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And, using ail due diligence, you are required to complete the report for the Land District not later than twenty-eighth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three. Upon completion of the report, which shall be addressed to the Minister of Lands, you shall hand same to the Chairman of the Land Board for the Land District, and on a date to be agreed upon you will meet the Land Board for the said district for the purpose of discussing your report. The Chairman of the Land Board shall then submit the report, together with the Land Board's views, to the Under-Secretary for Lands, for transmission to the Minister of Lands. 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 I hereby appoint to be Chairman of the said Board. Given under my hand, this day of , 1922. Minister of Lands.

Personnel of Inquiry Boards. The following is the personnel of the Boards of Inquiry set up to investigate and report generally upon the position of soldier farms : — North Auckland — Marlborough— Edwin Harding (Chairman), Dargaville, run- Frank Leslie Murray (Chairman), Hillersden, holder. farmer. Edward Morgan, May's Road, Onehunga, Charles John Nees, Okaramio, farmer, valuer. Nelson— Auckland — Frederick Craven Batchelor (Chairman), MoJohn MoCaw (Chairman), Hamilton, retired tueka, farmer. farmer. Arthur Rutland Edwards, Motueka, farmer. Joseph Batty, Patumahoe, farmer. Westland- — Hawke's Bay—- Pryce Hamer (Chairman), Totara Flat, farmer. John Henry Joll (Chairman), Havclock North, George A. Perry, Hokitika, merchant. farmer. Canterbury— John Murray, Woodville, farmer. Robert Latter (Chairman), Barry's Bay, farmer. Taranaki — Thomas Lawson Hart, Timaru, retired farmer. Edward Walter (Chairman), Douglas, farmer. Otago— Charles Dickie, Waverley, farmer. Robert Alexander Rodger (Chairman), Tapanui, Wellington — farmer. Alexander Stuart (Chairman), Runnymeade, Thomas Carrutliers, Middlemarch, farmer. Marton, farmer. Southland— Francis Alexander Cameron, Hastings, land- James Milne (Chairman), Rakahouka, farmer. valuer. James Lilico, " Northope," Lochiel, farmDavid Craig (pa.rt of time), Wanganui, farmer. manager.

Instructions to all Commissioners' of Crown Lands. The Hon. the Minister of Lands has directed that every soldier settler is to be given an opportunity of approaching the Board of Inquiry, and the attached forms " A " have been drawn up so as to enable settlers to give a full statement regarding their land, stock, returns, finances, prospects, &c. You will observe that Form A has been printed on different-coloured paper (one form to be sent to the holders of farms under section 2 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1917, and the other to holders of Crown and settlement-land farms). You will please send these forms to all soldier settlers under cover of the attached letter from the Hon. the Minister of Lands. These forms should be despatched at an early date. Forms " B " have also been prepared to show particulars of each holding and the settler's financial position with the Department. Such forms are also prepared on different-coloured paper (one form for farms under section 2 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act and the other for Crown and settlement-land farms). A supply of these forms is being forwarded to you, and it will be necessary to have the same completed as soon as possible and made available for the information of the Board of Inquiry. As the majority of the mortgage ledgers for the Dominion are kept in alphabetical order, it is considered that the latter forms should be kept in such order until the replies on Form A are received from the soldiers. It would then be a simple matter to attach all replies to Form B, and the whole of the forms should be shuffled into geographical order prior to the Board taking up its duties. This is, however, merely a suggestion, and if you can make more suitable arrangements you are at liberty to do so. You will be supplied with a copy of the order of reference later, and in the meantime you will treat this matter as far as possible in a confidential manner. J. B. Thompson, Under-Secretary.