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A.—2

No. 21.

New Zealand.—The Secretary of State to the Governor. (Sent 1.10 p.m., Ist April, 1914.) Telegram. Your telegram 17th March [No. 18]: Government of Commonwealth state that, owing to early meeting of Parliament, it is impossible for Commonwealth Minister to visit London this year, and conference must therefore be postponed for the present. Colonial Office Note.—ln August, 1913, the Hon. W. T. White, Minister of Finance of Canada, and the Hon. Martin Burrell, Minister of Agriculture of Canada, attended a meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence. An invitation to attend the same meeting was sent to the Hon. H. Burton, Minister of Railways and Harbours of the Union of South Africa, but he was unavoidably precluded from attending the meeting.

No. 27. New Zealand, No. 177. My Lord, — Downing Street, 30th April, 1914. I have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency a copy of Army Order 94 of 1914, regarding the payment of maternity benefit under the National Insurance Acts, 1911-1913, to the wives of soldiers, and to request that you will invite the attention of your Ministers to paragraph 5 (c), which refers to the case of the wives of soldiers serving under the Governments of the self-governing dominions whose contributions are paid into the Navy and Army Fund. 2. It will be observed that, the Army order provides that the wives of such soldiers, if residing with their husbands, are to claim the benefit as instructed by the Government concerned. The Army Council will be obliged if your Government can see its way to undertake in such cases the payment of the maternity benefit, and to arrange for the subsequent recovery through the High Commissioner of any amount so paid from the National Health Insurance Commissioners. 3. I also enclose for the information of your Ministers a copy of Army form 0 1834 for claiming the benefit. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor His Excellency the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, K.GM.G., M.V.0., &c.

A.-l, 19L5. No. 27.

No. 28. New Zealand, No. 181. My Lord, — Downing Street, 30th April, 1914. With reference to Your Excellency's despatch, No. 103, of the 18th July last, relative to the proposed International Load-line Conference, I have the honour to request you to inform your Ministers that I learn from the Board of Trade that they are still awaiting the report of the Departmental Committee which was appointed to advise as to the instructions to be given to the British delegates at the Conference, and that until this report has been received it will be impossible to issue the draft regulations proposed to be submitted to the Conference, or to fix the date of meeting. 2. The Board do not anticipate that the report of the Committee will be ready for some months. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor His Excellency the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, K.C.M.G., M.V.0., &c.