F.—B.

18

Other items of expenditure were unavoidable. The forms, circulars, &c, had to be distributed without delay, otherwise the canvassing would have been much hampered. The Board, I think, have every reason to be satisfied with what has been achieved by my officers. I desire, however, to have the Board's views with respect to further canvassing. * * * * I have, &c, J. G. Ward, The Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, London. Postmaster-General.

No. 64. The guPERiNTENDENT, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, to the Secretary, ".General Post Office, Wellington. The Pacific Cable Board, Doubtless Bay Station, Sir,— 12th August, 1903. The following is extracted from a letter just received ftom the General Manager, dated 2nd July : " The Board is very well pleased with the result of the canvassing. " I shall be in New Zealand in two or three months' time, and shall then go into the question of booklets and maps for New Zealand with Mr. Gray. Meanwhile, we have largely distributed a wall-card map in the United Kingdom, and, with what has been done in Australia and New Zealand in the way of booklets and maps, a good deal of the question has been, for the present, sufficiently covered. " Will you kindly inform Mr. Gray of the above." I am, &c, C. L. Hertslet, Superintendent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 65. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 6th November, 1903. I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of the 30th September last [not printed] dealing with the proposal to hold a Conference of the representatives of the Governments which are partners in the Pacific cable, and with my telegrams of last September sent to you on the matter. [F.-Bc, 1903.] * * * * * I have read with much interest the papers F.-8 on telegraph cables, presented to the House of Representatives and printed, a copy of which you have sent me. * * * * * I have continued to urge the Chairman and Secretary to have some canvassing done in London in order to increase the amount of business at this end. With this aim in view I have supplied the Secretary with a complete list of firms and companies in London doing business with New Zealand. A little canvassing has since been done, and some promises of support have been got, the most important of which are from the Times and Daily Mail newspapers, which are the chief dailies getting telegrams from Australasia. ***** I am not sure whether we ought not to have a special representative in Australia and New Zealand I have, &c, The Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. W. P. Reeves.

PRESS TELEGRAMS.

No. 66. The Hon. the Secretary of State, Ottawa, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Sir,— Ottawa, 15th April, 1903. I beg to enclose herewith copy of a minute of Council adopted by the Government of Canada, having for its object the importance of bringing the existence of the Pacific cable more prominently to the notice of the people of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. [See No. 307, F.-8, 1903.] It is believed that this can be more effectually accomplished by opening the cable to the free transmission of Press messages for a period of three months. I hope the Government of New Zealand will concur in this view, and so,advise their representative on the Cable Board. I have, &c, R. W. Scott, Secretary of State. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand.

Enclosure in No. 66. Extract from a Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Privy Council, approved by His Excellency on the 11th March, 1903. On a report dated the 7th March, 1903, from the Secretary of State,, stating that his attention has been drawn by the Board of Trade of Ottawa, and by individuals interested in the Australian trade, to the very limited use at present made of the Pacific cable. It is affirmed by those who know the facts that, owing to the high rates charged, not a single Press message has been transmitted by the cable, and as a consequence the knowledge of the market prices of staple