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minimum of 6s. for twenty words or less. The " week-end letters " will be accepted on or before Saturdays for delivery on the following Tuesdays. The charge per word will be about one-fifth of the present rate, with a minimum of 6s. for thirty words or less. On and from the 15th instant the Post Office will receive these messages and co-operate in forwarding them by post or telegraph, according to rules which will be announced. For the present, Press telegrams at the reduced rates and the new letter-telegrams will be sent by the cables of the Western Union Telegraph Company and the two allied companies which I have already mentioned, and, so far as North America is concerned, can only be sent to places on the Western Union Company's system. I am glad to say also that the negotiations which have been proceeding for some time with the cable companies for reducing by one-half the rates for plain-language non-urgent cablegrams between the United Kingdom, India, the dominions, the Crown colonies, and the United States have proved successful, and the new arrangements will take effect on the Ist of January next. I anticipate that the concurrence of certain foreign administrations will soon be obtained, and that the scheme will shortly be extended to many other parts of the world. Under the new regulations of the Telegraph Convention the use of codes has been largely extended, and code telegrams can be sent cheaply. I hope that the new tariffs will be of service to the senders of Press and private messages in plain language which are not of an urgent character, with respect to which the existing rates press heavily. No appreciable cost will fall upon the Treasury through these charges. 6 * * * * * * Mr. Harry Lawson. —During which hours will Press telegrams at reduced rates be accepted? Mr. Herbert Samuel. —Press telegrams at reduced rates for transmission to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will be accepted at any hours.

No. 52. The Manager in the Pacific, Pacific Cable Board, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 14th December, 1911. Board advise deferred Press rate between Vancouver and Australasia will applyfrom to-morrow. Land-line rate between Bamfield and Vancouver now standing at one farthing. Cannot be further reduced. Total rate will thus be one penny three farthings. Proportions : New Zealand, halfpenny; Pacific Cable Board, one penny farthing. No alteration in Fiji intercolonial traffic, but deferred Press at half-rates applies throughout Pacific on international messages. [P.O. Press 11/62.]

PROPOSED ATLANTIC CABLE, PROPOSED CANADIAN LAND LINE, AND REDUCTION IN CABLE RATES.

No. 53. The Eight Hon. the Secretary op State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord, — Downing Street, 2nd March, 1911. With reference to my despatch of the 20th of January [not printed], forwarding the agenda for the Imperial Conference, I have the honour to transmit to you, to be laid before your Ministers, copies of memoranda which have been prepared by the General Post Office on the subject of the resolutions to be moved at in favour of a State-owned Atlantic cable, a Stateowned telegraph-line across Canada, and the cheapening of cable rates. 2. These memoranda will no doubt serve as a convenient basis for discussion at the Conference. 3. I have to add that it is not yet possible to furnish a memorandum dealing with the resolution to be moved by the Government of New Zealand in favour of the construction of a chain of British State-owned wireless-telegraph stations. It will, however, be seen from paragraph 2 of the memorandum on cheaper cable rates that this resolution is receiving the consideration which its great importance and far-reaching issues dictate. I have, &c, Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c. L. Harcotjrt. [P.C. Fin. 11/37.]

Enclosure 1 in No. 53. Memorandum. —State-owned Atlantic Cable. Resolution of New Zealand Government:- — " That, in order to secure a measure of unity in the cable and telegraph service within the Empire, the scheme of telegraph cables be extended by the laying of a State-owned cable between England and Canada, and that the powers of the Pacific Cable Board be extended to enable the Board to lay and control such cable."