A.— l

Condition 10 to stand as set out in the tender, and the liiodification as suggested in your letter of che sth instant is agreed to be cancelled. The following to be substituted for condition 12 of the tender : " All the Government Departments, the colonial Governments, and the Governments of the dominions which take part in this agreement shall undertake not to give any information concerning the company's patents, processes, machinery, or any knowledge which they may derive from the stations erected under this tender, or which may be obtained from the Marconi Company to any Government Department which may not have caused stations to be erected under this tender. It is further agreed that if at the expiration of the five years dating from the date of the agreement any of the Government Departments, the colonial Governments, or the Governments of the dominions which will have erected stations under this tender should decide to erect or cause to be erected a station or stations of a different system, the company shall have the right of inspection of any such station or stations." By this clause, to the extent of what is set out therein, the company releases the Admiralty and the Postmaster-General from the obligation under their agreements with the company of the 24th July, 1903, and the 29th September, 1909, respectively, but no Governments or Departments concerned shall make use of information so obtained in order to enable them to manufacture, or cause to be manufactured, or use without payment any of the apparatus in regard to which information has been furnished. I have, &c, Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company (Limited), Godfrey C. Isaacs, Managing Director. Note. —It is open to the Government of any dominion to become a party to this agreement.—G.C.l.

No. 15. New Zealand, No. 85. My Lord,— Downing Street, 22nd March, 1912. With, reference to my despatch, No. 92, of the 10th March, 1911, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, a copy of a statement which has been received from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty showing the cost during the period from Ist April, 1910, to the 31st March, 1911, of the maintenance of the ships forming the Naval Force on the Australian Station. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c.

Enclosure. Statement of Cost during the Period 1st April, 1910, to 31st March, 1911, of the Maintenance of Ships forming the Naval Force on the Australian Station.

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Name of Ship. Class. § a Si s . s> o ft 3 s 3 o O Ol (A g i W2 I 3 a ft a 0Q o 5 I c m p O s o a d 8* bo 1 ft OB . si a 111 Hi Mi Is bo a 1 S 3 QQ eS o Powerful Cambrian Challenger Encounter Pegasus Pioneer Prometheus Psyche Pyramus Cruiser, 1st class . . ,, 2nd class .. ,, 3rd class .. £ 42,475 14,751 20,527 21,815 8,036 i 8,735 7,877 9,128 8,052 £ 68,160 17,100 36,636 28,022 12,892 14,257 12,975 17,415 15,729 £ 18,230 5,300 7,140 7,400 3,940 2,600 3,940 2,610 2,610 £ £ 8,442 7,430 1,187 1,392 4,716 2,859 2,261 3,112 8,660 : 1,802 2,203 1.636 6,349 2.313 3,703 1,925 8,734 1,809 £ 20,314 6,068 11,673 12,328 6,585 3,533 3,649 3,800 2,956 £ £ 7,024 2,078 3,497 2,385 2,259 £ 984 162 171 78 49 110 70 100 73 £ 5,696 216 492 146 228 1,476 376 534 840 £ !2,834 6,734 5,935 8,853 5,106 3,220 5,072 2,998 3,064 £ 201,589 54,988 93,646 86,400 49,557 37,770 45,626 44,645 44,063 4,400 3,005 2,432 196 4,400 141,396 223,186 46,255 24,278 Note.—The "Chalk the 5th to the 21st April, at Sydney, which was ap 53,770 70,906 4,400 22,876 1,797 10,004 63,816 662,684 Miger " was outside the limits oi , 1910. The figures in the state .proximately £60,200. the st; :ment < ition fri o not >m the nclude 3rd to 1 the coi ihe 31si it of tl Marcl ie upki t, 1911 ;ep, &c , and i >., of tl ;he"Ei ncounte ,1 estab] >r'' from lishment ie nava