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telegraph administrations of the world, as well as to the authorities at the Fijis and Norfolk Island, the charges for messages to and from the Fijis and Norfolk Island and the rest of the world. Until the Pacific cable is open throughout to Vancouver all traffic between the Fijis and Europe will traverse the Eastern Extension Company's cables from Australia westward. The Australian and New Zealand routes to the Fijis converge at Norfolk Island, and it is necessary to consider the contingency of the Queensland and Norfolk Island cable being interrupted, necessitating traffic to the Fijis being sent vid New Zealand. Similarly, in the event of the New Zealand and Norfolk Island cable being interrupted, New Zealand-Fiji traffic to or from the Pacific cable would have to be sent vid Australia and the Eastern Extension Company's cables. Senders of messages might also in some cases prescribe the particular route for their messages to follow, even when the routes were both open. Hence it is necessary to determine and notify the charges, both terminal and transit, of the New Zealand Government from or to the frontier station of Doubtless Bay. A similar application has been made to the Federal Government for the terminal and transit charges of Australia from or to the frontier station of Southport, in Queensland. If the cable to the Fijis is to be open for traffic in April or May there is little time to be lost in fixing the details of the traffic, and possibly an inquiry on the subject by wire is advisable. I am, &c, C. H. Beynolds, General Manager. The Hon. W. P. Beeves, Agent-General for New Zealand.

No. 112. The Hon. the Postmasteb-Genebal, Wellington, to the Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, London. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 3rd January, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th July last, enclosing copy of a communication addressed to your Board by the Postmaster-General, London, agreeing to comply with the Board's request that the Imperial Post Office should forward by way of the Pacific cable all " unrouted " messages to Australasia. In reply to your inquiry, I have to inform you that this administration will give the same preference to messages from New Zealand for Europe on the conditions made by the London Post Office—namely, that the rapidity of the service by the Pacific route shall be as great as, and the rates not higher than, by any other route, and that this Department shall determine any question of speed of transmission. I shall be obliged if you will furnish me with a copy of the whole correspondence on this subject that has been passed between your Board and the Imperial Post Office. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General. The Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, S.W., London.

No. 113. The Secretary, Pacific Cable Board, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. The Pacific Cable Board, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London, S.W., Sir,— 11th March, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd January last, in which you state, for the information of the Pacific Cable Board, that your administration will give the same preference to messages from New Zealand to Europe as that granted by the London Post Office in the case of messages from Europe to New Zealand. I am desired to convey the thanks of the Board for this preference, and to enclose, as requested, the correspondence with the Imperial Post Office. I am, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Hugh Latham, Secretary.

Enclosure 1 in No. 113. The Secretary, Pacific Cable Board, to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. The Pacific Cable Board, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London, S.W., Sib,— Ist May, 1901. I am instructed to state, for the information of the Postmaster-General, that the Pacific cable is now in the course of construction, and it is anticipated that it will be available for messages during the coming year. The Board will be glad to know whether, in view of the Imperial nature and scope of the scheme, the Postmaster-General will feel justified in undertaking to forward all unrouted messages for any of the stations included in its system by the Pacific cable route. I am, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, E.C. Hugh Latham, Secretary.