H.— 28.

1928. NEW ZEALA N J.)

BOROUGH OF OTAKI (REPORT OF COMMISSION OF INQUIRY RE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

COMMISSION.

APPOINTING A COMMISSION TO INQUIRE INTO AND REPORT ON CERTAIN MATTERS AFFECTING THE BOROUGH OF OTAKI AND LANDS ADJACENT THERETO.

Charles Fergusson, Governor-General. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to Robert Mackenzie Watson, Esquire, of Feilding, Stipendiary Magistrate.; William Thomas Strand, Esquire, of Lower Hutt, Farmer; and Walter Nash, Esquire, of Wellington, Secretary : Greeting. Whereas representations have been made to the Government that certain lands presently included in the Borough of Otaki ought to be excluded therefrom, and also that certain lands adjoining the said borough (including lands formerly part of the said borough) ought to be included in the said borough, and also that the area comprised in the said borough is as a whole not suitable for municipal control : And whereas complaints have been made to the Government as to the amount of rates levied by the Council of the said borough on the lands within the said borough, and as to the amount of special rates levied by the said Council on lands, which, after becoming liable for such special rates, have subsequently been excluded from the said borough : And whereas representations have been made that the amount of. rates levied by the said Council on such lands within the borough as are used solely for farming purposes is excessive, having regard to the benefits received or likely to be received by those lands from the works carried out or proposed to be carried out by the Council of the said borough : And whereas it is expedient that inquiry should be made into the working of the existing laws relating to the severence and addition, of areas of land from and to boroughs, and relating to the continuing liability for special rates of lands severed from boroughs, and the levying of special rates on lands so severed from and added to boroughs and relating to the incidence of rates on lands in boroughs, having regard to the purposes for which such lands are used and occupied and to the purposes for which such lands are applied so far as the said existing laws affect the Borough of Otaki, and into the working of the existing laws relating to municipal control as applied to the local conditions of the area now comprised in the Borough of Otaki:

I—H. 28.