I—F. 6.
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1907. NEW ZEALAND.
OCEAN MAIL-SERVICES (FURTHER PAPERS RELATING TO). [In continuation of Paper F.-6a, presented on the 27th October, 1906.]
Presented to both Homes of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.
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INDEX.
San Francisco Service— Contract with the Oceanic Company, <fee. 2-7 No. Auckland-Sydney payments .. .. 8,12 Commonwealth comribution .. .. 4 Contract : Resolution of House of Representatives .. .. .. 1-7, 13, 14,16 Harbour dues, Auckland .. .. 17-19 Non-renewal until time-table maintained (see also Dislocation of Service) .. .. .. .. 15, 18, 20 Opening Auckland branch of Oceanic Company .. .. .. 10, (50) Second Assistant Mail Agent .. .. 9, 11 Tahiti route to United States .. (249-252) Incidents of American Transit, Earthquake, Dislocation of Service, &c. Pages 7-33 No. Abandonment of service 115, 118-127,130-132, 136, [140, 143 Assistance at Portland and Seattle .. 22 Assistance at Vancouver .. .. 24 Delays, Statements of .. .. 34, 142 Diverting mails to Suez route 44, 53, 59, 75, 108-111, [113, 115 Earthquake : Suspension and resumption of service .. .. .. 25 Inefficient firemen .. .. .. 35, 36, 38 Irregular running 27-33, 35, 39-43, 45, 67-79, 81-106, [109-111, 113, 114, 116, 117, 137, 138, 141, 144, 145 Ditto: Parliamentary and public comment .. .. .. 34, 38,104, 107, 109 " Moana," poundage for carrying mails from Vancouver 21, 23, 26, 37, 61, 62, 80, 128, 129, [133, 135, 139 Repairs to steamers : Dropped voyages 45-60, 63-68, [78, 79, 82-86, 100, 102-109, 111-114, 116, 117, 134 Strike of crew, Sydney .. .. 90-92, 95-97 Substitute vessel suggested .. 28, 29, 33, 103-105, 112
Australia-Suez Services — Pages 33-47 Diverting mails from San Franoiaoo No. route .. .. .. 194-196, 198-218 Federal service payments .. .. 172, 177 Special train Sydney to Melbourne for mails missing express .. 167, 191, 198-216 Wellington - Sydney connection with Suez mail, three-weekly 149-171, 173-176, 178-180 Ditto, fortnightly .. .. 183-186, 189, 190 „ Payment for 163, 164, 169, 171, 173-176, 179--[lB2, 192 „ Resolutions of Chambers of Commerce .. 149-151,162, 168, 193, 197 Vancouver Service— Pages 48-49 No. Advice from Suva of incoming mails .. 222 Contract: Resolutions of House of Representatives .. .. .. 1 Harbour dues at Wellington, Vancouvertrade steamers .. .. .. 219, 220 Interprovincial Service — Pages 49-52 No. Detention of coastal steamer at Onehunga for inooming mails .. 223-227, 231-235, [237, 238 Service from month to month 229, 230, 236-238 Special train from New Plymouth for San Francisco mail .. .. 228 Parcel Mails— Pages 52-55 United Kingdom: Payment by Imperial No. Post Office for conveyance during period 1904-1905 .. .. .. 240, 241 United Kingdom: Arrangement for carriage with New Zealand Shipping Company and Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company .. .. .. 239, 242, 243 United States, during cessation of San Francisco servioe .. .. .. 244-254 Pages 55-64 No. Tehuantepec Mail Route .. .. 255-262
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SAN FEANCISOO SERVICE.
CONTRACT WITH THK OCEANIC COMPANY, ETC.
