H.—27.

Now, therefore, I, General Sir Charles Fergusson, Baronet, Governor-Cleneral of the Dominion of New Zealand, in 'pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities vested in me by the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, and of all other powers and authorities enabling me in this behalf, and acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, and for the purposes herein set forth, do hereby appoint you, the said Robert Mackenzie Watson, William Thomas Strand, and Walter Nash, to be a Commission to inquire into and report upon the following matters : — (1) Whether it is practicable or desirable in any way to vary, by means of a system of classification of lands, or differential rating, or both, or by any other means, the incidence of rates and the relative amount of rates (whether general, special, or any other kind) that are or may hereafter be assessable in respect of any lands in the Borough of Feilding or any lands that have been excluded therefrom. (2) Whether, in the event of your reporting under the last preceding paragraph hereof in favour of a system of classification of lands, or differential rating, or both, or in favour of some other means of variation of rating, in the Borough of Feilding, it is in your opinion practicable or desirable to apply the system or means so recommended by you to boroughs which include or formerly included lands used and occupied for farming purposes ; and, if so, by what method. (3) Such other matters affecting or incidental to the foregoing as may come under notice in the course of your inquiries and as you may think it necessary and desirable to consider. And with the like advice and consent I do further appoint you, the said Robert Mackenzie Watson, to be the Chairman of the said Commission. And you are hereby authorized to conduct any inquiry under these presents at such times and places as you deem expedient, with power to adjourn from, time to time and place to place as you think fit, and to call before you and examine on oath or otherwise such persons as you think capable of affording you information as to the matters aforesaid, and to call for and examine all such books, papers, writings, documents, and records as you deem likely to afford you the fullest information on any such matters. And, using all due diligence, you are required to report to me, under your hands and seals, not later than the fourteenth day of August, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight. And you are hereby strictly charged and directed that you shall not at any time publish or otherwise disclose, save to me in pursuance of these presents or by my direction, the contents or purport of any report so made or to be made by you. And it is hereby declared that this Commission shall continue in full force and virtue although the inquiry be not regularly continued from time to time or from place to place by adjournment. And, lastly, it is hereby further declared that these presents are issued under and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908. Given under the hand of His Excellency the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, and issued under the Seal of that Dominion, [l.s.] this 9th day of July, 1928. A. D. McLeod, Minister in Charge of Valuation. Approved in Council. F. D. Thomson, Clerk of the Executive Council.

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