A.—l.

Enclosure.

Your Excellency,— St. John's Manse, Wellington, 14th September, 1907. I beg to enclose a letter for the Lords of the Admiral.} 7 , requesting that the persons named in the same, and who have been nominated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, should be appointed chaplains to the fleet, so that when H.M. ships visit our harbours we may be able to minister effectively to the needs of our coreligionists. Since the interview you were pleased to grant me, I have learnt definitely that the Admiralty a year or two ago appointed four Methodist ministers as chaplains, one in each of the principal ports of the colony. I have, therefore, now to ask Your Excellency kindly to forward my letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Admiralty, and, if the application meets with your approval, to signify the same in your communication to that official. On behalf of the Assembly, I am, &c, To His Excellency Lord Plunket, Governor of New Zealand. James Gibb.

No. 16. (No. 74.) My Lord, — Government House, Wellington, 21st September, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge Your Lordship's telegram, transmitted to me by His Excellency the Governor of South Australia on the 3rd September, stating that the Home Office desired information as to whether the law regarding Juvenile Smoking had proved effective in this Colony. 2. I duly submitted the matter to my Ministers for their consideration and have now received a memorandum from my Prime Minister as to the result of " The Juvenile Smoking Suppression Act, 1903." My Premier's memorandum is enclosed herewith, for the information of the Home Office. I have, &c, The Earl of Elgin, PLUNKET. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Enclosure. Memorandum for His Excellency the Governor. I Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 16th September, 1907. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister begs respectfully to inform His Excellency that, in accordance with His Excellency's communication of the 3rd instant, inquiries have been made as to the effect of " The Juvenile Smoking Suppression Act, 1903," in this colony. Since the Act came into operation there have been thirty prosecutions, twenty-five against boys for smoking and five against shopkeepers for supplying. Police officers generally report that the Act has been to a certain extent beneficial in deterring boys from smoking, and checking the indiscriminate sale of tobacco to them; but there can be no doubt smoking in out-of-the-way places still continues, and is likely to unless the Act is made more stringent. At present it only applies to smoking in public places, and there is no penalty provided beyond a fine, which cannot be enforced, as the Act expressly prohibits imprisonment in default of the fine being paid. It is evident, from the absence of boys smoking in the streets as formerly, that the provisions of the Act are well known, and that the boys are now more or less afraid of getting into trouble if they are found smoking; it may therefore be fairly presumed that the Act has proved of some benefit, but it cannot be ascertained with any certainty to what extent it has decreased the consumption of tobacco by juveniles. J. G. Ward.

No. 17. • (No. 79.) My Lord, — Government House, Wellington, 2nd October, 1907. In continuation of my despatch (No. 53) of the sth July last, on the subject of Fires in Wool Cargoes, I have the honour to transmit to Your Lordship a further Report by the Commissioners, which has recently been presented to the Legislative Assembly. I have, &c, The Earl of Elgin, PLUNKET. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 8.

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