D.—2.

6

No. 10. Minute by the General Manager of Railways to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Arrangements have been made for withdrawing the stock, and replacing the axles, as rapidly as possible. The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. J. P. Maxwell, 25/8/84.

No. 11. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. (Telegram.) London, 25th August, 1884. Engineers condemn axles made of scrap; recommend faggot bars. Instruct whether shall procure and ship immediately five hundred latter. The Premier, New Zealand. F. D. Bell.

No. 12. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th August, 1884. Axles—English Engineers responsible specification. Want thoroughly good axles. The Agent-General, London. R. Stout.

No. 13. The Under-Secretary eoe Public Works to the Agent-General. (Memorandum No. 34-84.) . Public Works Office, Wellington, 27th August 1884. With reference to your cablegram of the 25th instant, I have the honor, by direction of the Minister for Public Works, to enclose copy of reply, marked " A," sent to you on the 26th instant, together with copy of the original draft of same marked " B," and to state that the latter more fully expresses what Hon. Mr. Richardson wished to say on the subject, but that it was cut down to save expense in transmission. I am also to state that, as mentioned in Memorandum No. 25-84, of the 20th June last, it is requested that a number of axles, say 1,047, equivalent to half the number provided for under the contracts with the Lancaster Wagon Company, and the Staffordshire Wheel and Axle Company, dated respectively, December, 1882, and April, 1883, shall be procured and forwarded here as soon as convenient (if possible, at the cost of the contractors'); and also that, if practicable, the value of the remaining half should be recovered from the contractors. Meantime wo are making axles here as fast as possible, in order to prevent a deadlock in the traffic. The Government has no objection to "faggot bars " being specified for, instead of " scrap iron faggotted," if the Consulting Engineers consider it advisable to do so. The Agent-General, London. C. Y. O'Connor.

Enclosure in No. 13. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. (Telegram). A. Wellington, 26th August, 1884. Axles.—English Engineers responsible specification. Want thoroughly good axles. The Agent-General, London. R. Stout.

Enclosure 2 in No. 13. (Draft of Telegram.) B. Wellington, 26th August, 1884. Engineers here not responsible for the specification. That was left to Engineers in England, but we want thoroughly good wheels and axles, and such specification and supervision should be adopted as will ensure our getting them. The Agent-General, London. E. Richardson.

No. 14. The Under Secretary for Public Works to the Agent-General. (Memorandum No. 35-84.) Public Works Office, Wellington, 6th September, 1884. In further reference to the defective railway axles, respecting which I have had the honor to address you on several occasions recently, I am now directed by the Minister for Public Works to forward to you the enclosed extract from a memorandum by the Locomotive Superintendent at Christchurch, in reference to an axle manufactured by the Midland Iron Company, and recently tested in the railway workshops there. The small piece, which is referred to as having been broken off the axle, has been forwarded to you, per s.s. "lonic," sailing this day, and the Minister would be glad if you will be good enough to bring this memorandum and sample under the notice of the Consulting Engineers. The Agent-General, London. C. Y. O'Connor,