E.—No. 5,

" To this end I have proposed greatly augmenting the Staff of Telegraphists or Signallers, and I am convinced that the business of the Stations cannot be satisfactorily performed without the Staff at each Station is raised to that I propose." On the 6th June, 18G5, I received the following reply :—"I have been instructed by the PostmasterGeneral to acknowledge the receipt of your letter on the subject of increasing the establishment of the Electric Telegraph Department from six thousand two hundred and fifty pounds, as proposed under Scale E in your letter of the 15th November, 1864, and sanctioned by Government in my letter of Ist February last, (T 65.3), to eight thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds. " Your subsequent proposal for an increase of Staff was submitted by the Postmaster-General for the consideration of Ministers, who decided to adhere to existing arrangements." A quotation from a letter, dated January 31st, 1865, will shew that the duties devolving upon the Head Office were considerably underrated : —" The Government is of opinion that when the line is completed, the Telegraph Engineer should perform the duties of General Manager." Seeing that my suggestions were so generally disregarded or superseded, I, on the 13th June, 1865, wrote as follows :—" I should be very sorry to think or feel that the Government doubts in the slightest degree that any recommendations I may make are made without due reflection and consideration ; and, moreover, that such recommendations are not made with the view of advancing the interests of the Department." " I have had considerable experience in the organizing and re-organizing of Telegraphic services during the last fourteen years, and am, therefore, not likely to be led to any erroneous conclusions in these matters." " The progress of Telegraphy is well known, and has been well proved." And further, in the same letter I wrote : —" The propositions I have made for an increase of Staff are, I think, necessary even at present, and for reasons I will give you." Further, in the same letter I have written : —" In proposing two Telegraphists I wish it to be understood that I do not want to put the Government to a greater expense than is absolutely necessar}'." " Cases may occur when I can procure youths at lower salaries as probationists or junior assistants, who may suit our purposes well; and, when such can be done, the Government may rely upon my using every endeavour to do so." The reply I received now fully convinced me that my suggestions were not appreciated. " June 21st, 1865 : —I am directed to reply to your letter in answer to mine of the 2nd instant, on the subject of the large Staff of Telegraphists. The Postmaster-General desires me to remark that he is responsible to his colleagues and the Assembly for the efficient working of the Departments under his supervision, and that he considers such remarks as are contained in the letter under reply (similar to those which have appeared in other letters) as unnecessary, and desires that they may not be repeated. The progress of Telegraphy, as you observe, is well known, and has been well proved; and the PostmastcrGeneral is not iuclined to confine his investigations on the subject to any one person. " It is your duty to make recommendations, and his to decide whether he considers it advisable for the Public Service that they should be adopted." On receiving letters complaining of delays in rendering the returns of the Department, I was, on the 20th July, 1865, again compelled to write as follows :—" What particularly concerns myself, is the note expressing dissatisfaction at the delay experienced in receiving answers to letters from this Office. " I am really very sorry that the Honorable the Postmaster-General should find occasion for such a complaint. I myself, and every one in connection with the Department, have found it necessary to work very hard to keep business as much advanced as we have done. " During the last eight months the correspondence in this Dejjartment has increased more than fourfold, and we have not been allowed any extra assistance. " When I took upon myself the entire engineering and superintendence of the line, I did so under the conviction that the correspondence of the Department would continue the same as when I entered upon the duties ; and, before concluding my letter, I added —I cannot help but feel very much hurt to receive such constant complaints; but, unless I be accorded further assistance, I am powerless to remedy the evils complained of." No notice was taken of my repeated applications for extra assistance, and I cannot see how I can be held responsible for evils I had no means of remedying. A system was at one time adopted by which Postmasters and Messengers alone were eligible as learners of Telegraphy, but it signally failled, and the service has in consequence been hampered with inexperienced and inefficient operators. This evil, however, has lately received the attention of the Government, and I am happy to announce that several youths of fair average education and respectable connections have been taken into the service as cadets, from whom more beneficial results may be anticipated. The correspondence, accounts, and returns of the Department soon became so extensive that the whole of the time of the General Manager and myself was absorbed in office duties, the general working of the stations, and maintenance of the lines being left to advance as best they could, no competent supervision being possible under the circumstances. The General Manager and myself worked early and late, both Sundays and week-days, vainly endeavouring to keep pace with the increasing business, till a severe attack of brain fever, brought on by constant and unremitting exertion, deprived me altogether for a time of the services of my assistant, and I then felt myself bound to relax the efforts we had both been making. The adaptation of the Telegraphic system to the requirements of Government Regulations has been a matter of difficulty and a means of greatly increasing the work of the various Officers of the Department. In establishing Telegraphic communication throughout the colony, it has been my constant aim to reduce delay in the transmission of telegrams as much as possible, and to this end I have erected two

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