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Under the new rules whereby Commissions in the Territorial Force can only be obtained by non-commissioned officers at a competitive examination, a certain hardship arises. One of the conditions of qualification of candidates for the British Army, as set forth on page 4 of the pamphlet, " Regulations under which Commissions in the British Regular Army may be obtained by Officers of the Military Forces of the Self-governing Dominions and Crown Colonies," is, " He must be an officer, and must have been present at two annual trainings." A Territorial private can hardly be expected" to reach commissioned rank in less than two years, which is also the age whereat an officer becomes eligible for candidature for the British Army. Having attained that age and become an officer he has then to be present at two annual trainings and to be attached to a regular unit or its equivalent, in addition to passing two examinations; or, in other words, he cannot obtain a commission in the British Regular Army before he is twenty-three years of age: whereas before these new regulations governing commissions were brought out a young man might obtain his Territorial commission at eighteen years of age, serve two annual trainings, and complete his attachment course before reaching the age of twenty, and might thus obtain his commission in his twenty-first year. It will thus be seen that these regulations have handicapped New Zealand candidates for commissions in the British Regular Army to the extent of at least two years' seniority. Under these circumstances the Prime Minister trusts that the Army Council will give favourable consideration to his suggestion. I have, &c, LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. Lewis V. Harcourt, P.C., &c, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 13. " New Zealand, No. 108. Sir,—- Government House, Wellington, 24th July, 1913. I have, the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No 378 of the 13th December, 1912, on the subject of the establishment of more intimate relations between the British consular service and the Dominion of Canada. 2. The subject-matter of the enclosure to the above-mentioned despatch has received the consideration of my Government, and I am advised by my Prime Minister that, with reference to the suggestion that the British overseas dominions should utilize the services of British Consuls for obtaining commercial intelligence, the Government of this Dominion would take advantage of the offer if the suggestion materializes. 3. As regards the extent of its interests, this Dominion, of course, is not in the same position as Canada, which is the country that has brought the matter up, and New Zealand has not, at present, a staff of Trade Commissioners who would want to obtain personal assistance from Consuls. 4. It would, however, be of great value to obtain copies of the reports of Consular Agents in countries where possibilities of opening up trade exist as no doubt many merchants in New Zealand would "be anxious to take advantage of the authority given for them to communicate direct with Consuls in different parts of the world. 5. The Prime Minister suggests that His Majesty's Government be asked to extend the proposal by allowing the Department of Agriculture, Industries and Commerce of this Dominion to communicate direct with Consuls regarding routine matters m connection with trade and commerce, and also that the Department be supplied with a list of British Consuls throughout the world so that it might be m a position to state the officers of whose reports it would like to obtain copies. t £ avej &c ™ l.tt T ■ T LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. Lewis V. Harcourt, P.C., &c, Governor Secretary of State for the Colonies.