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No. 76. The Superintendent of Electric Lines, Wellington, to the Under-Secretary, Public Works Department, Wellington. General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd April, 1902. (Memorandum.) Doubtless Bay Gable-station : Water supply. Beperring to previous correspondence, I beg to send you the following copy of a letter which has recently been addressed to me by Mr. C. H. Beynolds, General Manager to the Pacific Cable Board, intimating that his Board has approved of the provision of a water-supply at the Doubtless Bay cable-station at a cost of £600. I shall be obliged if you will arrange for the work being at once proceeded with at the expense of the Board. [Bead No. 75.] .... The Under-Secretary, Public Works Department, Wellington. J. K. Logan.

No. 77. The Secretary, Harbour Board, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Auckland Harbour Board, Auckland, 2nd April, 1902. I have the honour, by direction of the Board, to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 21st ultimo, stating that the Postmaster-General desired you to ask if this Board would relieve the cable-steamers belonging to the Pacific Cable Board, or engaged in laying or repairing the cable, or in other cable business, from payment of harbour and port dues when visiting Auckland, and requesting that, if possible, the question might be settled before the s.s. " Anglia " visited the port. In reply, I am directed to inform you that the s.s. " Anglia " arrived and left the port before the Board had held a meeting, and consequently dues were levied upon the vessel in conformity with the by-laws of the Board. Your telegram was read at a meeting of the Board held yesterday, when I was directed to state that, as it has not been shown that vessels employed by the Pacific Cable Board come under the exemptions mentioned in section 132 of "The Harbours Act, 1878," the Board regrets that the remissions applied for cannot be made. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. J. M. Brigham, Secretary.

No. 78. The Hon. the Commissioner of Trade and Customs, Wellington, to the Hon. the Electric Telegraph Commissioner, Wellington. Sir, — Department of Trade and Customs, Wellington, 3rd April, 1902. Beferring to your letter of the 27th ultimo, I have to inform you that the Collector will be instructed to admit free telegraph materials, stores, and furniture which may be imported on behalf of the Pacific Cable Board or the contracting Governments in connection with the laying and maintenance of the Pacific Cable and maintenance of offices at Doubtless Bay. The terms " stores " and " furniture " to be understood to be telegraph stores and furniture, and not supplies for the use or maintenance of officers of the Board or of the contracting Governments who may be stationed in New Zealand. The question of remitting harbour dues and light dues will be dealt with in the Marine Department, from which a reply will be sent to you shortly. I shall be glad to know who will be responsible for passing entries for material landed. I have, &c, The Hon. the Electric Telegraph Commissioner, Wellington. C. H. Mills.

No. 79. The Secretary, Harbour Board, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Wellington Harbour Board, Wellington, 4th April, 1902. In further reply to your letter of the 21st March, and in acknowledgment of your letter of the 26th March, relative to the relief from port dues of steamers belonging to the Pacific Cable Board whilst in Wellington, and in which latter letter you forwarded me a copy of an opinion received from the Solicitor-General on the subject: In view of the opinion of the Solicitor-General—that if the cable-steamer arrives in port on the Pacific cable service she is exempt under section 132 as being in the service of His Majesty (subsection 1), and (under subsection 3) as being in the service of the Governments of the British colonies concerned —and of the fact, as pointed out by him, that " The Pacific Cable Authorisation Act, 1899," shows that the cable is being constructed by the Governments of Great Britain and the colonies specified in the schedule to that Act, and, further, that although the ship is nominally in the service of the Cable Board she is actually in the service of the Governments mentioned, it is clear that in the opinion of the Solicitor-General the vessel is exempt from dues, and therefore the question of a special exemption by the Board from dues does not arise. You will no doubt, in the event of the vessel arriving in Wellington, notify the Collector of Customs as to the views of the Solicitor-General, and he will be guided by that opinion. I am, &c, William Ferguson, Secretary. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.