C—l 6,

1914. NEW ZEALAND,

ROTORUA TENURES COMMISSION (REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency. COMMISSION. Liverpool, Governor. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to Frederick James Burgess, Esq., of Thames, Stipendiary Magistrate; and Frederick George Ewington, Esq., of Auckland, Land Agent. Greeting. Whereas it is desirable to inquire into the tenures under which land in the township and suburbs of Eotorua has been leased by the Crown, and into the subdivisions of the said leases, and to ascertain whether the orginal tenants and fheir transferees and sublessees should be allowed to acquire the fee-simple of the land held under lease or sublease by them, and, if so, under what conditions : Now know ye that, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, and all other powers and authorities enabling mc in this behalf, I, Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl of Liverpool, Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council thereof, do hereby appoint you, the said Frederick James Burgess and Frederick George Ewington, to be a Commission for the purpose of inquiring by all lawful means into the above matters, and for that purpose to inspect such of the said lands as you may deem desirable, and to report— 1. As to what leases have been issued by the Crown over land belonging to the Crown in the town and suburbs of Eotorua under the authority of the Thermal Springs Act, 1881, the Land Act, 1892, or any other enactment of the General Assembly or purporting to be issued under any lawful authority. 2. The approximate expenditure of public money between the Ist April, 1890, and the 30th March, 1914, on permanent works within the town and suburbs of Eotorua, and what proportion of the increase in the unimproved value of the land held as aforesaid is due to such expenditure. 3. Whether it is desirable in the interests of the State that any of the holders of the aforesaid lands should be allowed to acquire the fee-simple thereof, or whether the Crown should itself retain the freehold and only allow the land to be held on leasehold tenure. If it is desirable to allow the fee-simple of any of the aforesaid lands to be acquired— 4. Whether it should be granted only to the person holding a title direct from the Crown, or where the land has been transferred or sublet to the person holding a subsequent or inferior title. I—C. 16,