CORRESPONDENCE WITH AGENT-GENERAL, LONDON. LETTERS FROM THE AGENT-GENERAL.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1874 Session I, E-02

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1874. NEW ZEALAND.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH AGENT-GENERAL, LONDON. LETTERS FROM THE AGENT-GENERAL.

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency.

\_Note. —The formal letters advising the execution of the orders for railway materials have been omitted. The orders forwarded to, and the shipments made by, the Agent-General are, for convenience, scheduled and inserted in Parliamentary Paper E. 1., 1874.] No. 1. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (Cablegram.) London, 2nd October. Shipped eight locomotives, 1,800 tons rails, sixteen wagons. Pollen, Wellington. Featherston.

No. 2. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (No. 787.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 24th November, 1873. With reference to the instructions conveyed in Public Works Memorandum No. 81, of the 4th July, 1873, I have now the honor to state that I have arranged with Messrs. G. D. Tyser and Co., of Crosby Square, to effect the marine insurances of the Government at Lloyds at the following rates :— Upon goods free of particular average, in vessels warranted AI ten years and upwards, 225. 6d. per cent. Upon goods in tin, with particular average, 255. per cent. Upon locomotives, railway carriages, and goods in tar, with particular average, 30s. per cent., subject to 10 per cent, discount after deducting the 5 per cent, brokerage, which they retain. I may observe that in effecting insurances at Lloyds, it is considered that a greater risk is incurred in recovering losses than if insured in first-class offices ; but to provide against any losses that might arise from the failure of any underwriters who might bear the Government policies, I have taken the guarantee of Messrs. G. D. Tyser and Co. to secure the Government against such, should they arise. I would beg leave to observe that this firm is wealthy and of high standing in the City, and that the head of the firm is the Chairman of Lloyds. Upon the South British Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand commencing business in London, I shall not fail to observe the instructions communicated in your letter No. 99, of the 22nd August last,* to give them a fair share of the Government insurance, provided their rates do not exceed those I am paying at Lloyds. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

See Par. Papers, E. 3,1873, No. 29.

• Note. —The letter alluded to, and a further instruction on same subject, are as follow : — (No. 99.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, New Zealand, 22nd August, 1873. Si^ I have the honor to request that you will be good enough to offer the South British Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand a fair share of the insurance you effect on shipments of Government property ; provided, of course, that their terms do not exceed those of other companies.—l have, &c., Daniel Pollen. Tho Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Extbact from Memorandum No. 54-73, for the Agent-Genbbal, London. "I need scarcely add, that whenever the insurance is not effected in the New Zealand Insurance Company, the South British or the National Insurance Company of New Zealand, the names of tho colonial agents (if any) of the insurance company in which it is effected should bo stated.—Edwabd Richaedson. " Public Works Office, Wellington, New Zealand, 29th October, 1873." I—E. 2.

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No. 3. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (No. 798.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 25th November, 1873. Referring to the Hon. Mr. VogePs telegram, received on the 4th instant, instructing me to press forward shipments of railway material, I have the honor to state that I am using every exertion in my power to accelerate the execution of the orders, but that, owing on the one hand to delay on the part of the contractors, and on the other to insufficient freight accommodation on the part of the Shipping Company, the supply and shipment of the material have not been quite so rapid as I could have wished. The Government may rely on my continuing to do my utmost to secure a prompt execution of their orders. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

No. 4. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. (No. 999.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 11th February, 1874. I have the honor to forward herewith, for the information of the Government, copy of a letter from Mr. Bruce, in reference to the appointment of assistant-engineers for New Zealand. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington Agent-General.

Enclosure in No. 4. Mr. G. B. Bruce to the Agent-General. 2, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Dear Sir, — 15th January, 1874. New Zealand Government Assistant-Engineers. In reference to the Memo. No. 50-73, as to the appointment of six engineers to go out to New Zealand, I beg to report as follows. I have veiy carefully considered the matter, and now beg to make the following recommendations : — First, as regards the three appointments, with salaries at the rate of £500 a year. For one of these I beg to recommend Mr. Alpin Grant Fowler. Mr. Fowler served his time with me, and after having experience both in the office and in construction of railways in England, was appointed as one of the engineers upon the Great Southern of India Railway, from which he returned at a time when the work was at a standstill. Subsequently, he was a first-class assistant upon the contractor's staff of the Bolivian Railway in South America, since which time, for the last twelve months, he has been engaged upon work at home. I can confidently recommend Mr. Fowler, from his experience, ability, and personal character. He is twentyseven years of age. I would also recommend Mr. Joseph Prime Maxwell. He was originally a pupil of Mr. Thomas Page, and has been for some years engaged upon the construction of railways in the West of England. I have made careful personal inquiries regarding Mr. Maxwell from those under whom he has served, and who have had the opportunity of knowing him, and I am quite satisfied that he will prove to be a useful officer of the Government, if you should see fit to appoint him. His age is twenty-six. For the third of these appointments I would recommend Mr. Wm. M. Manly. He is somewhat older than the other two, and has had very considerable experience in the construction of railways in Scotland, and also, as well as the other gentlemen., a good deal of experience in surveying and setting out. Mr. Manly was some time ago recommended to me by engineers in whom I have great confidence, and my own personal experience of his work confirms the recommendations originally made; and I have every confidence in recommending him to you. For one of the appointments at £400 per annum I would recommend Mr. William Kerle. He was a pupil of Mr. Church, and has had a great deal of experience, for his years, upon works of construction and surveying, principally in the West of England. I have made personal

