H.—3o,

1925. NEW ZEALAND.

ROYAL COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH THE INQUIRY INTO THE SALE OF THE POVERTY BAY FARMERS' MEAT COMPANY (LIMITED) TO MESSRS. VESTEY BROS. (LIMITED) AND OTHER MATTERS.

Laid, on the Table of the House of Bepreientatives by Leave.

COMMISSION. Charles Fergusson, Governor-General. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to John Alexander, Esquire, of Auckland, Barrister; Gerald Fitzgerald, Esquire, of Wellington, Civil Engineer; Alexander Macintosh, Esquire, of Wellington, Gentleman : Greeting. Whereas it is expedient that inquiry should be made in respect of the matters hereinafter defined : Now, therefore, 1, Sir Charles Fergusson, Baronet, Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, in exercise of the powers conferred 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, do hereby appoint you, the said John Alexander, Gerald Fitzgerald, and Alexander Macintosh to inquire into and report upon the following questions arising out of (1) the administration of the Government, and (2) the working of the existing laws relating to slaughtering, meat-export control, and commercial trusts, that is to say — 1. The circumstances under which the Minister of Agriculture and the Meat Control Board respectively ' abstained from taking action to prevent a sale by the National Bank of New Zealand (mortgagees) to Vestey Bros. (Limited) of certain freezing-works and other properties of the Poverty Bay Farmers" Meat Company (Limited), including in such circumstances (inter alia) —