D.—s

1889. NEW ZEALAND.

APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF RAILWAY COMMISSIONER (CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING).

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives dated 37th June, 1889. Ordered, " That there be laid before this House copies of all correspondence between the Government and tho Agent-General in England relative to the appointment of a Chief Railway Commissioner for New Zealand."— {Mr. FITZHERBEBT.) Memorandum. —Copy of all correspondence on the subject prior to that now furnished was laid upon the table of the House on the 31st May, 1888, in return to an order of the House dated the 25th May, 1888, made on the motion of Mr. Seddon. H. J. H. Blow, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Works. Public Works Office, Wellington, 11th July, 1889.

No. 1. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Sir,— 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 30th April, 1888. I have now received further applications for the Chief Commissionership of the Eailway Board, four of which are from America, and I beg to enclose a list of them, as in the case of the other applications. lam about to write to you saying that we cannot recommend any of the candidates at all. I am having the applications examined, so as to take out any originals or copies of testimonials which the candidates may want returned, and then I shall send you all the papers complete, in case you may wish to have them recorded in the Public Works Department. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister for Public Works, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 2. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Sir,' — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 4th May, 1888. Since I wrote to you on the 21st April (No. 615) Sir Edward Watkin, Mr. Findlay, and myself have seen the candidates whose names I then gave you, with the exception of Mr. Boyce, who had gone back to India. The result has been a unanimous decision that we cannot take the responsibility of recommending any of them. Although several would certainly be competent as general managers, none of them possess, in my opinion, the combination of qualities really wanted for the Chief Commissionership. Men of that kind, indeed, are not only most difficult to get, but they will not enter into competition with others, and no advertisement will bring them. We believe that the only way is to take plenty of time, and endeavour to find a man of the type you want. I accordingly sent you .a telegram to that effect, and was glad to receive your reply this morning saying you approved that course being taken. I need hardly say, what, indeed, must be well known to you, that men who are in the first rank in the English railway world as general managers receive salaries far higher than the one you offer, so that such men are entirely out of the question. Even men in the second rank, from whom you would have, at best, to choose, get £2,000 a year and more, and could not be tempted to go out except by much higher pay than £2,500. One of these, whose position makes his succession to the chief place of a very great railway practically certain, and who alone of all the men I have seen ■combines the qualities we want, would not look at less than £3,500. Another, whose position is

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