8.—13b

4

No. 13. The Government Advances to Settlers Office Superintendent to the Secretary to the Treasury. Government Advances to Settlers Office, Sir, — Wellington, 6th February, 1895, I propose to call, in the course of a few days, a meeting of the Board of the Advances to Settlers Office for the purpose of considering several applications for advances, and, if the Board should resolve to grant the advances, I would instruct the solicitors to at once prepare the respective mortgage-dockets. As, however, any failure to make the advances as soon as the relative mortgages are completed would be very likely to embarrass the applicants, and give rise to disappointment or distrust with the legislation, I should be glad to know as soon as possible whether I can depend upon being promptly supplied by the Treasury, for application to the advances, with money enough for the purpose. It is obviously of vital importance to the business of this office that the funds required for the advances which may be authorised by the Board should, on my application to the Treasury, be immediately available by me. The advances which I expect the Board to authorise at each meeting will amount to quite £20,000, and a meeting must take place nearly every day. J. K. Warburton, Superintendent.

No. 14. The Secretary to the Treasury to the Government Advances to Settlers Office Superintendent. Sir,— 19th February, 1895. In reply to your letter dated 6th instant, asking if the Treasury is prepared to find funds to meet applications under the Act which the Board may be expected to authorise at the rate of £20,000 nearly every day, I am directed by the Minister acting for the Colonial Treasurer to state that arrangements have been made with the bank to advance up to given limit, and which will be available when required ; and the Minister desires that the sum so advanced by the bank should be made to last until other provision is made, which it may be expected will be about the end of next month. I have, &c, Jas. B. Heywood, Secretary to the Treasury. The Superintendent, Government Advances to Settlers Office, Wellington.

No. 15. The Minister acting for the Colonial Treasurer to the Agent-General. Sir,— 21st March, 1895. I was glad to receive your telegram announcing that hereafter messages could be addressed to the Colonial Treasurer. This satisfied me of the safe arrival of my colleague, Mr. Ward. Begarding your cable asking for information respecting the applications to the Board for loans under the Advances to Settlers Act, I placed myself in communication with the Superintendent, who informed me that £659,174 had been applied for to the 16th instant, and that he estimated that £450,000 would be the amount of probable cash requirements during the next six months on account of these applications. lat once cabled to you the substance of this information. Applications for loans are being received in large numbers daily, and I can but express some anxiety to learn that you have been able to arrange for the successful floating of the loan under the Act at a satisfactory price of issue, concerning which you will of course previously advise me. It is most important that this scheme of assistance to settlers should be made a complete success, and this necessarily depends upon the result of the loan issue. It is very gratifying to the Government to notice that since the inauguration of their moneylending scheme a distinct and satisfactory lowering in the ruling rates of interest has taken place within our colony, and such action has undoubtedly greatly benefited a large number of hardworking settlers, besides extending settlement and greatly improving individual holdings ; and I feel satisfied that, when the advantages of our scheme have been fully recognised by borrowers, the tillers of our lands will have still more reason to rejoice that their burdens have been lightened at a time when prices for produce are at such a low and almost unremunerative figure. I have, &c, B. J. Seddon, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. For the Colonial Treasurer.

No. 16. Sir Penrose Julyan to the Colonial Treasurer. Sir, — Torquay, Devon, 7th February, 1895. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th November last, transmitting an order of the Governor in Council authorising the borrowing in this country of £1,500,000 sterling under "The Government Advances to Settlers Act, 1894,"being a moiety of the total sum authorised by that Act, and appointing myself and Sir Westby Brook Perceval to be Agents for raising and managing the loan. You have already been informed by a cable message of my willingness to act in the capacity named, and, bearing in mind that I have, in conjunction with others, taken an active part in raising