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Enclosure. ;im r Foreign Office, 13th August, 1910. With, reference to my letter of 11th February last, respecting the International Convention of 26th September, 1906, prohibiting nightwork for women in industrial employment, I am directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to transmit herewith, to be laid before the Earl of Crewe, a copy of a note from the Swiss Charge d'Affaires, communicating the final arrangements, which, as the result of correspondence between the States concerned, have now been made as to the putting into force of the Convention. 1 am to explain that owing to the fact that several of the signatory States —viz., Denmark, Spain, Italy, and Sweden —were not in a position to deposit ratifications by 31st December, 1908, as specified in Article 8, it was found impossible to carry out the stipulations of that article with regard to the entry into force of the Convention. Italy and Sweden have since acceded, and the date of accession of the latter—l4th January, 1910 —has now been agreed upon as a basis upon which to calculate the time-limit of two years allowed, for the purpose. The Convention will accordingly take effect on 14th January, 1912, as regards the States mentioned in Monsieur Probst's note, including Great Britain, while the same date is fixed for the British colonies mentioned at the end of his note, whose accession has been notified by your Department. I am to add that the Convention will now be published in the Treaty Series. I am, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office, S.W. Louis Mallet.

No. 61. New Zealand, No. 187. My Lord, — Downing Street, 31st August, 1910. I have the honour to transmit to you, to be laid before your Ministers, the accompanying copy of a letter from the Home Office, in which a request is made for certain information in connection with the investigation and prevention of anthrax. •2. A copy of the last report of the Anthrax Investigation Board of Bradford is also enclosed herewith. 3. I shall be grateful if your Ministers can furnish the desired information as regards the Dominion \mder your Government. 4. I have, at the same time, to invite special attention to the last two paragraphs of the Home Office letter dealing with the mode in which anthrax is spread. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, D.5.0., &c. Enclosure. Sir,-— Whitehall, 29th July, 1910. Early in 1909, at the request of the Home Office, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs addressed to His Majesty's Consuls in centres from which material infected with anthrax is exported, a circular letter asking for information as to the incidence of the disease in the localities under their observation. In response to that letter many reports have been received through the Foreign Office, and the information so obtained has been of much service to the Home Office and to the Anthrax Investigation Board of Bradford—a body specially formed to investigate the subject. Recently, Dr. F. W. Enrich, bacteriologist to the Board, has detected anthrax spores in Cape wool, and suspicion has also fallen on wool from Australia and New Zealand in connection with one or two cases of anthrax in Bradford. In the skin trade, Cape goat-skins have been the most likely source of infection in some cases. Although the risk of anthrax is much less than in the case of certain foreign countries, the Secretary of State desires, therefore, to extend the inquiry to the colonies named above, and would be glad if, with regard to each, information could be obtained on the following points : — (1.) Extent of prevalence of anthrax. (2.) The extent of exports to Great Britain of wool, hair, and hides, (3.) The methods of collection and packing of those materials for export. (4.) Precautions (if any) taken against shipment of—(1) material from infected animals ; (2) blood-stained material. (5.) Disinfection (if any) of material shipped ; mode of disinfection. (6.) Extent of " false packing " —that is, concealment of inferior or infected material in bulk of other kinds. (7.) Distinctive marking (if any) of consignments shipped from given ports or localities. The Anthrax Investigation Board, of whose last report six copies are enclosed, have arrived at certain important conclusions as to the mode in which anthrax is spread. Two of these are of especial moment —first, that the danger of anthrax is associated mainly with blood-clots (from infected animals) attached to the wool, and not simply with dust per se ; and, secondly, that it would greatly facilitate the necessary precautions in this country— (a) if manufacturers could be kept currently informed as to any serious prevalence of anthrax in the place of origin of the materials, and (b) if the consignments of wool, hair, or hides could be distinctively marked so as to indicate the place of origin.

A.-1, 1911 No. 55.