D.—3

Sess. 11.—1879. NEW ZEALAND.

PROPOSED ALTERATIONS AND REDUCTIONS IN AGENT-GENERAL'S OFFICE (PAPERS RELATIVE TO). [In continuation of D.-28, 1878.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. Sib,— 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 12th February, 1879. In continuation of my previous letters, No. 634, of 17th July last, to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration, and No. 127, of 28th January, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, I have now the honor to report to you the reductions I have made and am making in my department. First, however, I may observe that I have necessarily delayed them beyond the time I proposed on account of the emigration operations of the season having been extended beyond the date I expected when I informed you that I would commence the reductions at an earlier period. Tou are aware that by a supplementary order the number of emigrants was increased ; and subsequently I was directed to send out a steamer with a second addition. I mentioned to you previously that, under the positive instructions you gave me to make reductions, I felt compelled to waive any personal inconvenience I might sustain, and to dispense with the services of my private secretary. The duties of the Agent-General are unequal in extent. Sometimes they are very onerous, sometimes they are quite light. More or less, there is constantly useful work for his "private secretary which he cannot very well himself perform. Mr. Hoey was exceptionally useful on account of his acquaintance with public departments, with the world of the Press, and of his being accustomed to correct proofs and deal with matter for publication. I shall feel his loss, but I will try to make its effect on my public duties as light as possible. 1 throw out as a suggestion that it might be worth the while of the Government to allow me to engage the services of a shorthand writer at about £200 a year. I could dictate to him paragraphs, articles, and replies to letters which unaided I could not think of undertaking. These matters are outside the routine work of the Agent-General, and therefore I am inviting rather than avoiding extra work. I have excellent facilities for obtaining admission to newspaper columns, and I believe that, with the assistance of a good shorthand writer, I could do you as good service in the way of publicity as half-a-dozen lecturers. Mr Cashel Hoey leaves at the end of this month. He would have left at the end of December, but that I deputed to him some special work in connection with bringing out a pamphlet upon the iron and coal resources of New Zealand, the materials for which were sent to me by Mr. Macandrew. The Scotch Agency I have dispensed with. In its stead I have made a separate arrangement with Mr. Ottywell (copy enclosed), by which he acts as an ordinary Agent, and as despatching officer for Scotch ships. The payment is by results, and he ceases to be in the service of the Government. I am inclined to think the change is an improvement. All applications will now be finally settled at the Head Office, and I shall have better control over and fuller responsibility for the emigrants despatched. It also leads to my separating the Irish from the Scotch Agency, an arrangement which worked indifferently well. I am looking out for some one to take, in Ireland, a similar position to that Mr. Ottywell has in Scotland in regard to acting as agent and in selecting emigrants. I notice that Mr. Eeed is coming Home as Emigration Agent. Ido not precisely understand what his position is to be, but it occurs to me I may be able to arrange with him to look after the Irish emigration. As regards the local Agents I have, after much consideration, decided to dispense with all the agencies at present established in Ireland, with the exception of two in the northern district of that