2

H.—33

" And generally any other matters arising out of the premises which may come under your notice in the course of your inquiries, and which you consider should be investigated in connection therewith" : And whereas by further Warrants dated the 2nd day of May. 1928, and the 11th day of June, 1928, the time for our inquiry and deliberations and the making of our report was extended : And whereas we have held the inquiry as directed : Now, therefore, we have the honour to submit the following report for Your Excellency's consideration :—- Citation op Parties. Formal notice was served on each of the following municipal bodies, such body in each case citing as a party to the inquiry. The City of Auckland ; the Boroughs of Newmarket, Mount Eden, Mount Albert, Onehunga, and Otahuhu ; the Town Districts of New Lynn, Glen Eden, Henderson, and Ellerslie ; the Road Districts of Mount Roskill, One Tree Hill, Mount Wellington, and Panmure Township. Sittings held. The Commission was formally opened by the reading of Your Excellency's Warrant on Thursday, the 26th April, 1928, and the following parties were represented : Mr. Johnstone, with Mr. Stanton, appeared for the Auckland City Council ; Mr. Meredith appeared for the Borough of Onehunga, the Manukau County, and the Mount Roskill Road District; Mr. Northcroft appeared for the Borough of Mount Albert and for the Mount Wellington District; Mr. Melville appeared for the Ellerslie Town District, the One Tree Hill Road District, and the Waitemata County ; Mr. Rogerson appeared for the Borough of Mount Eden, the Borough of Otahuhu, and the Town District of Glen Eden ; Mr. Eugene Casey announced that he was present to watch the interests of the Railway Department. It was then decided that your Commissioners, under the guidance of counsel and representatives of various local bodies, should spend the balance of the week in travelling over the metropolitan district of Auckland, making themselves acquainted with the topography of the district, the various transport routes therein, and the traffic requirements. Your Excellency's Commissioners at the same time also inspected the tramway depots at Epsom and Gaunt Street, and the tramway workshops at Mount Roskill. Thereafter the Commission sat at Auckland for thirty-two days. The dates are set out. in Appendix A hereto. Evidence. Prior to the opening of our hearing, advertisements were inserted in newspapers circulating in the district calling attention to the sittings of the Commission, and inviting persons interested to attend and give evidence at the inquiry. Fairly full daily reports of the proceedings were published in the city newspapers, and in this way publicity was given to the whole course of our proceedings. Many citizens communicated with the Chairman of the Commission offering to give evidence, and all such offers were investigated. All who approached us in a representative capacity were given an opportunity to be heard. All individual applications were examined, and in some cases the parties were invited to submit an outline of their proposed evidence. All such applications were heard, except in those cases in which it appeared clear to us that the proposed evidence was irrelevant, or related to individual grievances or experiences that could not have an appreciable effect on our deliberations. A large number of exhibits was put in during the course of the hearing : a detailed list of these appears as Appendix C. Whilst we have carefully considered all these, it is not considered necessary that the whole of them should be handed to Your Excellency with this report. We shall from time to time refer to these exhibits by their numbers, and will indicate those which we desire to hand in with our report.