H.—l5A

1927. NEW ZEALAND.

NAPIER HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS (REPORT OF ROYAL COMMISSION ON).

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

COMMISSION TO INQUIRE INTO AND REPORT UPON HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS AT NAPIER. Charles Fergusson, Governor-General. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to John Saxon Barton, Esquire ; Arthur Cecil Mackenzie, Esquire ; and John Biggar Waters, Esquire : Greeting. Whereas it is provided by section two of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, that the Governor-General in Council may appoint any person or persons to be a Commission to inquire into and report upon, inter alia, any question arising out of the administration of the Government, or the working of any existing law, or regarding the necessity or expediency of any proposed legislation : And whereas by the Napier Harbour Board Empowering and Loan Act, 1884, the Napier Harbour Board (hereinafter called " the Board ") was duly authorized, subject to the provisions of the Harbours Act, 1878, to construct such harbourworks as should be by the Board considered necessary for the requirements of the Harbour of Napier, and the Board did, pursuant to such authority, duly proceed with the construction of the harbour-works known as the Breakwater Harbour at Napier: And whereas by the Napier Harbour Board Empowering and Loan Act, 1914, the Board was, subject to the provisions of the Harbours Act, 1908, and of the said Act of 1914, duly authorized to construct such harbour-works as should by the Board be considered necessary for the requirements of the Harbour of Napier in and about the construction, completion, development, and improvement of the Inner Harbour portion of the said harbour, but has not, as required by the Harbours Act, 1908, submitted plans of the proposed works for the approval of the GovernorGeneral in Council except in so far as relates to the reconstruction of certain existing works : And whereas it appears to the Government that it is expedient to appoint a Commission to make inquiry into and report regarding the question as to whether the authority to construct wholly or in part the works specified in the Napier Harbour Board Empowering and Loan Act, 1914, should be continued in force and the work authorized in due course, or whether legislation should be enacted

I—H, 15a.