P.—B.

14

No. 21. The Sborbtart, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay. (Memorandum.) General Post Office, Wellington, 21st December, 1905. Keferrinq to your letter of the 12th instant, on the subject of title-deed or lease of the Board's land at Doubtless Bay, 1 beg to inform you that the land purchased from Mr. Harris, 13 acres 2 roods, is still in the name of the King ; but as your Board has paid the capital cost of the land— namely, £138 35., including transfer-expenses—a deed of transfer will be arranged. The balance of the land—namely, 15 acres 2 roods 16 poles—is land specifically reserved as a site for a cable station, and is not alienable. If desired, a lease of the land will be granted at a peppercorn rental, subject to reasonable notice. Will you be good enough to give me the full designation of the Board as usually shown in legal documents? On receipt of the information I will instruct the Crown Solicitor to prepare the necessary deeds. W. Gray, Secretary. The Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay.

No. 22. The Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. The Pacific Cable Board, Doubtless Bay Station, Dear Sir, — 6th January, 1906; 1 beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 21st ultimo, in reply to mine of the 12th December. The full designation of the Board as usually shown on legal documents is " The Pacific Cable Board." I note your remarks re the 15 acres 2 roods 16 poles reserved. I notice that the Public Works Department claimed (and, I believe, was paid) £32 for " value of Crown lands reserved (16 acres)." However, I am not in a position to say that this amount covered the full purchase value of the land. I merely draw your attention to the transaction, as the land in question is fenced in and the Board is paying county rates.for the same. There is, I believe, another block reserved as a site for a cable station, the area of which is unknown to me. In the meantime a deed can be prepared for the land acquired from the late Mr. Charles Harris. Perhaps you will be able to explain the position as regards the Crown land. I have, &c, C. L. Hertslet, Superintendent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. Sta. 06/I.J

No. 23. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Under-Secretary, Public Works Department, Wellington. (Memorandum.) General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd January, 1906. The Pacific Cable Board recently inquired what its position was in regard to the land held by it at Doubtless Bay. This Department stated, in reply, that the land purchased from Mr-. Harris (13 acres 2 roods) was still in the name of the King; but as the Board had paid the capital cost of the land—namely, £138 35., including transfer-expenses—a deed of transfer would be arranged. It was also explained that the balance —namely, 15 acres 2 roods 16 poles—was specifically reserved as a site for a cable station, and was not alienable, but, if desired, a lease might be granted at a peppercorn rental, subject to reasonable notice. The Superintendent of the cable station has since pointed out (see copy of letter [No. 22] attached) that your Department was paid £32 for value of Crown land reserved (16 acres). The item appeared in your Department's claim for £5,918 11s. 4d. in connection with the erection of buildings, &c, at Doubtless Bay, in settlement of which a bank receipt was forwarded, with a memorandum from this Department to your Department, on the 6th November, 1903. In order that a reply may be sent, will you kindly give me full particulars about the 16 acres referred to, and also say what the payment of £32 actually covered 1 The New Zealand Gazette of the 13th February, 1902, No. 12, page 339, shows the extent of land reserved as a site for a cable station as 15 acres 2 roods 16 poles. W. Gray, Secretary. The Under-Secretary, Public Works Department, Wellington.

No. 24. The Under-Secretary, Public Works Department, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Public Works Department, Wellington, 27th January, 1906. (Memorandum.) Pacific Gable Station, Doubtless Bay. In reply to your memo, of the 23rd instant, making inquiries with reference to an amount of £32 charged against the Pacific Cable Company for 16 acres of land at the above-named cable station, I have to state that when the accounts in connection with the works at Doubtless Bay were being prepared the Engineer reported that the 16 acres of land reserved for the cable station was worth about £2 per acre, and as the company was in occupation of it they were debited with £32 for it. If, however, the land is inalienable, the amount so charged should doubtless be refunded to the company. In that case I suppose they should be charged rent. The Secretary, Postal Department. H. J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary.