A.—2,

Further Work recommended. 9. The telephony service between England and America is not secret in the full sense of that word. It was considered, however, that in spite of this a public telephone service between England and America would be of such value that it should not be withheld until a secret system became available. We recommend, however, that the improvement of the present partially secret system of wireless telephony should be pressed to a conclusion by the Post Office engineering staff in consultation and co-operation with the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. 10. The work of the committee has now been completed, and it is pleased to be able to report that, as a result of the necessary research and experiment, it has been found possible to overcome the initial technical difficulties and to establish a transatlantic wireless-telephone service of sufficient reliability for commercial use. Further technical and operational development will be necessary, and can be left to the Engineering and Traffic Sections of the Administrations on both sides. 11. The committee desires to place on record its cordial thanks for the co-operation given by the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. and its associated company, the Bell Telephone Laboratories, the Radio Corporation of America, the International Standard Electric Corporation, and the Post Office Engineering Department. The committee also desires to express its appreciation of the assistance rendered by Lieut.-Colonel A. G. Lee, who has acted as secretary to the committee, and under whose direction the necessary data have been obtained, and who also visited the United States to complete the co-ordination of the necessary engineering arrangements by which success has been achieved. H. B. Jackson. W. H. Eccles. E. H. Sykes. F. Gill. R. A. Dalzell. E. H. Shatjghnessy. 22nd March, 1927. A. G. Lee, Secretary.

No. 31. New Zealand, Dominions No. 349. Sir, — Downing Street, 15th June, 1927. With reference to my despatch, Dominions No. 291, of the 13th May, J have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency, for the information of His Majesty's Government in New Zealand, copies of the House of Commons Official Report of the 2nd June, containing a debate on the Washington Hours Convention (Vol. 207, No. 76, columns 571-593). I have, &c., L. S. AMERY. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Fergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.V.0., &c.

No. 32. New Zealand, Dominions No. 351. Sir, — Downing Street, 17th June, 1927. T have the honour to transmit, for the information of His Majesty's Government in New Zealand, a copy of a question and answer in the House of Commons on the subject of a grant from the Empire Marketing Fund to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Ivew, with a view to securing that an expert botanist should be available to visit the Dominions and colonies from time to time. The expert staff at the Royal Botanic Gardens has not hitherto been sufficient to allow one of its members to undertake such visits as a regular feature of his work, but the Board have now recommended, and I have agreed, that an annual grant should be made from the Empire Marketing Fund to provide for the salary and travelling-expenses of an economic botanist. Mr. H. C. Sampson, C.1.E., late Director of Agriculture, Madras, has been appointed to the post. 2. The new appointment will enable the Director or Assistant Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, or Mr. Sampson, to travel overseas from time to time, and so establish closer contact between the Gardens and the oversea parts of the Empire. It is anticipated that these visits will enable the Director to give more continuous assistance to the Empire Marketing Board, and it is hoped that they will also be of value to the countries visited. I have, &c., L. S. AMERY. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Fergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.V.0., &c.

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