Pacific Maii.-services, Resolutions relative to, passed by the House of Representatives, on Friday, the 26th day of October, 1906. No. 1. San Francisco Mail-service. On the motion of the Hon. Sir J, G. Ward, Resolved, —1. That whereas the renewed contract entered into on the 15th March, 1903, between the Postmaster-General and the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company, of San Francisco, for the continued performance of a three-weekly mail-service between Auckland and San Francisco, for the period of three years from the 10th November, 1903, will expire in November next — This House authorises the Government to enter into a further extension of the said contract with the said company for the renewal of the service for a period up to three years, as from the 10th November, 1906, subject to the following additional and amended conditions: — (a.) That the payment shall not be less than £15,000 per annum or more than £20,000 per annum. . (b.) That the Postmaster-General shall be authorised to negotiate that all payments by the Commonwealth of Australia to the service shall be paid over to this colony, in which case the maximum payment to the contractors may be increased to £25,000 per annum. (c.) That a larger and better class of steamers shall be placed in the service by the contractors within two years from the date of the contract; otherwise, the PostmasterGeneral may determine the contract on giving the contractors six months' notice in writing. Vancouver Mail-service. Resolved, —2. That this House also empowers the Government to establish a three-weekly mailservice between the Port of Vancouver and a port in New Zealand, subject to the following conditions: — (a.) That the contract shall be for a term of three years. (b.) That the payment shall not exceed £20,000 per annum. (c.) That the service shall be performed by vessels of not less than 6,000 tons, having first-class passenger accommodation, and fitted with all modern improvements, and also refrigerating-chambers, and chilled chambers for fruit and dairy-produce. (d.) That the time shall not exceed eighteen days between Vancouver and a.New Zealand port, the selection of which to be at the contractor's option. (c.) That the terms and conditions of contract, as far as they can be applied, shall be similar to those governing the San Francisco mail-service. \H.V. Agr. 06/91e.]
No. 2. The Secretart, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 7th November, 1906. San Francisco Midi-service. * # * * * * * * * I enclose herewith three copies of the resolutions passed by the House of Representatives on the '26th ultimo. I have, &c, W Gras, Secretary. H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, Cal. [S.F. ATX. 06/119.]
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No. 3. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir, — Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, Bth November, 1906. ********* I forward you three copies of the mail-service resolutions passed by the House on Friday, 26th October. I have, &c, The Hon. W. P. Reeves, Jas. McGowak, for Prime Minister. High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. [S.F. Agr. 06/123.]
No. 4. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, Bth November, 1906. 1 have the honour to forward herewith three copies of the resolutions passed by the House of Representatives on ihe 26th ultimo, authorising the Government to renew the contract for the San Francisco mail-service for a period up to three years from the 10th instant. On his return to Wellington the Postmaster-General will do himself the honour to communicate with the Federal Postmaster-General on the subject of the contribution to be made by the Commonwealth to the San Francisco service. I have, &c, W. Gray. Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [S.F. Agr. 06/127.]
No. 5. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the J. D. Spreckei.s ■ yd Bros. Company, San Francisco. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, Bth November, 1906. I have the honour to forward Berewiih, for your information, copy of resolutions passed by the House of Representatives on the 26ih ultimo, authorising the Government to extend the contract for the San Francisco mail-service for £ period up to three years as from the 10th instant. I also enclose copy of a letter [No. 6] I am sending to the branch manager of your company in Auckland. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. Messrs. the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company, San Francisco, Cal. [S.F. Agr. 06/126.]
No. 6. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Managed, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, Bth November, 1906. I have the honour to forward herewith two copies of the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 26th ultimo in connection with the renewal of the San Francisco mail-service. I shall be glad if you will communioats the terms of the resolution to your principal in San Francisco and ascertain as early as possible whether the renewal is agreed to on the terms passed by the House of Representatives. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. [.S.F. Agr. 06/125.]
No. 7. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, Sib,— Auckland, 12th November, 1906. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the Bth instant, enclosing two copies of the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 26th ultimo, in con-
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nection with the renewal of the San Francisco mail-service, and as suggested, am passing one of these copies on to my San Francisco principal. His reply to me will be communicated to you at the earliest possible date. I have, &c, Oceanic Steamship Compant. V. A. Spkoul, Branch Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [B.P. Agr. 06/129.)
