signature of that person, or of the official character of that person.

G. WHITFIELD SMITH,

President.

Passed the Legislative Board this 28th day of December,

1917.

W. A. DARRELL, Acting Clerk of the Board.

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT between the Chilean Government and the Nitrate of Soda Executive for the Sale and Purchase of Nitrate of Soda.-London, October 3, 1918.*

WHEREAS Conversations have taken place and certain notes exchanged between his Excellency Don Agustin Edwards, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Chile to the Court of St. James, and the Right Honourable Winston Spencer Churchill, His Britannic Majesty's Minister of Munitions;

And whereas his Excellency Don Agustin Edwards has been empowered to act on behalf of certain companies producing nitrate of soda in Chile who are desirous of selling the nitrate of soda produced by them through the medium of the Chilean Government;

And whereas the Right Honourable Winston Spencer Churchill has been empowered to act for and on behalf of the Nitrate of Soda Executive and all the powers represented thereon, it has now been agreed as follows:

1. The Nitrate of Soda Executive agrees to purchase, and the Chilean Government, on behalf of the companies producing nitrate of soda in Chile and whose names will be set out in a list to be furnished by the Chilean Government to the Nitrate of Soda Executive in the manner set out in paragraph 3-sub-paragraph (a) below, agrees to sell 15 million quintals (approximately 680,000 tons) of nitrate of soda at the price of 138. 6d. per quintal f.a.s. for refined and 138. per quintal f.a.s. for ordinary.

2. The Chilean Government agrees on behalf of the said companies as follows:

(a.) That the vendors shall pay the export duty on the said 680,000 tons of nitrate.

Signed also in the Spanish language by the Chilean Minister in London, October 3, 1918. Parliamentary Paper, "Miscellaneous, No. 22 (1918).”

(b.) That the said 680,000 tons of nitrate shall be available for delivery in the ports of Chile as set out in the list to be furnished by the Chilean Government to the Nitrate of Soda Executive in the manner set out in paragraph 3-subparagraph (b) below at the following rates:

320,000 tons during September 1918; 120,000 tons during October 1918;

120,000 tons during November 1918; and 120,000 tons during December 1918.

(c.) That in the event of any failure in the rates of delivery as set out above the Associated Governments shall be free to go upon the open market and purchase nitrate of soda from all or any of the companies producing nitrate of soda in Chile, enjoying in that event all necessary assistance from the Chilean Government.

3. The Chilean Government on its own behalf agrees

(a.) To furnish at once a list showing the oficinas from whom they will obtain the said 680,000 tons of nitrate of soda, the quantity each oficina will supply, the quantity already manufactured by the individual oficinas, and the quantities still to be manufactured by them. This list will also show the quantities of oil, coal and bags at present in the possession of or under the control of the said oficinas.

(b.) To furnish a further list showing the exact dates on which the quantities will be available for delivery at the various ports.

(c.) To take all necessary steps to cause the contracts between the said companies and the purchasers duly authorised by the Nitrate of Soda Executive to be executed forthwith, and to maintain in the ports forthwith ample supplies of nitrate of soda.

(d.) That the purchase and delivery of the said 680,000 tons shall in no way interfere with or delay the purchase and delivery of all or any other quantities purchased by the Nitrate of Soda Executive.

(e.) That the Nitrate of Soda Executive shall be free to purchase nitrate of soda from all or any of the oficinas not included on the list to be furnished by the Chilean Government to the Nitrate of Soda Executive as set out in paragraph 3-sub-paragraph (a) above, provided they do not pay to any producer from whom they may so purchase a price exceeding 138. 6d. per quintal for refined and 138. per quintal for ordinary nitrate of soda.

(f.) That they will facilitate all such purchases and the delivery f.a.s. Chilean port of all quantities purchased in accordance with the conditions laid down in the immediately preceding sub-paragraph.

(9.) That the Nitrate of Soda Executive agreeably with

the condition set out in the two immediately preceding subparagraphs shall on the 5th September, 1918, invite offers for nitrate of soda on the open market at an unconditional rate of 138. 6d. and 138., which producers who do not intend to sell through the medium of the Chilean Government will be at liberty to accept.

4. The Nitrate of Soda Executive on behalf of the Associated Governments agrees as follows:

(a.) To supply petroleum, coal and bags for the manufacture and export of the said 680,000 tons of nitrate of soda at the rates following:

Petroleum at 120s. per ton of 2,240 lb.

Coal at a price equivalent to petroleum; that is to say, that those oficinas using coal in the production of nitrate in lieu of petroleum shall be supplied with the necessary quantities of coal to manufacture their portion of the 680,000 tons at a price which will not place them at a greater disadvantage than they are at present as compared with oficinas using petroleum at 120s. a ton. This price to be fixed without delay.

Bags at 18. 2d. each c.i.f. Chile.

