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" 26th August, 1874. " One of the under-frames has been regularly scamped. Two of the long timbers and one short one are rotten, and can be dug out with the fingers. I have replaced them with Australian blue-gum, but will preserve the original as evidence of how it is possible, with all care, to get now and then bad material." Public Works Office, Wellington, 25th September, 1874. Edward Richardson.

No. 3. Memorandum No. 45, 1874, for the Agent-General, London. 4 Enclosed are two memoranda by the Superintending Engineer for Constructed Railways, in which he furnishes particulars of the duties required from general managers on the New Zealand railways, and I have to request that you will endeavour to obtain three officers of the class described, together with one mechanical draftsman, particulars of whose qualifications are also given in the memoranda above mentioned; the terms of their agreement to be the same, excepting salary, as those mentioned for engineers in my Memo. No. 50, of 24th October, 1873. Tou will be good enough to ask Messrs. Bruce and Hemans to recommend these four officers to you. They should all be moderately young men, who have passed through the shops, as well as having general practical experience. Public Works Office, Wellington, 25th September, 1874. Edward Richardson.

Vide Reply Nos, and 7, E.—2.

Enclosure 1 in No. 3. Superintending Engineer to the Engineer-in-Chief. I would beg to draw your attention to the apparent want in the colony of men who combine a mechanical knowledge and ability to undertake the general management of a railway. There are applicants as traffic managers, but I do not think these are the style of men we want on our lines, as, being entirely ignorant concerning locomotives and rolling stock they are completely in the hands of the workmen. This would never do, and to obviate it we should be obliged to employ a locomotive superintendent as well, but this would add very materially to the expenses of the line. On the other hand, an engineer brought up to work could, no doubt, soon acquire the necessary qualifications as regards the traffic department. Unless our engines and rolling stock have very careful supervision, we shall have very heavy expenditure in renewals and repairs, and be unable to carry what traffic there is in a satisfactory manner. The want of a mechanical draftsman is already felt, and I would recommend the importation of one without delay, as our work will increase as we open up more railways. Public Works Office, Wellington, 15th August, 1874. Frank B. Passmore.

Enclosure 2 in No. 3. Superintending Engineer to the Engineer-in-Chief. With regard to the managers required for the various lines to be engaged in England, they should be thoroughly practical mechanics, who not only know when work is properly done, but are able to show how to do it. They should be gentlemen of education, writing a good hand, and conversant with accounts. Of course they may not be acquainted with the exact style of accounts kept by us, but these are so simple that anybody who understands decimals and who knows how to keep an ordinary day-book and ledger could learn how to keep our books in two days. As the managers will be so far away in most cases, and will have so much responsibility, it is necessary that they should be men of undoubted respectability and sobriety. The salary should be £300 per annum to begin with, and increase by £25 a year to £500. The duties of the managers will be as follow: —He will have the entire charge and management of the whole line and every department thereof. He will be responsible for the proper working and condition of the permanent way, locomotive traffic, and all other departments, and will have to keep the books in a clean and correct manner. The workshops, where there are any, will be under his charge. He must insist on the utmost economy in all branches of the service. He will be under the immediate superintendence of the Superintending Engineer for Constructed Railways, to whom he will be responsible for the proper working of the line under his charge. His hours of duty will be those required by the work he has to do. As regards the draftsman, he should be a practical mechanic, and should be used to designing engines and other machinery. His work should be "first-class." This man should get £250 per annum to begin with, and increase £20 a year to £350. Public Works Office, Wellington, 29th August, 1874. Franjc B. Passmore.

No. 4. Memorandum No. 50, 1874, for the Agent-General, London, g The District Engineer at Dunedin reports that the brake hangers on the rolling stock are made of cast iron, which is cut away at the lower flange of the framing to a thickness of three-quarters of an inch, and that about a dozen have broken already, chiefly on the ballast wagons, some of them it is said being broken in pressing down the brake. As the failure of these brakes might lead to serious consequences, you are requested to instruct Messrs. Hemans and Bruce to have them in future made of wrought instead of cast iron. Public Works Office, Wellington, 25th September, 1874. Edward Richardson.

Vide Reply No, E.—2.