F.—B

6

PACIFIC CABLE.

BUILDINGS, DEPOT, FINANCE, ETC.

No. 8. The Secrbtabt, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th May, 1905. I have the honour to forward herewith a claim for £152 35., being the amount paid by this Department on behalf of your Board for the period from the 14th September, 1903, to the 31st March, 1905. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay. P.O. Fin. 05/9.]

No. 9. The Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Pacific Cable Board, Doubtless Bay Station, 23rd May, 1905. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 13th instant, and, in reply, I beg to inform you that your claim for £152 3s. has been forwarded to my Head Office for authority to pay. As I have not been informed of the amount payable for canvassing, or the arrangements made for printing, stationery, &c, I regret that I am unable to settle your claim without reference to London. I am, &c, C. L. Hbrtslet, Superintendent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 10. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, .S IX , — Melbourne, 27th May, 1905. I have the honour to ask if you can kindly furnish me with particulars of the arrangements which exist between your Department and the Pacific Cable Board at Doubtless Bay, both generally and with respect to the supply of material, instruments, &c, for working the land lines from the Board's station at that place. I have, &c, Robert T. Scott, Secretary. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. Sta. 05/16.]

No. 11. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. S IR) General Post Office, Wellington, 9th June, 1905. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo, asking to be informed of the arrangement between this Department and the Pacific Cable Board as to the supply of material, instruments, &c, for working the land lines from the cable station at Doubtless Bay. In reply, I beg to inform you that the Department provided a land line between the cable station and Auckland, together with instruments, batteries, &c, free of cost to the Board, for the transmission, primarily, of cable traffic. The line, which is maintained as part of the New Zealand Government's system, is worked at Doubtless Bay by the cable staff, and the Department pays the salaries and foreign-service allowances of the officers there operating it. The present charge under this head is for three operators. The cable buildings and quarters and the necessary furniture were paid for by the Board, the capital cost, less cable instruments, &c, being £8,017 3s. lid., made up as follows: Buildings, £5,481 14s. 4d.; land, furniture, water-supply, &c, £2,535 9s. 7d. The Government makes the' Board an annual payment of a sum equal to 6 per cent, of one-half of the capital cost by way of rent and expenditure for repairs and. superintendence of the buildings. The net payment to the Board on account of salaries and percentage on capital cost for the year ended 31st March, 1904, was at the rate of £555 ss. For the year ended 31st March last the payment will be about £600 per annum, an additional building having been erected during the year. o t W. Geay, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne.