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REPORT. 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 Saini 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,— 1. The Commission intrusted to us by Your Excellency directed our attention to the following matters in connection with the care and carriage of explosives in New Zealand : — (a.) Should private magazines for the keeping or storing of explosives be allowed, or should magazines in future be established and maintained by the Government ? (b.) What conditions should govern the approval or selection of a site for such a magazine ? (c.) What maximum amount of explosives should be allowed to be stored in any magazine ? (d.) Should one magazine building be allowed, or should a number of small magazines of limited capacity be established at a safe distance from each other ? {p.) Should the magazines at Maraetai and Thames, having regard to their capacity, propinquity to roads existing and intended, adjoining settlement, methods of carriage, and other matters, be continued or closed ? (/.) Should the law as to the carriage of explosives on shore be so amended as to expressly permit of such carriage by wagons driven by steam or petrol engines ? (g.) And generally to inquire into and report upon such other matters arising thereout as may come iinder your notice in the course of your inquiries and which you consider should be investigated in connection therewith. 2. Having now concluded our investigations and inquiries, we have the honour to submit to Your Excellency our report upon the several matters referred to us. 3. Your Excellency's Commission, dated the 13th May, 1914, was duly received by us, and we proceeded as soon as possible to carry out the required duties. 4. The procedure was first discussed and formulated, and duly arranged. 5. We append hereto the Commission issued to us by Your Excellency ; the minutes of our proceedings, which contain the names of the witnesses examined ; and a report of the evidence taken on oath. [Not printed.] We also append exhibits banded in and marked Nos. lα, Iβ, lc, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, sa, sb, sc, sd, se, sf, sg, sh, r>i. SJ, sk, 6, 7a, 7b, 8, 9, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 11. [Exhibits not printed.] 6. Dealing with the six questions submitted to us : — (1.) We arc of opinion that no sufficient reasons have been adduced or arc apparent for the Government assuming control of the larger magazines, and also, in view of the large number of small magazines required, which it would be impracticable for the Government to own, that there is no objection to privately owned magazines being allowed. (2.) We recommend that the following conditions should be considered in selecting sites for magazines :— (a.) Remoteness from dwellings, population, and from embankments for preventing inundation : (b.) Easy communication to and fro by water : (c.) Remoteness from public roads : (d.) Accessibility to roads am! railway sidings : (c.) Reservation of sufficient land to preserve isolation ; (/.) The presence of natural obstacles for protection purposes : (g.) Natural water-supply : (h.) Observance of British Government Home Office regulations for magazines.

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