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No. 8. The Acting High Commissioner to the Hon. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers. 13 Victoria Street. London S.W'.. Sir- 19th July, 1912. In continuation of my letter of the Ist May last, I have the honour to enclose herein copy of letter which the Chairman of the Board has received from the Official Secretary in Great Britain of the Commonwealth of Australia, covering copy of cablegram from the Commonwealth Government on tiie subject of week-end cable-letters. ft will be seen that this matter was dealt with at the meeting of the Board on the Kith instant. Copy of minutes [not printed] of this meeting is being sent to you by this mail. I have, &c. The Hon. the Prime Minister. Wellington, New Zealand. C. F. W. PalliSEß. P.C. Rates 12 226.]

Enclosure in No. 8. Official Secretary in Great Britain of the Commonwealth of Australia, London, to the Chairman, Pacific Cable Board. London. Sir,- Commonwealth Offices. 72 Victoria Street. London S.W.. 10th July. 1912. With reference to your letter ol the Bth instant [not printed] relative to week-end cableI forward herewith copy of a reply which lias just been received from the Commonwealth (lovernmenf. 1 have, &c, R. Muirhead Collins. P.S.- A copy of the cable has been sent to the Postmaster-! lenera I. The Etighl Hon. Sir Henry Primrose, X.C.1!.. Pacific Cable Board. London. Sub-enclosure in No. 8. The Commonwealth Government to the High Commissioner fob the Commonwealth, London (Telegram.) Melbourne, 10th July. 1912. With reference to your telegram of the Bth July [not printed], cable-letters, following is substance of letter sent: 19th June : Commonwealth prepared deliver cable-letters free by post, subject to proper precautions to protect revenue ; also prepared reduce its terminal charge in same proportion as cable charge reduced, provided Commonwealth rate he not less than Jd. per word. Commonwealth willing to accept ordinary inland rate on cable-letters deliverable in Commonwealth by telegraph.

Sub-enclosure in No. 8. The Commonwealth Government to the High Commissioner boh the Commonwealth, London (Telegram.) Melbourne. Kith July, 1912. With reference' to your telegram of the Bth July [not printed], cable-letters, following is substance of letter sent: lntii June: Commonwealth prepared deliver cable-letters free by post, subject to proper precautions to prefect revenue ; also prepared reduce its terminal charge in same proportion as cable charge reduced, provided Commonwealth rate be not loss than jd. per word. Commonwealth willing to accept ordinary inland rate on cable-letters deliverable in Commonwealth by telegraph.

No. 9. The Acting High Commissioner to the Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London S.W.. (Memorandum.) 2nd August, 1912. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th June last, with regard to the proposal to establish a week-end cable-letter service. I duly communicated your views to the Chairman of the Pacific ('able Board, and herewith I enclose a copy of his reply thereto. 0 K. W. Palli.sek. The Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington, [P.C, Rates 12/281.]

Enclosure in-No. 9. The Chairman, Pacific Cable Board, London, to the High Commissioner. Sir, — Queen Anne's Chambers, London S.W., Ist August, 1912. I have laid before the Pacific Cable Board your letter of the 29th instant [not printed], forwarding copy of one from the Prime Minister's Office under date 11th June, 1912, on the subject of the proposal to introduce on the Board's system the scheme of week-end cable-letters, as now established on the transatlantic lines controlled by the Western Union Telegraph Company ; and, with regard to the opinion expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government that " the proposal to post the letters from the cable-station is not one that would commend itself to the cabling public' I have to state that the plan of delivery by post, except when the sender specially desires delivery by telegram, and is willing to pay the extra charge entailed, is. as the Board understand, regarded by the authors of the arrangement as a material condition of the scheme, aimed at reducing to the lowest limit practicable the minimum charge for messages of the new class. It seems to my Board that this is a most desirable object ; and, as senders of such messages will always have the option of delivery by telegram on paying the inland telegraph charge, it does not appear that serious objection to it could be sustained. Apart from this, it is extremely important that for any special class of messages the conditions should be identical for all countries : any attempt to vary the conditions would almost certainly lead to complication and difficulty, besides being inconsistent with the general principles recognized by the International Telegraph Convention.