Mar. 1.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 483

Alterations to the Scale of Fares, Rates, and Charges in force upon the New Zealand Government Railways.

IN pursuance of all powers and authorities enabling me under “The Public Works Act, 1894,” and any amendment thereof, and also of “The Government Railways Act, 1894,” I, Joseph George Ward, the Minister for Railways, do hereby make the following alterations in the scale of fares, rates, and charges in force on the New Zealand Government railways open for traffic, such alterations to come into force on the 5th day of March, 1900:—

PART I.—PASSENGERS: LOCAL FARES AND REGULATIONS.

WELLINGTON-NAPIER-NEW PLYMOUTH SECTION.

Subclause (a):
Cancel Ashhurst.
Insert The Gorge.

Subclause (b):
Cancel Ashhurst.
Insert The Gorge.

PART III.—GOODS: REGULATIONS.

(21.) RETURNED EMPTIES.

Returned empty fish boxes, casks, and sacks, when consigned from the original consignee and original receiving station to the original consignor and forwarding station, will be conveyed free of charge. This regulation will apply only to empty fish boxes, casks, and sacks certified to have been previously carried over the railways full.

PART IV.—GOODS: LOCAL RATES.

WHANGAREI SECTION.

Sawn timber, Mander and Bradley’s Siding to Opau, will be charged 1s. 1d. per 100 superficial feet.

WELLINGTON-NAPIER-NEW PLYMOUTH SECTION.

Insert—
Manures other than street, stable, and farmyard, Petone to Wellington, will be charged 2s. 6d. per ton. Minimum quantity, 5 tons per truck. Loading and unloading to be done by owners.

NELSON SECTION.
Class K.—Timber.

Timber consigned from Belgrave to Stoke and Bishopdale will be charged 1s. 2d. per 100 superficial feet.

Bark, native, will be charged Class P.

HURUNUI-BLUFF SECTION.
Class H.—Wool, &c., undumped.

Cancel—
Washdyke, Smithfield, to Timaru .. .. 8d.

Insert—
Washdyke to Timaru .. .. .. .. 8d.
Smithfield to Timaru .. .. .. .. 6d.

Southbridge Branch (Small Lots).

Insert—
When the rate per ton exceeds 22s. the freight is to be ascertained by taking the small-lots charge at 22s. and adding it to the charge for the difference between 22s. and the proper rate per ton, provided that the total charge as ascertained by this method shall not exceed the small-lots charge under scale on page 41 hereof.

PART V.—CLASSIFICATION OF GOODS, LIVE-STOCK, PARCELS, AND LUGGAGE.

Cancel. Insert.
Kainit, owners’ risk .. .. P E
Stocklick .. .. .. D

PART VI.—WHARVES.

WANGANUI STATION.
Ships’ Goods.

Insert—
When a horse is used to haul in the discharge of cargo from any vessel, the master of such vessel shall pay to the Railway Department 3d. per ton weight or measurement, at the option of the department, for all cargo discharged by horse-power.

The Railway Department will provide all labour in the Customs examining-shed for arranging, sorting, weighing, marking, and examining goods, and for setting up casks for gauging, charging for such services as follows:—

For setting up, gauging, and marking casks .. .. .. 3d. per cask.
For opening and weighing tobacco and cigars .. .. .. 3d. per case or package.

For weighing and marking sugar.. 6d. per ton.
For weighing and marking all other packages not otherwise specified ¼d. per package.

As witness my hand, this twenty-sixth day of February, one thousand nine hundred.

J. G. WARD,
Minister for Railways.

Notice to Imprestees under “The Public Revenues Act, 1891.”

The Treasury,
Wellington, 22nd February, 1900.

EVERY officer holding advances of public money is hereby required to pay to the Public Account, at the nearest branch of the Bank of New Zealand, the unexpended balance in his hand on or before Saturday, the 31st March proximo, and forthwith to transmit to the Treasury at Wellington the bank receipt for such repayment, together with an account of his expenditure to the same date, as required by clause 4 of the Treasury Regulations.

As respects disbursements which officers may require to make immediately after the close of the financial year, requisitions for the amount required are to be made in such time as to enable them to reach Wellington not later than the 17th March, so that the requisite funds may be placed at the disposal of the officer on the 2nd April or as soon after as possible.

R. J. SEDDON,
Colonial Treasurer.

Bonus for the Production of Mineral Manure.—Notice No. 580.

Department of Agriculture,
Wellington, 12th December, 1899.

THE following sum is hereby offered as a bonus for the discovery and working within the colony of a deposit or deposits of marketable mineral manure, viz.:—
£500 IF FOUND ON CROWN LANDS;
£250 IF FOUND ON FREEHOLD LANDS.

The following are the conditions under which the bonus is offered and will be paid:—

1. That the raw material is easily accessible, and within reasonable distance of a railway or seaport.
2. That the committee appointed by the Minister for Agriculture to examine the deposit is satisfied that there is sufficient to meet all ordinary demands for five years.
3. That the manure can be disposed of at a price which will allow of it being remuneratively used for agricultural purposes.
4. That the composition of the phosphate shall average not less than 40 per cent. of phosphate of lime (tricalcic phosphate); provided, however, should a phosphate of a lower average composition be discovered, the committee may recommend that a portion of the bonus be granted.

The terms of payment will be—
One-fifth on the committee reporting favourably of the discovery;
One-fifth on delivery of first 200 tons;
The remaining three-fifths by equal payments on delivery of each additional 150 tons.

Applications addressed to “The Hon. the Minister for Agriculture, Wellington,” will be received up to and including the 1st day of July, 1900.

W. C. WALKER,
For Minister for Agriculture.

Bonuses for Encouragement of New Zealand Hemp (Phormium tenax) Industry.—Notice No. 535.

Department of Agriculture,
Wellington, 13th February, 1899.

Bonus No. 1.

A BONUS of £1,750 is offered for a machine or process for dressing New Zealand hemp (Phormium tenax) which shall be an improvement on the machines or processes now in use, and which shall, after trial, be found to materially reduce the cost of production, improve the product, or increase the quantity of dressed fibre.

The following are the conditions:—

1. All applications for the bonus must be sent addressed to the Hon. the Minister for Agriculture, Wellington, and must reach him not later than the 31st March, 1900. Each application must be accompanied by a description of the machine or process, particularly stating improvements on present machines or processes, and also the cost at which the machine or process can be supplied.