76

A.—2

No. 137. New Zealand, No. 82. My Lord, — Downing Street, Bth March, 1911. With reference to your telegram of the 6th March, I have the honour to request that you will inform your Ministers that, in deciding to withdraw the proposed resolution as to a uniform design for postage-stamps, His Majesty's Government have been influenced by the following considerations :— 2. In June last inquiries were addressed to the High Commissioners for Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Union of South Africa, and New Zealand with a view to ascertaining whether their Governments would desire to consider a scheme for the adoption of uniform colours or designs, or both, for the stamps of the Empire. The uniform-colour scheme was considered favourably by the Commonwealth and the Union, but the proposal for a uniform design was held to be impracticable, in view of the necessity of having distinctive stamps for each postal administration, while the Dominion of Canada considered this scheme impracticable both as regards design and colour. 3. In view of these replies, it was considered necessary to proceed with the settling of the design for the new stamps for the United Kingdom ; this design has now been fixed, and the arrangements for printing the stamps will be completed in the course of the next few weeks. In these circumstances the Postmaster-General is of opinion that there would not be justification for incurring the heavy expense of new dies and plates merely for the sake of securing uniformity with the other stamps of the Empire, and the only proposal he would therefore be able to submit would be one for the adoption by the dominions of a design the distinguishing features of which would be uniform with that of the new stamps of the United Kingdom. It is, however, doubtful whether, if this new design of the King's head for the centre of the stamp were adopted throughout the Empire, there would be sufficient scope in the remaining part of the design—the frame and lettering —lor stamps of each Administration to be made thoroughly distinctive. 4. It would, indeed, be advantageous to have a uniform-colour scheme for the stamps of the Empire, but the many considerations of detail which enter into that question render it hardly suited for discussion at an Imperial Conference, and the Postmaster-General does not now propose to bring forward either the question of uniform colour or uniform design at the Conference. I have, &c, L. HABCOURT. Governor the Eight Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c.

No. 138. New Zealand, No. 83. My Lord,— Downing Street, 10th March, 1911. With reference to my predecessor's despatch, No. 224, of the 23rd December, 1909, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, two copies of a circular instruction issued by the Board of Trade with regard to the examination of engineers in the mercantile marine. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c.

drcular 1501. Enclosure. Examination of Engineers.—lnstruction to Examiners and Notice to Candidates. On and after Ist January, 1915, the qualifications as regards sea service required from candidates for certificates of competency as engineer in the mercantile marine will be as follows :— (1.) A candidate for a second-class engineer's certificate will be required, in addition to the apprenticeship described in paragraph 23 (a) of the regulations relating to the examination of engineers, or the alternative sea service specified in Circular 1469, to have served eighteen months at