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Enclosure. To Stationmasters, Guards, &c. Circular re Waimea Plains Railway.—(Previous circulars are hereby cancelled.) Wellington, 17th December, 1883. The agreement subsisting between the Waimea Plains Railway Company and the Government will terminate on the 31st inst. at the request of tho companyNo goods, parcels, or passengers will, on and after that date, be despatched from any Government station on, to, or through the Company's line. Passengers holding excursion tickets for stations on the Waimoa Plains Railway must be permitted to travel via Invercargill. All stations having tickets for stations on the Waimea Plains Railway must send them in to audit on the Ist January. Tickets via Waimea Plains Railway must be similarly treated. J. P. Maxwell.

Enclosure. Termination of Agreement with the Waimea Plains Railway.— Special instructions for Gore and Elbow Stations on and after the 31st December, 1883. The company be permitted to run its trains from and to these stations; but the trains and all the company's officer must, while within the limits of the Government railway, bo entirely subject to the station master's orders and to the rules and regulations of the New Zealand Railways, and to the orders which may be issued from time to time by the General Manager of New Zealand Railways or other authorized Government officers. Upon failure or neglect to obey this condition tho stationmaster will take immediate steps to preclude the company's trains from entry until further orders. When goods are brought by the company in full truck-loads for despatch by the Government line without unloading, they will be received by the stationmasters on similar conditions to goods from private sidings. They must be accompanied by a consignment, note, but no receipt will bo given for them. The consignee will in this case be tho authorized agent of the company, whose name will be advised. When goods are brought by the company in lots of two tons or under, tho company's agent must deliver into the shed for reloading and consign in the ordinary way. When goods come in full truck-loads consigned to the company at Gore or Elbow they will be delivered over in the truck to the company's agent upon a proper receipt being given and the freight being paid. Goods received at Gore and Elbow addressed to consignees there may be delivered to the company's agent upon an order from the consignee and upon the freight and charges being paid, the usual receipt being taken by the station. Tho company will be charged for Government rolling-stock running on to its line, at per day or part of a day, as follows: Pirst-class carriage, 10s.; second-class or compo., 7s. 6d.; brake-van, ss. ; all goods stock, 25.; sheets, Is. But tho Government will not guarantee to supply any stock. The company must return all stock in good order, reasonable wear and tear exoeptod, upon demand by the department. All Government rolling-stock on the company's line of every description must be returned to Gore Station on the Ist January, 1884, for inspection and stocktaking. The company will make its own arrangements about receiving, holding, despatching, and booking local goods and parcels, and for booking passengers at Gore and Elbow. For the use of the Government stations and land a charge will be made on all goods passing on, to, or from the company's line of 6d. per ton on goods of classes A, B, C, D, E ; of Id. per 100 ft. superficial of timber; of Is. per truck on classes F, L, M; of 2d. per ton on classes N and P; of Id. per bale of wool: minimum charge 3d., in all cases. J. P. Maxwell.

Memorandum from the General Manages, New Zealand Railways, to the Assistant General Manager, re Waimea Plains Railway. Mr. Hannay,— Wellington, 17th December, 1883. Issue poster altering excursion tickets on Waimea Plains Railway, omitting reference to route, and requisition for tickets, at once, at fares formerly used for Waimea route, which will be available via Invercargill. Issue advertisement that, after 31st inst., Waimea Plains service will cease to run in connection with the New Zealand Railways. Advertise one week. Passengers who have booked Waimea Plains Railway will be allowed to return via Invercargill. Advertise for one week. Cancel time-tables. Issue notice to " Bradshaw." Arrange daily service, Invercargill to Kingston. J. P. Maxwell.

The Secbetaey, Waimca Plains Railway Company, to tho General Manager, New Zealand Railways. Sin, — The Waimea Plains Railway Company (Limited), Dunedin, 21st December, 1883. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 17tii instant, with copies of instructions given by you to the various stationmasters. Tho whole subject has had consideration ; and I am instructed to remind you that, by referring to my letter of the 11th instant, you will see that, although the agreement expired on the 10th instant, I expressly stated that in terminating existing arrangements this company did not wish to press the department with inconvenient haste. However, the company beg to thank yon for acting so promptly. With regard to the terms proposed for the fresh agreement, there are several points which I respectfully submit will require discussion and alteration to enable tho company to work their line in the most convenient and equitable manner for the people of the railway district, whose interest they wish to conserve. I will not, therefore, at the present time refer specially to any particular portion of tho arrangement proposed, but am instructed to acquiesce in its terms on behalf of this company "as a temporary measure," as suggested by you. One of our directors will visit Wellington within the next fortnight, and discuss the whole subject with you, when no doubt a mutually satisfactory arrangement will be arrived at. In tho meantime instructions have been given to the officer in charge of the line to carry out on his part the temporary arrangement, and to work in harmony with your officers at Gore and Elbow. I have, &c, The General Manager, Now Zealand Railways, Wellington. R. H. Leary, Secretary.

The Assistant General Manager, New Zealand Railways, to the Secbetaby, Waimea Plains Railway Company. SIE, — ~ 31st December, 1884. I have the honour, by direction of the Minister for Public Works, to submit for the consideration of your directors a proposed working arrangement for the interchange of goods and passenger traffic between the Waimea Plains Railway and the Government lines, being very similar to the agreement which was in operation until the 31st December, 1883. I understand, from what passed when you were here with your directors, Messrs. Bell and Wales, that the company is prepared to consider favourably an arrangement whereby passengers from Dunedin may be enabled to get through to Queenstown in one day. Should the company agree to some such arrangement as is now submitted, the Government agrees to run a train between Elbow and Kingston tri-weekly, on the days stated in the proposed memorandum of arrangement, or such other days as may be considered most suitable, the Government being of opinion that a tri-weekly service between