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No. 13. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Agent-Geneeal. Sib, — Immigration Office, Wellington, N.Z., 24th April, 1878. From the notice enclosed herewith you will observe that it is proposed to pay a bonus of £10,000 towards inducing a commencement of the manufacture of sugar in New Zealand. I have to request that you will be so good as to give this notice such publicity in the United Kingdom and on the Continent as you may deem advisable. It is possible that this industry may be entered upon by capitalists now in the colony. lam not, however, aware of any, so that the race is at present equally open to all. It will probably be within your recollection that, some eight or nine years ago, several casks of the best Silcsian beet seed were imported by me by way of experiment; the result was to establish the fact that the root can be successfully grown in the colony. There is every reason to think that, if a payable market could be found for the beet, there are farmers in various parts of New Zealand now who would produce it to an extent sufficient to manufacture a great part of the sugar required for home consumption. It may not be out of place here to state that there are individual farmers in some parts of the colony having as much as 2,000 acres under turnip crop. I believe that in the Southland District especially, as well as in other parts of the colony, there would be little difficulty in contracting for a very large annual supply of beet-root at a fair price. Formerly, the growth of beet involved to a very large extent the employment of high-priced labour, thereby preventing the production of sugar so as to compete in price with the imported article. Now, however, that our leading agriculturists are bringing to bear upon the cultivation of the soil the best mechanical appliances which the world can produce, this objection is greatly diminished, and with such a soil and climate as it possesses there is no reason why New Zealand should not profitably supply sugar to other markets besides its own. And here I might allude incidentally to the gratifying circumstance that, in respect of all the most recent and approved inventions of agricultural implement and labour-saving machinery, both European and American, in no part of the world have these been more largely taken advantage of than in some portions of New Zealand ; the result is abundantly manifested in the enormous amount of breadstuff to which I alluded in a late letter as having been produced by a mere handful of people. It is difficult to overestimate the prospect which tho undertaking now in question holds out towards affording a comfortable subsistence to many thousands of industrious families in the colony. At first sight it seems almost Utopian; it is one, however, which I venture to predict will yet be realized. Could you not induce such men as Mr. Duncan, the great sugar refiner in London, to take the matter up ? lam persuaded there is an opening for the highly remunerative employment of a very large amount of capital in the production of sugar in the colony. I have, &c., The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. J. Macandeew.

Enclosure in No. 13. [Extract from New Zealand Gazette, 25th April, 1878.] Ten Thousand Pounds Bonus. Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 22nd April, 1878. Notice is hereby given that, in terms of a resolution of the House of Representatives, the Government of New Zealand will pay, by way of bouus, the sum of five thousand pounds (£5,000) to any individual or company who shall first produce not less than five hundred (500) tons of marketable sugar from beet grown and manufactured in the North Island. Also, that a like sum of five thousand pounds (£5,000) will be paid to any individual or company who shall first produce not less than five hundred (500) tons of marketable sugar from beet grown and manufactured in the Middle Island. Such bonus to bo paid upon its being duly certified by the Commissioner of Crown Lands of the district within which the sugar shall have been produced, and by tho Chairman of the nearest Chamber of Commerce, that the minimum quantity hereinbefore mentioned has been so produced, and is of marketable quality: Provided further that such certificates shall have been presented at the Colonial Treasury within three years of the date above written. J. Macandrew, Minister of Lands.

No. 14. The Hon, the Minister for Immigration to tho Agent-Geneeal. Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, N.Z., 26th April, 1878. I wrote to you on the sth instant, letter No. 65, advising that the Government had decided upon accepting conditionally the tenders of the New Zealand Shipping Company and of the Albion Company for the conveyance of Government emigrants and cargo to New Zealand. I have now to inform you that the contract with the New Zealand Shipping Company has been finally arranged, and will be duly executed here.* There are several alterations upon the original printed conditions, which have been agreed to, the nature and extent of which will be seen in the correspondence enclosed herewith. The only alteration to which it is necessary to direct your special attention is the omission of clause 50 in the printed conditions, which omission renders it expedient that the risk therein *D.—No. 5. 1878.