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Enclosures. High Commissioner for New Zealand, Sir, —■ Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London S.W., 25th July, 1914. Referring to Colonial Office letter of the 18th August, 1903, No. 28446/1903, and to proposals made in 1907 by the New Zealand Postmaster-General to His Majesty's PostmasterGeneral that the rate of postage on newspapers and periodicals from the United Kingdom to New Zealand by direct steamers might be reduced to Id. per pound, as in the case of Canada, I am-directed by the High Commissioner to state that he has been requested by His Government to again bring the matter to the notice of the British Post. Office, and to inquire whether the Government of New Zealand may still have any expectation that it will be found possible to reduce the rate to New Zealand as desired, and so enable the people of that dominion to receive the same advantage by the extended interchange of literature with this country as it enjoyed by the people of the sister Dominion of Canada. The High Commissioner is aware that the reduction would entail financial considerations, but he feels that such considerations would be quite outweighed bj' the appreciation that would be felt by the large numbers of people in this country who have New Zealand interests. He ventures to hope, therefore, that you will again approach the Imperial Post Office on the subject, and that your representations may result in the granting of this long-standing request. I am, &c, C. Wray Palliser, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. Secretary to the Department. Sir, — Downing Street, 24th November, 1914. With reference to your letter, case 1608, of the 25th July last, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to request you to inform the High Commissioner that he has now received the views of the Postmaster-General upon the request of the New Zealand Government for the reconsideration of the question of extending the Canadian magazine-rate of postage to newspapers and periodicals sent from the United Kingdom to New Zealand. 2. The Postmaster-General states that the position is still substantially the same as when the letters on the subject addressed to the Postmaster-General of Sew Zealand on the. 28th October, 1907, and the 12th December, 1911, copies of which are enclosed for the High Commissioner's information were written. 3. He adds that at the time of the institution of the Canadian magazine-post the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury were reluctant to agree to the scheme on account of its financial unsoundness and of the probability that it would be used with effect as a precedent by advocates of cheaper newspaper rates throughout the Empire, and, indeed, of cheaper rates on printed matter in the inland service of the United Kingdom, and that it was only in view of the exceptional political and geographical position of Canada that the objections of the Treasury were waived. There appears to be no such exceptional considerations in the case of New Zealand, and, as the existing rates for newspapers are unremunerative, there does not appear to him. to be sufficient ground for reducing them still further to a point which would result not only in a heavy immediate sacrifice of revenue, but in a cumulative and increasing loss. 4. An. extension of the magazine-post to New Zealand could not, the Postmaster-General thinks, be considered as a postal concession to that Dominion only, as it would provoke demands, which could not consistently be resisted, not only for similar concessions in other parts of the Empire, but also for a reduction in the inland service of the United Kingdom, and ultimately for a reduction in the international rate for printed papers as well, any of which concessions would necessitate a large sacrifice of revenue. 5. The difficulties in the way of meeting the wishes of your Government are thus purely of a financial character, but they are so serious that the Postmaster-General, regrets that he is unable to recommend His Majesty's Government to extend the magazine-post to New Zealand. 6. Copies of your letter under reply and of this letter are being sent to the Governor of New Zealand. I am, &c, Henry Lambert, For the Under-Secretary of State. The Secretary, Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand.

No. 75. New Zealand, No. 567. My Lord, — Downing Street, 11th December, 1914. I have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency, to be laid before your Ministers, copies of the correspondence noted in the margin relative to a question raised by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia as to the correct name for the ocean adjacent to the southern shores of Australia, 2. Your Ministers will observe that it is proposed in the Admiralty letter of the 12th June last that the name " Southern Ocean " might be given to the

A.-l, 1915, No. 58.