A.—l

30

No. 54. New Zealand, No. 286. Sir,— Government House, Wellington, 22nd November, 1916. I have the honour to inform you, in reply to your despatch, No. 680, of the 31st August, that my Ministers have no objection to the proposed wartax in connection with correspondence addressed to New Zealand from the Presidencies of the Colony of the Leeward Islands, referred to in the first paragraph of the despatch under reply, and that they will take action accordingly. I have, &o, LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. A. Bonar Law, P.0., &o, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

A.-2, 1917, No. 55.

No. 55. New Zealand, No. 288. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 22nd November, 1916 I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 641, of the 21st August, on the subject of the Imperial College of Science and Technology, in which you inquired whether the Government of New Zealand desired to take advantage of the opportunity of appointing a representative on the governing body of the college. 2. The question has been brought under the consideration of my Ministers, who have asked me to reply in the affirmative and to state that the New Zealand Government nominates Sir Ernest Rutherford, Dean of the Board of Faculty of Science, Victoria University, Manchester, as the representative of this Dominion on the governing body of the institution. 3. Sir Ernest Rutherford has been selected on account of his high scientific standing and because of his early associations with New Zealand, the country of his birth. 4. My Ministers add that it has not been ascertained whether that gentleman is prepared to accept the appointment, but they would be much obliged if you would be so good as to approach him, expressing the pleasure which it would afford the Dominion Government if he would act as their representative. I have, &o, LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. A. Bonar Law, P.C., &c, . Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

A.-2, 1917, No. 52.

No. 56. New Zealand, No. 295. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 25th November, 1916. I have the honour to inform you, in reply to your despatch, No. 688, of the 24th August, that there is no objection to the appointment of Mr. G. H. Baker as Consul for Peru at Auckland, and that notification of the provisional recognition of this gentleman's appointment in the capacity mentioned was published in the New Zealand Gazette of the 16th November. I have, &o, LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. A. Bonar Law, P.C., &c, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.