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No. 53. New Zealand, No. 2. Sir,— Government House, Wellington, 2nd January, 1915. I have the honour to inform you, in reply to your despatch, No. 479, of the 29th October, 1914, on the subject of the employment in United States Consulates of former officers of German and Austro-Hungarian Consulates, that my Government will, as directed, consider and deal with any request which may be made by the American Consul-General in New Zealand for exemption of any particular individual from the general rule. I have, &c, LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. Lewis V. Harcourt, P.C., &c, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 54. New Zealand, No. 3. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 2nd January, 1915. With reference to your despatch, No. 272, of the 26th June, and to the reply contained in my despatch, No. 161, of the 16th September, 1914, on the subject of regulations and Orders in Council made under the Copyright Act, 1913, of the New Zealand Parliament, I have the honour to transmit to you, at the request of my Prime Minister, the accompanying copies of an Order in Council of the 7th December, 1914, 'amending the Order in Council dated the 27th March, 1914, made under section 33 of the Act. relating to foreign countries. I have, &c, LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. Lewis V. Harcourt, P.C., &c, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 55. New Zealand, No. 16. Sir. — Government House, Wellington, 22nd January, 1915. I have the honour to inform you that I have received a memorandum from my Prime Minister stating that the New Zealand Government has been endeavouring to obtain control of phosphatic deposits in order to supply the heavy demand for this class of fertilizer which more than any other is required for the proper development of New Zealand land, the soil of which is largely deficient in phosphates. 2. The Prime Minister states, further, that the occupation by the British of the German islands in the Marshall Group, which contains large deposits of phosphates, has brought up the question, and he desires me to intimate to you that if consideration is being given by His Majesty's Government to the disposal'of these islands the Government of New Zealand would.be glad to learn on what terms it could be given control of one of the deposits. I have, &c, LIVERPOOL, The Right Hon. Lewis V. Harcourt, P.C., &c, Governor. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 56. New Zealand, No. 19. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, Ist February, 1915. With reference to your despatch, No. 231, of the 29th May, 1914, and to my despatch, No. 138, of the 30th July last, relative to the desire of the Secretary of State to be furnished annually with a list of trade representatives appointed by the Government of New Zealand in foreign countries, I have the honour, by

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