APRIL 11.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1281

Warrant vesting Control of the Rakaia Gorge Bridge, near Methven, in the Ashburton County Council, and apportioning Cost of Maintenance of the same between the Ashburton County Council and the Selwyn County Council.

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ISLINGTON, Governor.

WHEREAS by section one hundred and twenty of the Public Works Act, 1908 (hereinafter called “the said Act”), it is, inter alia, enacted that the Governor may, by Warrant under his hand publicly notified and gazetted, direct that any bridge already constructed, or which may hereafter be constructed, over or across any river or arm of the sea respectively shall, from and after a date fixed in such Warrant, be under the exclusive care, control, and management of such local authority as shall be mentioned in that behalf in such Warrant; and may by any such Warrant as aforesaid fix and determine whether all or any, and, if so, what part, of the cost, whether theretofore incurred or thereafter to be incurred, of maintaining, repairing, improving, or reconstructing any such bridge is to be provided and paid by the local authority or local authorities; and may by any such Warrant as aforesaid direct how, when, and to whom any such payment is to be made :

And whereas by the said section one hundred and twenty it is, inter alia, provided that the Governor may, with a view of determining what proportion (if any) of the cost of maintaining any work should be borne by any local authority or local authorities, direct any Magistrate or other person to be a Commissioner to inquire into and report to him upon any matter which he shall deem necessary to enable him to determine any such question aforesaid :

And whereas a Commissioner was appointed for the purpose as aforesaid and an inquiry duly held :

And whereas such Commissioner should report to the Governor, after due inquiry, his opinion thereon :

And whereas the Governor is of opinion that it is equitable that the cost of maintaining the bridge mentioned in the Schedule hereto shall be provided, and paid in the manner and in the proportions hereinafter respectively set forth :

Now, therefore, I, John Poynder Dickson-Poynder, Baron Islington, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, in pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities vested in me by the said Act, and of every other power and authority in anywise enabling me in this behalf, do hereby direct that the bridge described in the Schedule hereto, and known as the Rakaia Gorge Bridge (hereinafter called “the said bridge”), shall, from and after the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred and eleven, be under the exclusive care, control, and management of the Ashburton County Council; and, in further pursuance and exercise of the powers aforesaid, I do hereby fix and determine that the cost of maintaining, repairing, or improving the said bridge is to be provided and paid by the local authorities hereinafter mentioned in the following proportions—viz., the Ashburton County Council to pay one-half of such cost, and the Selwyn County Council to pay one-half of such cost respectively: And I do hereby direct that the contribution hereby required to be made as aforesaid by the Ashburton County Council towards the cost of maintaining, repairing, or improving the said bridge shall be paid from time to time, in the proportion hereinbefore prescribed, out of the county fund of the said County of Selwyn, within a period of one month after demand in writing made by or on behalf of the Council of the County of Ashburton, stating the amount so required to be paid and the purpose for which it is required, shall have been left at the office of the Selwyn County Council, and the payments so required to be made shall be made from time to time to the Clerk of the Ashburton County Council for and on behalf of the Council of the County of Selwyn: And I do hereby cancel and revoke the Proclamation vesting the control and apportioning the cost of maintaining the said bridge, published in the New Zealand Gazette, page 461, of the twenty-third day of April, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one.

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SCHEDULE.

That bridge over the Rakaia River, known as the Rakaia Gorge Bridge, situated on the road from Methven to Whitecliffs, about ten miles from Methven; as the site of the said bridge is more particularly delineated on the plan marked P.W.D. 31503, deposited in the office of the Minister of Public Works, at Wellington, in the Wellington Provincial District, and thereon shown by a red cross.

As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this sixth day of April, one thousand nine hundred and twelve.

W. D. S. MACDONALD,
Minister of Public Works.

B

Commissioners appointed to inquire into Matters concerning West Coast Settlement Reserves Leases.

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ISLINGTON, Governor.

To all to whom these presents shall come, and to ALEXANDER MCARTHUR, Esq., of Wellington, Master of Arts, Doctor of Laws, Stipendiary Magistrate; and to WILLIAM KERR, Esq., of Wanganui, Stipendiary Magistrate: Greeting.

WHEREAS the lessees of lands held under the provisions of the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, and its amendments, are desirous of surrendering their present leases and obtaining in lieu thereof leases under section eight of the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892 :

And whereas some of the said lessees allege that they have been misled by the form of the lease or the conduct of the Public Trustee into supposing that the compensation payable in respect of the improvements on their leases was not limited to the sum of five pounds (£5) for every acre thereof, and acting on that supposition made or purchased improvements in excess of that limit :

And whereas the Native owners of the lands included in the said leases allege that such lands will be required for their own use and occupation on the expiration of the said leases, and have requested that the desire of the present lessees to obtain permission to surrender their leases and obtain fresh leases under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892, shall not be granted :

And whereas it is expedient that full inquiry should be made into the several matters hereinafter mentioned :

Now, therefore, I, John Poynder Dickson-Poynder, Baron Islington, Privy Councillor, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, in pursuance and exercise of every power and authority enabling me in this behalf, and acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, do hereby appoint you, the said

ALEXANDER MCARTHUR and
WILLIAM KERR,

to be Commissioners for the purpose of inquiring into the several matters and things hereinafter mentioned and referred to, that is to say :—

(1.) On what terms and conditions the said lessees or any of them should be permitted to surrender their present leases and obtain new leases in lieu thereof under section eight of the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892.

(2.) Whether any of the said lessees have been misled by any act of the Public Trustee or any other officer of the Public Trust Department, or the form of the lease issued, or the regulations made under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, or its amendments, into believing that there was no limit to the amount of the compensation to which they were entitled under their leases, and in consequence of such belief made on their leaseholds or purchased from other lessees improvements in excess of five pounds (£5) per acre.

(3.) What areas of land now leased under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, and its amendments, may hereafter be required by the Native owners for their use and occupation; and, having regard to their particular interests therein and their individual fitness for profitably using such lands, which of the said leases, if any, should be allowed to remain under the present tenure in order that such Native owners may, on the expiration of such leases, compete for the possession of the lands held under them.

(4.) What provisions should be made to enable such Native owners to get financial assistance from the Government to enable them to work their farms, should any of them become tenants of such leaseholds.

And you are hereby directed to inquire into the several matters aforesaid at such place or places in the Dominion as you may think fit, by all lawful ways and means, subject to the terms of these presents.

And, with the like advice and consent, I do further appoint you the said

ALEXANDER MCARTHUR

to be Chairman of the said Commission.

And for the purpose of such inquiry you are hereby empowered to summon and have before you, and examine on oath or otherwise as may be allowed by law, all witnesses or other persons whom you may judge capable of affording you any information upon or in respect of the several matters of inquiry hereinbefore mentioned, or any matter or thing arising thereout or connected therewith,