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that His Majesty's Government may be good enough to arrange for the co-operation of the Intelligence Department of the Board of Trade in the way of granting to Mr. Spence facilities for acquiring such information as may be of use in furthering his work. 3. I enclose a list, forwarded to me by the Prime Minister, indicating methods of Customs evasions. I have, &c, ISLINGTON, The Right Hon. Lewis V. Harcourt, P.C., &c, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Enclosure. Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 9th September, 1912. Memorandum for His Excellency the Governor. The Prime Minister presents his compliments, and begs respectfully to bring under His Excellency's notice the fact that it has been deemed necessary, for improved trade relationship between importers in this country and exporters in the United Kingdom, to appoint a Commercial Expert and Accredited Inquiry Agent for the Department of Trade and Customs. The agent is to take up his headquarters in London during November next. The officer detailed for the work is Mr. Henry Richard Spence, late Collector of Customs at Invercargill. His duties will include verification of the true home-consumption value of goods ; whether goods are prison-made or otherwise ; the character of discounts, deductions, or allowances made from invoice prices ; cases of duplicate invoicing ; and, particularly, the true country of origin of goods claimed as of British make under the preferential tariff. He will, if business of sufficient importance warrants it, make a short annual visit to the Continent and to the United States of America. The records of the Customs Department in New Zealand and in Australia abound with instances where goods made abroad are imported into the United Kingdom and reshipped as British goods, thus escaping the preferential duty. The Prime Minister would be much obliged if His Excellency will be pleased to communicate with the Imperial Government to secure the co-operation of the Intelligence Department of the Board of Trade in the way of granting to Mr. Spence facilities for acquiring such information as may be of use in furthering his work. W. P. Massey, • Prime Minister.

No. 38. New Zealand, No. 159. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, Ist October, 1912. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, Miscellaneous, of the 29th July, forwarding the new Public Seal which has been prepared for the Dominion of New Zealand, together with the Royal Warrant authorizing its use. 2. In accordance with the desire expressed in the last paragraph of your despatch, my Prime Minister informs me that upon receipt of the Seal press which was forwarded by the High Commissioner, and which is due to arrive here on the 2nd October, the old Seal will be returned to me for transmission to you. The old Seal press will be despatched to the High Commissioner for delivery to the Deputy Master of the Royal Mint. I have, &c, ISLINGTON, The Right Hon. Lewis V. Harcourt, P.C., &c, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

A.-2, 1913. No. 70.

No. 39. New Zealand, No. 162. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 10th October, 1912. With reference to your despatch, No. 222, of the 30th July, transmitting a copy of a letter from the Army Council relative to the granting of permission to members of the Army Special Reserve to emigrate to the oversea dominions, I have the honour to inform you, in reply to the last paragraph of your despatch, that my Ministers report as follows :—

A.-2, 1913 No. 71.

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