No. 8. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Ster'iship Company, American and Australian Line, Sir, — Auckland, 21st November, 1906. I have the honour to refer you to your letter of the 11th September last [not printed], enclosing statement showing the sum of £193 18s. 3d. due to the Oceanic Steamship Company for conveyance from Sydney to Auckland of mails from the United Kirgdom for the year ended the .'■(lst December, 1905. My head office asks mf Lo advise if the amount stated covers a period of two years to the 31st December, 1905, as they do nc. find, on reference to previous statements, that there was any statement for 1904. The records here show an amount of £24 12s. 7d. paid for year ended 1903 ; but there appears to be no record for 1904. I thank you in anticipation of reference to amount due for 1904, and remain, Yours, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company. V. A. Sproul, Branch Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. P.O. 06/2908.]
No. 9. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship .Con> pany, Auckland. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd November, 1906. 1 have the honour to inform you that, as it is expected there will be an unusual accumulation of mail-matter to be dealt with, it is intended to send a second Assistant Mail Agent to San Francisco by the outgoing mail-steamer. I shall be glad if you will arrange for the necessary additional cabin accommodation to be provided. I have, &c, D. Robertson, for Secretary. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. [Staff 06/34.]
No. 10. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Mr. Cockroft, Auckland. Sir, — General Post Office. Wellington, 26th November, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the eceipt of your letter of the sth instant [not printed], informing me of the opening of a bran «i office of your company at Auckland, under the charge of Mr. V. A. Sproul. as from the Ist ipstant, and requesting that payment for > 3 conveyance of the San Francisco mails be mar , 5 to Mr. Sproul, beginning with the voyage from Auckland of the 28th September last. I have, &c, D. Robertson, for Secretary. L. F. Cockroft, Esq., care of Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. [U.S. Inc. 06/125.]
No. 11. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, Sir,— Auckland, 26th November, 1906. 1 have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant, asking accommodation for a second Assistant Mail Agent in the R.M.S. " Sonoma," ieaving this port on the 30th instant. I have cabled the Sydney agents to advise the captain of the steamer accordingly before he leaves Sydney. I have, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company. V. A. Sprout,, Branch Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. S.F. Agr. 06/138.]
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No. 12. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship 'Company, Auckland. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 26th November, 1906. 1 have the honour to refer to your letter of the 21st instant, about the conveyance by your company's vessels from Sydney to Auckland of mails from the United Kingdom during the year 1904. In reply, 1 have to inform you that no account was rendered by this Department for 1904, as no mails from the United Kingdom were conveyed by the steamers of your company from Sydney to Auckland during the year. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. IP.O. 06/2908.]
No. 13. The Skckkiahy, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 27th November, 1906. What are Mr. Cockroft's movements? Has Mr. Spreckels agreed to renew service on terms resolutions House of Representatives 1 [P.O. 06/3795.)
No. 14. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 27th November, 1906. Mb. Cockroft Grand Hotel, Dunediu, to-day. Leaves to-morrow for through journey Auckland. In accordance your letter 26th ultimo, sending copy terms of resolutions House of Representatives (o Mr. Spreckels by " Sonoma " mail. If necessary will ask him to wire reply. [P.O. 06/3795.]
No. 15. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 7th December, 1906. 1 thank you for cable [not printed] from Messrs. Spi'eckels Bros. lam glad to hear they will do their utmost to secure regularity of contract dates. I have informed Mr. Cockroft that in the meantime, until there is some assurance of regular running, the proposal for renewal of contract lias to stand over. [S.F. Agr. 06/146.]
No. 16. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 20th January, 1907. Referring your letter November Bth; Mr. Spreokels writes under date of December 26th that he has given the resolutions of the New Zealand House of Representatives his consideration, and agrees to same. S.F. Agr. 07/11. J
No. 17. The Secretary, Harbour Board, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. ■ (Telegram.) Auckland, 4th March, 1907. Please inform me if steamers "Ventura," "Sierra," and '' Sonoma " are now exempt from dues in terms subsection (5) section 132 " Harbours Act, 1878." S.F. Aar. 07/00.]
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No. 18. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Harbour Board, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, sth March, 1907. There is now no contract between Postmaster-General of this colony and Oceanic Steamship Company for carriage of mails. [S.F. Agr. 07/70.]
No. 19. The Branch Managkr, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Aotinc-Sechetaisy, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 25th March, 1907. Auckland Harbour Board, claiming no contract, applying harbour dues Oceanic steamers. As " Sonoma " inward has mail and Mail Agent on board, should she not be exempt? [S.F. Agr. 07/105.]