(b.) That the Chilean Government on its own behalf or on behalf of the said companies shall not be responsible for any failure in the rates of delivery as set out in paragraph 2sub-paragraph (a) above, should the contractors for the provision of fuel make any reductions or discontinuance of supplies as have occurred hitherto.

5. It is hereby mutually agreed

(a.) That the said companies shall use the quantities of petroleum, coal and bags which they have in stock or under their control and that the quantities utilised in this manner shall be replaced eventually by the Associated Governments at the prices set out above.

(b.) That of the said 680,000 tons of nitrate of soda, 545,000 tons are produced with petroleum representing a consumption of 110,000 tons of petroleum, and the remaining 135,000 tons with coal representing a consumption of 50,000

tons.

(c.) That 40,000 tons of coal used in the carriage within the oficinas in addition to railway transport shall be replaced by the Associated Governments at the same price.

(d.) That the coal should be of the New Pocahontas description.

River or

(e.) That taking into account deterioration until the shipment of the said 680,000 tons of nitrate of soda, 8 million bags will be required for the transport and export thereof.

(f.) That the present procedure relative to the signature of contracts shall be maintained, namely, that such contracts

with each of the said companies will be signed in Chile by the recognised buyers of the Executive and countersigned by the Chilean Minister of Finance.

(9.) That the Associated Governments have the right to formulate at some future date, if they so desire, proposals for the establishment of credits in all or any of the countries of the Associated Governments.

6. The Nitrate of Soda Executive consider it most desirable that the Chilean Government should undertake to place at the disposal of the Associated Governments the transports owned by the Chilean Government for the carriage of nitrate of soda as soon as the said transports become available. The conclusion of this agreement will not be delayed by the fact that no such undertaking has yet been received, but the Nitrate of Soda Executive nevertheless deem this condition essential to the spirit of the agreement.

The Chilean Government being desirous of complying with the desire of the Nitrate of Soda Executive as expressed above, will assign some of the transports owned by them for the purpose of the carriage of nitrate of soda to the United States of America as and when the said transports become available.

7. The Chilean Government are unable at the present time to give a definite reply to the request of the Associated Governments for an option over the total production in Chile of nitrate of soda during 1919.

It is therefore mutually agreed that this present agreement for the purchase and sale of the said 680,000 tons shall be executed forthwith and that negotiations for the purchase and sale of the total production in Chile of nitrate of soda during 1919 shall be continued without delay. In this connection the Chilean Government have requested that in order to facilitate the progress of these further negotiations, the Associated Governments would inform them of the quantities which it is anticipated the said Associated Governments would require either for the first six months or for the whole of 1919.

Signed in London this 3rd day of October, 1918, by his Excellency Don Agustin Edwards for and on behalf of the Chilean Government and the companies selling nitrate of soda to the Nitrate of Soda Executive through the medium of the Chilean Government and by the Right Honourable Winston Spencer Churchill for and on behalf of the Associated Govern ments represented on the Nitrate of Soda Executive.

WINSTON S. CHURCHILL.
AGUSTIN EDWARDS.

AGREEMENT between the Post Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Postal Administration of China, concerning the direct exchange of parcels by Parcel Post.-London, April 17/Peking, June 1, 1917.

THE Post Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Postal Administration of China agree to a direct exchange of parcels between the United Kingdom and China in accordance with the following provisions, which shall be generally applicable, not only to parcels exchanged direct between the United Kingdom and China, but also to parcels sent in transit through the territory of one or other of the two countries.

ARTICLE I.-1. Parcels may be exchanged by parcel post between the United Kingdom and China up to the weight of 11 lb. English.

2. With the exception of those to and from the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Kweichow, sent viâ Indo-China, for which the limit of insurance is fixed at 500 fr., the parcels thus exchanged may be insured up to the sum of 1,250 fr. (501. sterling) when originating in or destined to places in China included in the List of Chinese Offices open to the International Parcels Service." Parcels for other offices in China may be insured within the same limits of amount, but only as far as the insurance office nearest to destination.

3. To the Postal Administrations of the two countries is reserved the power of fixing subsequently, by common consent, if their respective laws and regulations permit, the rates and conditions applicable to postal parcels insured for sums exceeding 1,250 fr. (501. sterling).

II.-1. The two Postal Administrations guarantee the right of transit for parcels over their territory to or from any country with which they respectively have parcel post communication; and they undertake responsibility for transit parcels within the limits determined by Article XI below.

2. In the absence of any arrangement to the contrary between the Administrations concerned, the transmission of parcels thus exchanged is effected in closed receptacles.

III. The prepayment of the postage on parcels shall be compulsory, except in the case of redirected parcels.

IV. 1. The Post Office of the country of origin shall pay to the Post Office of the country of destination the territorial postage and insurance fees, and, if occasion arises, the sea postage and sea insurance fees which are due to it, calculated in accordance with the following table: