D.—6a

1920. NEW ZEAL A N D.

WAIHOU RIVER (REPORT OF RIVERS COMMISSION ON).

Presented to both Pauses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

REPORT. To His Excellency the Right Honourable Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl of Liverpool, Member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Member of the Royal Victorian Order, Knight of Justice of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Governor-General and Com-mander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,— The task entrusted to us is governed by the following terms of reference : — Reference. (1.) To inquire into the best means of controlling the Waihou River below the Ngahina Bridge so as to mitigate or prevent, either partially or entirely, the flooding of adjacent lands. (2.) To report on the schemes which have been devised by the Public Works Department to prevent such flooding. (3.) To report on any other matters which may be brought before you in connection with the questions referred to and which in your opinion have any bearing on these premises. Your Commissioners' investigations have been completed and all available data collected, and they have now the honour to submit to Your Excellency the result of their work and the conclusions they have arrived at regarding the matters referred to them. Investigations. Sitting at Paeroa.— -The Commission, having publicly advertised the holding of the inquiry, sat at Paeroa on the 29th and 30th September, 1919, and took evidence on oath from the following sixteen witnesses: M. 11. Wynyard, representing Auckland Chamber of Commerce ; Isaac Robertson, secretary Hikutaia Farmers' Union, Hikutaia ; H. Morrison, farmer, Hikutaia ; S. Loughlin (settler on riverbank), Paeroa ; J. Dunlop (owner of Sections 6a and 6b), Komata North ; D. Courtenay (settler on river-bank near Komata Creek), Hikutaia ; A. Vowels (farmer

I—D. 6a.