The Secretary to the Treasury has forwarded me the following memorandum for advice:

In dealing with the term of appointment of the Royal Commission on the Coal Industry, the Treasurer has minuted the papers as follows:

Ask Attorney-General to advise what course should be adopted to terminate this enquiry at an early date and enable the Royal Commission to bring in an interim report.

I shall be glad if you will kindly obtain the Attorney-General’s advising as early as possible.

The Royal Commission in question was appointed by Letters Patent dated 3 June 1929, and the Commission was thereby required to report within the space of four months after the date of the Commission. By further Letters Patent dated 17 September 1929, the time within which the Commission was required to report was extended until 29 November 1929. Unless recent executive action has been taken to extend further the period within which the Commission may report, it appears that the duties of the Commission have to be terminated on the 29 November, 1929.

The Governor-General may, by Letters Patent, vary the terms of any existing Letters Patent appointing a Royal Commission to enquire into any particular matter. He has power to reduce, as well as extend, the period within which any existing Commission may report upon the matter referred to it for enquiry.

[Vol. 24, p. 403]