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No. 32. The Secretary, Auckland Harbour Board, Auckland, to the Inspector of Telegraphs, Auckland. Sic, — Auckland Harbour Board, Auckland, 18th September, 1901. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th current [not printed], in reference to this Board protecting any cables that lie across the harbour, to prevent the same from being picked up by anchors or otherwise damaged. In reply, I beg to inform you that your letter has been referred to the Harbourmaster to take the necessary steps in the matter. I have, &c, The Inspector of Telegraphs, Auckland. J. M. Brigham, Secretary.

No. 33. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., 25th September, 1901. Sir, — Pacific Gable. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your cablegram of the 23rd August last, submitting names for the appointments of Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent at Doubtless Bay, and also suggesting that the rank and file of the staff be selected from the Government's trained staff, and in reference thereto to state that the same was placed before the Board at its first meeting after receipt, and that it will have the careful consideration of the Board when it proceeds to make the appointments in question. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington, New Zealand. W. P. Beeves.

No. 34. The Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, London, to the Hon. the Premier, Wellington. The Pacific Cable Board, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London, S.W., Sir,— 3rd October, 1901. Mr. Beeves handed to the Pacific Cable Board a copy of a telegram received from you on the 23rd August, suggesting that telegraphists in the service of the Government of New Zealand might possibly be employed to work the cable at the New Zealand stations. This subject has naturally received a good deal of attention from the Board, and I do not think that I can do better than forward you a copy of a letter which I wrote to the' Postmaster-General of the Dominion of Canada on a similar suggestion to my Board. Apart from any necessity of maintaining the staff under their own control for purposes of promotion and discipline, the Board feel that it would be almost hopeless to attempt to man some of their more remote stations (such as Fanning Island) unless the staff employed at these stations had the prospect of being removed from time to time to more agreeable places, like New Zealand and Australia. At the same time the Board fully appreciate the advantages in the general working of the cable which seem likely to result from the employment of a fair proportion of both Imperial and colonial officials, and they will be only too glad to consider the claims of any competent telegraphist whom you may desire to bring before them for appointment. Candidates should, if possible, have some experience in working long submarine cables. I am, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. S. Walpole, Chairman.

Enclosure in No. 34. The Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Ottawa. Pacific Cable Board, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London, S. W., Sir,— Ist May, 1901. Lord Strathcona has forwarded to the Pacific Cable Board your letter of the 12th February last, and the Board had it under consideration at its meeting on the 29th ultimo. In reference thereto, I am requested on behalf of the Board to assure you that its members are very anxious, in the selection of their staff, to give full weight to claims of candidates belonging to the various colonies interested in the cable, and, as far as practicable, to select their staff from representatives of those colonies as well as those of the Mother country. The Board, however, regret that it would not be practicable to give effect to your suggestion that appointments in Canada should in all cases be reserved for Canadians, and appointments in Australasia for Australians, for the following reasons : — 1. However anxious the Board maybe to give full weight to the claims of the various colonies, its first duty must evidently be to select the fittest possible officers, and it could not pledge itself to appoint, e.g., a Canadian to a Canadian post if some other British subject were obviously better qualified for it.