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Enclosure 1 in No. 33. His Excellency the Governor-Genekal, Ottawa, to the Right Hon. the Secretary of State fob the Colonies. (Telegram.) Ottawa, 27th December, 1904. Referring to your despatch Bth December, Pacific Cable Conference: Prime Minister suggests Conference meet in London May next.

Enclosure 2 in No. 33. The Right Hon the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Ottawa. My Lord — Downing Street, sth January, 1905. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's telegram of the 27th December last and to inform you that I accept the suggestion of your Prime Minister, that the Pacific Cable Conference should meet in May next, and that I shall be glad if you will arrange for the attendance of Sir W. Mulock as soon as possible after the 7th of that month c. jj aj 1 i, nfol : mi "g the other Governments accordingly. I shall be obliged if you will have Sir Sandford Fleming informed also. I t jave & c „ _ ,_, _. „ Alfred Lyttelton. Governor-General His Excellency the Right Hon. Earl Grey, G.C.M.G., &c.

No. 34. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Prime Minister. (Telegram.) London> 6th Jan 1905 Colonial Omce, 11th May or early in the month May, meeting Cable Conference as suggested Canadian Government, Colonial Office informs me, did not consult with New Zealand and Australian Colonies because it was understood Mulock would not come any earlier date.

MISCELLANEOUS : DIVEEBION OF TRAFFIC, EMPIRE CABLES.

No. 35. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, Sir,— 7th November, 1904. With reference to your letter of the 30th September last [No. 50, F.-Ba, 1904J, embodying copy of a communication received by you from the General Manager of the Pacific Cable Board, London, respecting diversions of Pacific cable traffic to the Eastern Extension Company's cable and this Department's lines during interruptions to the New Zealand land line, and the question of Regulation XLII., paragraphs 1 and 2, of the London International Telegraph Convention of 1903 being applied in such cases, I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to inform you this Department has not received any communication from the General Manager of the Pacific Cable Board since the new international rules were promulgated on the subject of sending telegrams by another route when that indicated by the sender is interrupted. This Department is, however, quite prepared to give effect to the regulations in this respect; but Regulation XLII. does not appear to provide for transmission by a more costly route without increased cost for a period of twenty-four hours, particularly when read, as it must be, in conjunction with Regulation LXXVL, anS more especially paragraph 7of that regulation. It would appear therefrom that, in the case of telegrams diverted from the original route, whether by interruption or otherwise, the loss occasioned thereby has to be borne by the Administrations concerned. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. International Telegraph Convention and Service Regulations: 1903 Revision (London , ! XLII. V '' 1. When an interruption to the regular means of telegraphic communication occurs during the transmission of a telegram, the office beyond which the interruption exists immediately sends the telegram by a circuitous telegraphic route (Reg. LXXVL, paragraphs 5, 6, and 7), or in default by special messenger or by post (as far as possible by registered letter). The expense of forwarding other than that of telegraphic transmission is borne by the office which employs this means of forwarding. The envelope sent by post must bear the word " Telegram."

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