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tion. Another objection is that the Canadian Pacific Bailway telegraphs are also outside the Convention. For these reasons the matter might advisedly stand over till I can report to the Board on my arrival in London. I will duly communicate to you the date we propose to open the cable for traffic, and I shall be obliged if you will then immediately notify the tariffs by wire to the International Office at Berne. I have, &c, C. H. Beynolds, General Manager to the Pacific Cable Board. The Hon. J. G. Drake, Postmaster-General to the Commonwealth of Australia.

No. 116. The Secbetaey, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secbetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 11th April, 1902. Youb wire tenth instant, transit and terminal rates Australian-New Zealand business Pacific cable : Postmaster-General considers that, if 45,000 miles Australian lines placed at your disposal for penny rate, only reasonable and fair that your lines, about 7,000 miles, should carry same business for half that amount. Area must also be considered. United Kingdom, with about same area as New Zealand, carries all business at halfpenny rate. Hope your Minister will agree, and thus enable a low and uniform rate between Australia and New Zealand, instead of existing differential rates, which otherwise must stand.

No. 117. The Hon. the Postmastee-Geneeal, Wellington, to the Genebal Manager, Pacific Cable Board, Melbourne. (Telegram.) Wellington, 13th April, 1902. Melbourne Press message yesterday announces that Fiji cable available for official messages. If this be so, could you not arrange for Government messages being transmitted over cable, Doubtless Bay and Southport ? Queensland no doubt would agree to distribute

[See No. 89.]

No. 118. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. Premier's Office, Wellington, 14th April, 1902. Sib, — Pacific Gable. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th December last covering copy of one of the 3rd idem from the General Manager to the Pacific Cable Board, asking for information as to the terminal and transit charges which the New Zealand Government determines to fix from or to the cable-station at Doubtless Bay. As you have been advised in another letter, this matter was discussed between the PostmasterGeneral and Mr. Beynolds when the latter was recently in Wellington. I have, &c, J. G. Waed, for the Premier. The Hon. W. P. Beeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

No. 119. The Genebal Managee, Pacific Cable Board, Melbourne, to the Hon. the PostmastebGenebal, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 14th April, 1902. Just leaving for Brisbane. Will try and arrange for Government telegrams, and wire again from Southport.

No. 120. The Hon. the Postmastee-Genebal, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Melbourne, (Telegram.) Wellington, 16th April, 1902. Mr. Scott's telegram 11th, transit and terminal rates [No. 116] : His arguments scarcely on sound basis. Assumption that we have only seven thousand miles of telegraph-line is incorrect. As a matter of fact, our mileage is over twenty thousand, besides two hundred and fifty miles cable. Matter of area hardly applies, and a sparsely peopled country like New Zealand cannot be compared with Great Britain. Besides, minimum rate Great Britain is sixpence, which obviates loss on short telegrams under twelve words. Our inland rate is one halfpenny per word for first twelve words, and one penny for each additional word, so that terminal rate of one halfpenny a word on