F.—B

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No. 3. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. (Telegram.) Wellington, 13th September, 1911. What, is position in regard duplicate oable New Zealand Sydney? Has Imperial Government taken necessary action J [P.C. Fin. and Constr. 11/124.]

No. 4. The High Commissioner to the Right Hon. the Pkimb Minister. (Telegram.) London, 13th September, 1911. With reference your telegram 13th September, Cable Bill authorized, not yet passed Imperial Parliament. [P.C. Fin. and Constr. 11/125.]

No. 5. [Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives, Wednesday, the 11th day of October, 1911.] Pacific Cable Deviation. Resolved, That, whereas, by resolution of this House, dated the 28th day of September, 1910 [No. 8, F.-8, 1911], approval was given of the construction and laying by the Pacific Cable Board of a cable to be used in the transmission of messages between New Zealand and Australia in place, if required, of a portion of the Pacific cable at present used for that purpose : And whereas this House is informed that a Bill to extend the Imperial Pacific Cable Act, 1901, has been introduced into the Imperial House of Commons providing that— The Pacific Cable Board may, with the approval of the Imperial Treasury, apply out of their reserve fund such sums as may be required for the purpose of any works authorized under the extending Act: Provided that the sums standing to the credit of that reserve fund are not at any time thereby reduced below the sum of one hundred thousand pounds; and that the Pacific Cable Board shall pay to the reserve fund as part of the annual expenses of the Pacific cable in each year, in accordance with regulations approved by the Imperial Treasury, such sums as may be sufficient to repay any moneys so applied in thirty-five years, with interest at the rate of three and a half per cent, per annum. The works to be authorized by the Act are a submarine cable between Australia and New Zealand, as already sanctioned by the contributing Governments, and any other extensions, connections, or rearrangements in or near the Pacific Ocean which, in the opinion of all the contributing Governments, are necessary or expedient for the improvement of the Pacific Cable Board's undertaking. The " reserve fund " is to mean in the Act the reserve fund established under the authority of the Treasury by the Pacific Cable Board. The " contributing Governments " are to mean in the Act the Governments represented on the Pacific Cable Board—namely, His Majesty's Government, the Government of Canada, the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Government of New Zealand : This House, in pursuance of the provisions of section one hundred and sixty-six of the Post and Telegraph Act, 1908, and of the resolution first hereinbefore mentioned, approves of the Pacific Cable Board constructing and laying a cable, on the terms and for the purpose mentioned, between Doubtless Bay, or any more convenient point, and Australia, either direct or partly by means of a subterranean cable across the North Island. — {On the motion of the Right Hon. Sir J . G. Ward, Bart.) [A similar resolution was passed by the Legislative Council on the motion of the Hon. Sir J. Findlay, 19th October, 1911.]

No. 6. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Dunedin, to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 12th October, 1911. I am instructed to forward for your favourable consideration the following resolution adopted at a special meeting held thi3 morning, namely : — " It being announced through the Press that the Pacific Cable Board proposes to provide a second cable between Australia and New Zealand, the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce urge upon the Government the desirability of laying such second cable from Melbourne to the Bluff, for the following reasons : (1.) It would give the southern parts of the Dominion equally ready access to the main Pacific cable as is enjoj'ed at present by the northern districts. (2.) It would minimize the risk of the southern part of the Dominion being cut off from the cable when communication with the North Island is interrupted, as occasionally occurs, resulting in grievous delay to southern messages; indeed, our communication with the whole world«,is cut off when both North Island and Wakapuaka are isolated. (3.) The adoption of a new route for the new connection would give a greatly increased insurance against the total interruption of communication with the