enabling Bill. '' Whereas certain holders of licenses under the Regulations for the Occupation of Pastoral Lands in the Hauraki Mining District of lands not within the boundaries of the national-endowment area as described in the Fourth Schedule to the Land Act, 1908, have, in accordance with the provisions of section, one hundred and ninety-three of the Land Act, 1908, exchanged their licenses for renewable leases, being unaware of the fact that the land would in. consequence become subject to the provisions of Part VII of the Land Act, 1908, and could not therefore be disposed of in fee-simple: And whereas the said licensees had they not so exchanged would have acquired the right to obtain the fee-simple under the provisions of sections twenty-eight and twenty-nine of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913 : Be it therefore enacted as follows : The said licensees may at any time not later than, one year from the passing of this Act acquire the fee-simple of the land included in their leases at the like price and subject to like restrictions in all respects as if they had not exercised the right of exchange, anything to the contrary in. section two hundred and fifty-nine of the Land Act, 1908, notwithstanding."

And this our report we have the honour to submit to Your Excellency's consideration in obedience to the Commission to us addressed. Given under our hands, at Wellington, this thirty-first day of August, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen. John Strauchon, Chairman. D. H. Lusk. Albert Bruce (Subject to the reservations contained in my minority report attached, and marked A). F. T. Sandford, Secretary. 31st August, 1914.

A. MINORITY REPORT OF ALBERT BRUCE, A MEMBER OF A COMMISSION TO INQUIRE INTO CERTAIN MATTERS APPERTAINING TO THE TENURE OF LAND, AND THE TIMBER GROWING ON SAME, WITHIN THE HAURAKI MINING DISTRICT. To His Excellency the Right Honourable Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl « of Liverpool, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Member of the Royal Victorian. Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,— I have the honour to submit for Your Excellency's consideration the following matter relative to the Te Aroha Township (clause 6 of the order of reference of the above-mentioned Commission) wherein I am not in agreement with my colleagues in the finding on the question, with the exception that I agree with them that the holders of leases and licenses within the said township should be allowed to acquire the freehold of same. I am of opinion that legislation, should be passed withdrawing the Township of Te Aroha from the provisions of the Mining Act, as the expectations that led to the formation of the township under the said Act have, after thirty-four years of existence, not been realized ; in fact, no payable gold has been found nearer than. three miles from the township, and for at least a quarter of a century practically mining-work has ceased to be carried out in the vicinity, consequently for that period no miners have resided in the township, and the town is now supported by