3

F.—B

PACIFIC CABLES.

ACCOUNTS AND ANNUAL REPORT. No. 1. The High Commissioner to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London S.W., Sir, — " 11th December, 1914. Referriug to my letter of the 20th September, 1913 [No. 1, ¥. -8, 1914], I have the honour to enclose herein copy of a letter from the Colonial Office covering a communication from the Imperial Treasury, showing the amounts recoverable from the Colonial Governments in respect to the deficit on the working of the cable for the year ended 31st March, 1914, and asking that arrangements might be made for payment to the Imperial Treasury of the sum of £2,216 14s. 4d., being the amount due from the Government of New Zealand. !g I accordingly telegraphed to the Treasury at Wellington on the Ist instant; and having received in reply, on the sth, a cable bank-order for the above amount, payment has been made to the Imperial Treasury. ... I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. Thos. Mackenzie. [P. & T. 11/86.] Enclosure 1 in No. 1. The Assistant Under-Secretary, Colonial Office, London, to the Secretary to the High Commissioner, London. Sir, — Colonial Office, Downing Street, 28th November, 1914. I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you, for the information of the High Commissioner, the accompanying copy of a letter from the Treasury on the subject of the expenses incurred in connection with the Pacific Cable Board for the, year 1913-14, and to inquire whether he can arrange to pay the Imperial Treasury the sum of £2,2.16 14s. 4d., being the amount due from the Government of New Zealand. 2. I am to add that copies of the papers enclosed in this letter have been forwarded to the Governor of New Zealand. I have, &c, •" Henry Lambert, For Assistant Under-Secretary. The Secretary to the High Commissioner for New Zealand.

Sub-enclosure 1 in No. 1. The Assistant Secretary to the Treasury, London, to the Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office, London. Str, — Treasury Chambers, 14th November, 1914. I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to request you to inform .Mr. Secretary Harcourt that the Pacific Cable Board's account of the expenses of the cable for the year ended the 31st March last has now been audited. A copy of the Auditor's report is (mclosed herewith, from which it will be seen that the deficit on the working of the cable for the year 1913-14 amounted to £19,950 Bs. lid., and the sums recoverable from the Dominion Governments are therefore as follows :— £ s. d. Australia (six-eighteenths) .. .. . . .. .. 6,650 3 0 Canada (five-eighteenths) .. .. .. .. .. 5,541 15 10 New Zealand (two-eighteenths) .. ... .. .. 2,216 14 4 £14,408 13 2 I am accordingly to request you to move Mr. Harcourt to communicate with the Dominion Governments concerned, in order that these amounts may be paid as soon as practicable into the credit of the account of the vote for telegraph subsidies and Pacific cable. ' A copy of the printed account as presented to Parliament is also enclosed. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. Malcolm G. Ramsay.