1.—5.

No. B.—"Southland News." Invercargill, 9th July, 1880. " Southland Daily News," evening paper, paid last year, ended 31st March, for telegrams, telegraph agency, &c, £451. Of this, £202 18s. lOd. was paid department for wirage, besides £30 contributed to the special wire formerly rented by Christchureh Press. Paying as we do at least double what our morning contemporary has to pay, owing to the advantage it derives from the special wire, we are handicapped to that extent. Same must be case in greater or lesser degree throughout New Zealand. Are strongly of opinion that means should be devised place morning and evening papers on an equal footing. Heney and John Feldwick". Hon. Mr. Gisborne, M.H.E., Proprietors Southland JVeios. Chairman, Press Telegrams Committee, Wellington.

No. 9. —"Thames Adteetisee." G-rahamstown, 9th July, 1880. Following evidence from Mr. Wilkinson, of the Advertiser, for Telegraph Committee :— In reply to your circular memo, re telegraph facilities for Press of colony, I have the honor to submit the following suggestions : — 1. That no special privileges should be given to one section of the Press of the colony which are not available for others, i.e., that no newspapers should be allowed to combine and obtain the use of such other newspapers as they may think proper. This has been done since January last by the proprietors of the New Zealand Herald, Times, Christchureh, and Times, Dunedin. The result of this combination was to exclude the Advertiser, Grahamstown, and other newspapers ; in my case simply to leave the wire clear for the Herald, and enable them to reap the additional advantage which such exclusion would give them. Of course, the Committee are aware that the newspapers having special wires frequently send exclusive news to each paper; hence the advantage of lessening the number of those on the wire-circuit. It would pay the Herald, for instance, to exclude the Advertiser, and make up any extra expense involved by such exclusion, in order to secure this advantage; hence I maintain that provision should be made to prevent any newspaper, however influential, from obtaining such an advantage. I was admitted to the advantages of a special wire under the old arrangement; but since January last have been deprived of such for the reason stated. 2. Uniform hours should prevail in all offices for morning newspapers (of course I have only to do with such). The consequence of the closing of special-wire privileges to this station has been the closing of the office at 8 p.m. except during the session, when it is open until 10 p.m. for messages from Wellington only. In answer to a remonstrance on the closing of the office at 8 p.m. instead at 1 a.m. as former!}', I received the following letter : — " Sin, —I atn directed by the Hon. the Telegraph Commissioner to inform you that from Monday next, and during the session only, the Grahamstown office will be kept open till 10 p.m. for Press news on the evenings of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in each week. All telegrams for transmission nfter 8 p.m. must be presented at the Wellington office, as the Government Buildings office closes nt S o'clock. The Commissioner regrets that he cannot grant any further extended hours, and that the additional expense entailed will prevent him continuing the extension after the session. The Commissioner desires me to say that it appears to him your difficulty would be best met by your insisting upon being admitted into the special-wire arrangement. —I have, &c, A. T. Maginnity, Secretary." 3. I would suggest that any special-wire arrangements should in future be undertaken by the department, instead of allowing a few influential newspapers to control the same; or else that one of the conditions of the department should be that all newspapers desiring to come in should have the privilege of doing so. 4. No special-wire privilege should be more advantageous in the matter of extended hours; but that all papers should be upon an equality in this respect. At Grahamstown the hours could be made the same as at Auckland without any increased expense, as an operator is kept in attendance all night for midnight messages, who could just as easily receive any other messages which are now excluded through the closing of the office at 10 p.m. Yon will perceive that my remarks are confined to a private grievance arising from the reduction of hours at this station, and I have no doubt it would also apply to other stations, if I had any means of ascertaining the same ; and it is chiefly in that belief 1 trouble you with such reply to your circular of this day's date. I have, &c, Wm. Wilkinson, Hon. W. Gisborne, Wellington. Proprietor, Thames Advertiser.

• No. 10. —" HiWEBA AND NOEHANBY STAR." Hawera, 9th July, 1880. In reply to telegram, would suggest that office be kept open for country papers one hour (6 to 7), instead of half-hour (7 to 7.80 p.m.) as at present; that all messages, whether marked " Press "or not, should be at Press rates, so long as no private matters were mentioned. At present, if not marked " Press" at top, full rates charged ; great hardship. Would also suggest that messages received by country papers apart from the hours set down for their convenience should be charged at quarter usual rares, instead of half j that all messages should be added together, aud charged on the total number of words, instead of total of separate messages. Hon. W. Gisb'M-ne, Galvin and Co., Chairman, Press Telegraph Committee, Wellington. Hawera and Normanhy Star. s—l. 5.

33