D.—3

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8. In the case of single women unaccompanied by married relatives, the local agent will make inquiries of the applicant's employer or referees, and transmit their answers to the AgentGeneral with the application. He must also, either personally or by a sub-agent, examine the candidate as to her character and qualifications, and endorse a special report on these points on the form of application, stating the time and place of the examination. 9. When the local agent has completed the inquiries herein indicated, he will sign and transmit the application to the office of the Agent-General. 10. The local agent must distinctly understand that all application forms are to be submitted to the Agent-General for approval; consequently, he must on no account promise a passage to any one; but, on the contrary, he must warn applicants that the fact of filling up the forms confers no claim whatever to a passage; that unless, after their papers have been sent to this office, they receive a notice, stating that the Agent-General can grant them a passage, and calling upon them to pay the usual deposit, they are on no account to leave any employment they may have, or make any preparation for departure; and that if they fail to attend to this warning, they must bear any loss and disappointment that may accrue, and will have no claim on the Agent-General. 11. As the Agent-General is bound to pay the ship-owners for the passage of a stipulated number of emigrants, whether they embark or not, the local agent must be careful to ascertain, as early as possible, if there are likely to be any defaulters; adopting such steps as he may think necessary for immediately removing any doubts on the subject, and informing the AgentGeneral without delay if defaulters should arise, in order that their places may be supplied. 12. The local agent will let the emigrants distinctly understand that, when once summoned to embark, unless they attend on the appointed day, or give timely notice (say at least fourteen days) of their inability (through illness) to do so, they will not again receive a passage, and that the payments they have made will be forfeited. 13. If the local agent should have reason to suspect that any parties, whether selected by himself or not, are going out at the public expense who ought not to obtain passages, he will inquire into the circumstances and report them' to the Agent-General. 14. In the performance of his duty the local agent will carefully avoid overstating the benefits to be expected from emigration; and will impress on all applicants that industry, frugality, and general good conduct are as essential to success in the colonies as at home. 15. As it would be obviously unjust to use the funds of one colony in providing passages for persons who intend to proceed to another colony, the local agent must be careful to ascertain beforehand that the applicants intend to settle in New Zealand. 16. In order to prevent any erroneous statements being put forth, the local agent is not permitted to issue any advertisement, placard, or other document, without the previous sanction and approval of the Agent-General. The cost of advertisements sanctioned by the AgentGeneral will be paid by him. The local agent is recommended to write his name and address at the (left-hand) corner of any forms he may issue to inquirers. 17. No local agent is to canvass for immigrants in the districts assigned to other agents. 18. In his correspondence with the A gent-General, the local agent should not include in one letter more than a single subject. For example, the forwarding of accounts, or of applications for passages, should each form a separate communication. Each letter should have an inner margin, the different paragraphs should be numbered, and care should be taken to compress into one paragraph all observations relating to the same person or matter. 19. The local agent must prepay all letters and parcels forwarded by him to the AgentGeneral. 20. If a local agent wishes to appoint sub-agents, the names, occupations, and addresses of the persons proposed must, before they are allowed to act, be submitted for approval. The subagents are not to correspond direct with the Agent-General on the business of the agency, but must make all their communications to the local agent, who appoints and remunerates them, and who will be held responsible for their acts and defaults. 21. Subject to the conditions herein contained, the local agents will receive for their services, in respect of such persons of their selection as may be approved by the Agent-General, and finally sail in one of his vessels, the following fees, viz.:— On each married couple .. .. .. .. .. 20s. On each single man .. .. .. .. .. ss. On each single woman, viz., servants of allwork, dairymaids, cooks, kitchen-maids, housemaids, and nursemaids .. .. 10s. No fees will be payable : — Ist. Where the persons selected are under 12 or above 45 years of age at the time of embarkation. 2nd. AVhere they may prove at the port of embarkation to be ineligible, and the AgentGeneral, in order to avoid inflicting hardship, shall allow them to proceed. 3rd. Where the applicants do not actually sail in a ship despatched by the AgentGeneral. 4th. Where the applicants have been nominated for passages in the Colony, or are persons paying their own passage, or the wives or husbands of such persons.