NEW POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH ARRANGEMENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 724, 12 July 1878, Page 2

NEW POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH A RRANGEMENTS.

(I'Elt Pit ESS At:i;NCY.) Wellington-, July 11

The Hon. Mr. Burns, PostmasterGeneral of New South Wales, and the Hon. Mr. Fisher, Postmaster-General of New Zealaini. viirday agreed to sign a minute respecting postal and telegraph matters. The New Zealand Government will j.'hi Victoria. New South Wales, and South Australia in the duplication of the (.-ti'i'le. to Singapore. An arratmoment has been made for the reduction of the charges of the Eastern Extension Co., for the tran. : ::uis.-'-ion of ne-ssag s between Port, Darwin and London by 75 per cent, on Press rnes.'viges and 30 per cent, on Government uie:-oages. This arrangement is held by the Governments to be liberal, and the above reductions may, in the discretion of Mr. Bony or Mr. Burns, bo modified to the extent proposed by the Company, if it cannot obtain a similar reduction for its use of the Dutch and Indian lines. The keeping of a steamer constantly in a port of Australia or New Zealand for the Naw Zealand Cable is held to be an unnecessary expense, from which the company should be relieved, while at the aamc time it iy to be" held liable for keeping up cable communication between the two Colonies. The Com* pany has agreed to reduce its charges for the transmission of all messages by the New Zealand Cable, but what the reduction is has not been made public, and is embodied in a separate agreement between Messrs. Burns, Fisher, and Colonel Glover. The repairing ship of the Company is to be at all times available for the repair of the Cook Straits Cable, the Jj'ew Zealand Government to defray the expense thereof, indemnifying the Company for any damage to the steamer or machinery. The Postal Agents-General of New South Wales and New Zealand are to move the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to cause a subsidy to be given by the Imperial Government, under the present treaty towards ike P-aciue and Torres Straits Mail Services, to be continued for a further period (the present treaty between England and the Colonies respecting mail services expires this year). The Agents-General are also to request the Contractors for the Pacific Mail Service to propose another surety in the room of Mr. M'Gregor. N.S.W. and N.Z. are to join the "Berne Postal Union," with the object of establishing Uniform postal regulations of universal application, provided that nn reduction is made in rate of postages for ocean soiv vices, and that the cost of the transit of mails between San Francisco and New York, or Boston, ia not charged to the Colonies, and that the laws of the Colonies respecting unpaid correspondence are not interfered with.