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inquiries both from Mr. Church and Mr. Galbraith, as well as other engineering friends, who are quite cognizant of Mr. Kerle's antecedents. These all confirm the recommendation which I have the pleasure of making regarding him. Mr. Kerle is twenty-four years of age, and is married. I would also recommend Mr. Pattison, who has been engaged for some years upon railways in the north of Spain, the works of which have been interfered with and stopped by the present disturbances there. I have the strongest recommendations of Mr. Pattison in answer to personal inquiries which I have made from those who know him, as well as from Mr. Woods, the engineer for whom he has been acting in Spain. His age is about twenty-four. For the remaining appointment I would recommend Mr. Wm. Kitchen Mason. He originally served his time with Mr. John Evans, one of Mr. Brassey's principal agents, under whom he was engaged upon the Hammersmith and Richmond Railway, and also on the Runcorn Bridge contract, over the Mersey, near Liverpool. He afterwerds went to Germany, and was employed in the laying out and construction of railways in Hungary. His varied experience will, I have no doubt, render him a useful assistant upon the railways in New Zealand. I may be allowed to observe, that where I did not personally know the gentlemen I have named, I have not trusted in any way to written or printed testimonials, but have made personal and confidential inquiries from engineering friends of my own who were cognizant of their antecedents. I may also remark that I have selected those whom I have recommended out of a considerably larger number of applicants. Yours faithfully, I. E. Featherston, Esq., Agent-General. George B. Bruce.

No. 5. The Agent-Gene ral to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sir,— 17th April, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Public Works Memoranda No. 2-74 and No. 5-74, of the 10th January, 1874, relative to the shipment of railway material, and its delivery in the colony. I may observe that every effort is made and precaution taken by me to carry out the instructions of the Government. The order for each shipment of rails and fastenings is forwarded by me through the Engineers, in the first place, to secure all material being duly inspected before leaving the works; and in the second, to secure proportionate quantities of fastenings being sent with the rails—each order having a special clause requiring this to be done. I have requested the Engineers to explain why these instructions are not always observed, and enclose herewith two letters which I have received from Messrs. Hemans and Bruce, explanatory of the difficulties they have to contend with in carrying out my instructions. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General.

Enclosure 1 in No. 5. Mr. G. B. Bruce to the Agent-General. 2, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, S.W., Dear Sir,— 4th April, 1874. New Zealand Railways. We have read the Memorandum No. 2-74, dated 10th January, 1874, from New Zealand, in reference to the proportion of fittings compared with the quantity of rails shipped by the " Surat." In reply thereto, we beg to assure you that, as far as practicable, every care is taken to send out the permanent way material in due proportion. It is quite true that although the " Surafs " cargo consisted of only about six miles of rails, there were on board about ten miles of joints and twelve miles of spikes, but the weight of both these fittings was only about 36 tons, and considering that these came from two different makers, the weight from each is very small. The spikes and joints shipped in the " Surat" for Otago, comprise only 10 per cent, of the total required at that port, and we would beg to submit that, if shipped in such small quantities as this, the risk of any delay through loss of ships is reduced to a minimum. Many of the vessels take only a mile or one and a half miles of rails, and to proportion a quantity of each description of fastening to such a small lot of rails is not easy of accomplishment, and if done is of no advantage to the Government. In very few cases is it known, until the ship is nearly loaded, what quantity of rails it will

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take. It is a very common case for barges to be put alongside one vessel and afterwards transferred to another. Under these circumstances it is impossible to insure in all cases the exact proportion of materials, though no effort is spared in endeavouring to secure it. In some cases the goods from a manufacturer when ordered up for a ship arrive too late, and the ship will not take them in—or even when in time, the vessel is sometimes filled up with other things, or wants the space for other goods, and in this way the calculations of proportions of the various fittings are necessarily thrown out. The shipments for each port are sent in so many different vessels, and in such comparatively small quantities, that no risk of delay is run in the aggregate, although individual vessels have not each got their exact proportion, and that is all that can in practice be attained. Yours faithfully, (for G. W. Hemans and Self), The Agent-General, London. George B. Bruce.

Enclosure 2 in No. 5. Mr. G. B. Bruce to the Agent-General. 2, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, S.W., Dear Sir,— 6th April, 1874. New Zealand Railways. We have seen the Memorandum No. 5, 1874, dated 10th January, 1874, from the Public Works Office in New Zealand. That Memorandum draws attention to the fact that an original invoice from Messrs. Shaw, Johnson, and Reay, for 446 rails of various lengths, did not agree with the storekeeper's receipt of the rails as received in New Zealand, the total number of the rails being correct, but the relative proportions of the various lengths differing. It is hardly possible to be sure of anything more than the correctness of the actual number of rails put on board any vessel. A steamboat load of rails is sometimes sent up from the works to wait in London for vessels. We know the exact number and lengths of the rails as sent away from the works, but when these come to be divided out into the different barge loads to be put on board different vessels, it is almost impossible to keep any account of the exact disposition of the various lengths, and all that can be done in the invoices is as nearly as possible to divide the short lengths over the shipments as a whole, making the total numbers received by each ship correct, as also the total weight in the various ships loading from that one delivery from the works. The proportion of short lengths to the whole cargo is not large, and any error in individual shipments cannot be great. The Government in every case do receive in one ship or another the actual varieties of lengths named in the invoices. Yours faithfully, (for G. W. Hemans and Self), I. E. Featherston, Esq., Agent-General. George B. Bruce.

No. 6. The Aoent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Co.onial Secbetaby. (No. 1233.) 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sic,— 14th May, 1874. With reference to the Hon. the Commissioner of Public Works' Memorandum No. 12-74, of the 7th February, 1874, calling my attention to the backward state of the order for rails and rolling stock forwarded in the Hon. Mr. Ormond's Memorandum No. 123, of the 25th October, 1872,1 have to express my regret that any inconvenience should have been suffered by the Government on this account. I beg leave to enclose a tabular statement showing the quantity of material shipped, and the names of the vessels by which it was forwarded ; also of the rolling stock and engines. I may observe that some of the permanent-way material was diverted to supply the order for Auckland, under Memorandum 28-73, of the 2nd June, 1873, for tho Kaipara Railway, as the Memorandum stated it was urgently wanted. With regard to the carriages, delivery should have been given by the Eailway Carriage Company in November, 1873, and I am sorry to say the last six for Auckland are only now being delivered. This great delay applies also to the wagon ironwork contracted for by them at the same time, which is not yet completed. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, W. G. McKellab, Wellington. (for the Agent-General).

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Enclosure in No. 6. TABULAR STATEMENT showing the quantities shipped of Railway Material and Rolling Stock ordered under Public Works Memorandum No. 123-72, of the 25th October, 1872.

ENGINES. DUNEDIN — 2 LocomotiTes, fi wheels, 10 J-inch cylinders, similar to those ordered for Dunedin and Clutha Eailway, per "Asia," for Otago, 12th January, 1874; Neilson and Co. Wellington— 2 LocomotiTes, 6 wheels, 9_-i_oh cylinders, per " Strathnaver," for "Wellington, May, 1874; Neilson aud Co. Auckland— 2 LocomotiTes, 6 wheels, 9,-inch cylinders, per " Miltiades," for Auckland, 24th April, 1874 ; Neilson and Co. Blufe— 1 Locomotive, 6 wheels, 91-inch cylinders, waiting shipment, shut out of the "J. A. Thomson ;" Neilson and Co. Lyttelton—■ 4 LocomotiTes, 6 wheels, 10_-mch cylinders, similar to those ordered for DLinedin and Clutha, except that the leading wheels are not to be coupled, but are to be on a Bogie; 2 Engines, per " Dunedin," at Port Glasgow, 28th March 1874 ; 2 Engines, per " Carisbrook Castle," May, 1874; Black, Hawthorne, and Co. ROLLING STOCK. Auckland — 1 First-class Carriage, large ~\ llS^^^Zas Per "Loch Awe," 2nd April, 1874 ; Railway Carriage Co. 2 Brake Vans, small ) 1 First-class Carriage, small. 2 Composite Carriages, small. 3 Second-class Carriages, small. 2—E. 2.

Rails. Fang Bolts. 62. Tons. Dog Spikes. 31i Tons. Sole Plates. a Top Clips. Joints. .UCKLAND— 25 Miles, 401bs. per Yard, equal to 1,600 Tons. 65 Tons. 47. Tons. 66-13,000. Hindostan Lauderdale ... Queen of the Ago Hylton Castle Mongol Dorette James Wishart Jubilee ... v .. Halcione Miltiades Iu courso of Shipment Tons cwt. qrs. lbs 199 1 1 20 301 6 3 4 200 11 1 20 218 16 0 10 116 6 3 12 87 17 0 16 294 12 0 16 Tonscwt. qrs.lbs 20 10 0 0 13 5 0 0 32 12' 2 15 Tons cwt. qrs. lbs 9 15 0 0 6 0 0 0 17 13 3 4 Tons cwt. qrs. lbs 15 10 0 0 17 5 0 0 14 0 0 0 3 5 0 0 8 11 2 12 Tons cwt. qrs. lbs 11 5 0 0 12 10 0 0 12 10 0 0 4,491 2,502 2,000 2,000 6 13 4 2 12 2 0 4 70 0 1 14 3 14 2,000 181 8 0 14 1 5 0 0 1600 0 0 0 66 7 2 15 33 8 3 4 64 13 1 26 46 4 1 4 12,993 ITAGO — 25 Miles, 401bs. per yard, equal to Rails. 1,600 Tons. Fang Bolts. 62. Tons. Dog Spikes. 31i Tons. Sole Plates. 65J Tons. Top Clips. 47. Tons. Joints. 66-13,000., Surat Dunfillan Carnatic Jungfrau Scimitar ... • ... Asia ... Corona Tonscwt. qrs.lbs 350 5 2 24 211 18 3 20 337 13 0 24 91 18 2 6 384 17 3 12 223 5 2 26 Tonscwt. qrs.lbs 24 15 0 0 Tons cwt. qrs. lbs 11 0 0 0 Tonscwt. qrs. lbs 20 15 0 0 Tonscwt. qrs. lbs 15 0 0 0 18 6 0 0 10 10 0 0 9 0 0 0 15 0 0 13 15' 0 0 15 15 0 0 5,000 4,998 19 6 0 0 17 15 0 0 2,000 9 5 0 0 10 0 0 0 8 1 2 12 2 18 3 20 1,000 1600 0 0 0 62 10 0 0 31 5 0 0 65 11 2 12 47 8 3 20 13,000 Ianteebtjby— 30 Miles, 40 lbs. per yard, equal to Rails. 1,900 Tons. Fang Bolts. 75 Tons. Dog Spikes. 37. Tons. Sole Plates. 80 Tons. Top Clips. 56 Tons. Joints. 79. Adamant Merope Cardigan Castle Soukar Kalcaia Auriga City of Agra ... Tons cwt. qrs. lbs 60 9 3 18 200 0 0 0 139 10 1 22 270 10 0 0 402 15 1 12 45 4 2 16 Tons cwt. qrs. lbs Tons cwt. qrs. lbs Tons cwt. qrs. lbs Tons cwt. qrs. lbs 8 14 0 6 8 13 0 8 10 6 2 18 15 2 0 17 3 16 3 16 3 16 3 20 4 4 2 10 9 0 2 12 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 16 5 0 0 7 5 0 0 7 5 0 0 7 5 0 0 11 10 0 0 6,000 ( 4 13 3 21 Ul 17 2 25 5,000 Peeress 32 4 0 7 } ... 26 0 2 15 4,400 Golden Sea ... Apelles Varuna 404 9 2 16 258 19 1 4 118 0 0 0 I 18 7 2 0 7 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1899 19 1 4 75 0 0 0 37 10 2 20 80 0 2 15 56 12 2 0 15,400

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D—ra_in — _ 5 First-class Carriages, large | p „ peter Den „f -. 30a An m^ _ Composite Carriages, large) *■ ■ * r Bum? — 1 Brake Van ~) 4 Second-class Carriages > Per " Carrick Castle," for Bluff, 18th April, 1874; Bailway Carriage Co. 2 First-class Carriages _ L-TTELTON — 50 sets iron for Wagons ; 25 per " Peeress," 25 per " Hereford " and " Taunton," March and' April, 1874. 4 Carriages, First-class, large, per " City of Agra," 3rd March, 1874, for Canterbury. 8 Carriages, Second-class, large, per "City of Agra," 3rd March, 1874, for Canterbury. 6 Carriages, composite, large, per " Atrato " and " City of Agra," for Canterbury. 4 Brake Tans, large, per " City of Agra," for Canterbury. Office of the Agent-General, 15th May, 1874. By Authority: Geobge Didsbuby, Government Printer, "Wellington.—lB74. Frice Gd.~\

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