No. 20. The Acting-Secretahy, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th March, 1907. Contract for San Francisco service expired 10th November, 1906. Postmaster-General did not come to the determination not to continue contract until later in year. All voyages outwards up to and including that begun on the 7th February from Auckland, and up to and including that to be completed by the " Sonoma " on her next arrival at Auckland from San Francisco should be regarded as contract voyages. On all these voyages the ships carried Mail Agents, representatives of the New Zealand Government, in the performance of (/wtf-n'-contract duties. [S.F. Agr. 07/105.]
INCIDENTS OF AMERICAN TRANSIT.—EARTHQUAKE, — DISLOCATION OF SERVICE.
No. 21. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), DeahSir,— Dunedin, 12th June, 1906. I have to acknowledge your favour of the 31st May [No. 72, F.-6a, 1906], which reached us on the 9th instant, enclosing copy of a letter [No. 70, F.-6a, 1906] forwarded to the PostmasterGeneral at Ottawa. We wish to express our appreciation of the trouble you are taking on our behalf to recover the poundage for the conveyance of mails by the " Moana," and hope that your efforts will meet with success. Yours, &c, D. A. Aiken, for General Manager. T. Rose, Esq., Acting Secretary, Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington. [P.O. (W/1774.]
No. 22. The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmastkr-General. Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division Sin. of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., 11th July, 1906. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to inform you that, in compliance with the request made in your letter of the Bth ultimo [No. 75, F.-6a, 1906], Mr. F. E.. Whitney and Mr. R. A. Whiting, Chief Clerks of the United States Railway Mail-service at Portland and Seattle respectively, have been informed of the appreciation of your Department of thejr courtesy in connection with the -diversion of the mails to Vancouver brought by the steamer " Sonoma "' upon the occasion of- the earthquake at San Francisco on the 18th April last. I am, &c, N. M. Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. (lfi/l'^-<.
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No. 23. The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division Sib,— of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., 13th July, 1906. 1 have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your letters dated the 31st May [No. 71, L<\-6a, 1906] and Bth June last [No. 78, F.-6a, 1906] respectively, with their enclosures, relative to the diversion of the mails for New Zealand from San Francisco to Vancouver for conveyance to New Zealand by the steamer " Moana " of the Union Steam Ship Company, in consequence of the earthquake at San Francisco on the 18th April last, additional compensation having been allowed by your Administration to the Union Steam Ship Company for said conveyance. In reply, I have to inform you that this Department Kettles with the Canada Office upon the basis of the regular international transit statistics for the sea conveyance of mails carried by steamers sailing from Vancouver, said settlements applying by virtue of Article XXXI of the Regulations for the execution of the Universal Postal Convention of Washington, to all the mails so despatched, except in the cases provided for in sections 2 and 3 of said article. The despatch per the steamer " Moana " in the emergency occasioned by the disaster at San Francisco does not come within the scope of the exceptions provided for in sections 2 and 3 above referred to, and consequently, in the opinion of this Department, should not give rise to a claim for additional compensation against this Department by the Postal Administration of Canada which furnished the conveyance. I am, &c, N. M. Bbooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. 06/1774.1
No. 24. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Actino-Secretauy, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Post Office Department, Canada. Ottawa, 19th July, 1906. I desire to acknowledge and thank you for your communication of the Bth June [No. 76, F.-6a, 1906], stating that in connection with the diversion of mails from San Francisco to Vancouver for despatch by tlie " Moana," your Mail Agent, Mr. Lindsay, had reported that he had received assistance in many ways from Mr. F. R". Harrison, Assistant-Postmaster, Vancouver, and Mr. J. 0. McLeod, Superintendent of Railway Mail-service at Vancouver, and requesting that the appreciation of your Department should be conveyed to these officers. In reply, I would say that I shall have much pleasure in complying with your request. I have, &c, R. M. Coulter, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. 06/1678.]
No. 25. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, Sib, — 216 California Street, 2nd August, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 7th July [No. 83, F.-6a, 1906], referring to several matters in connection with the late calamity in this city, and the suspension of the mail-service, &c. I have to thank you for your kind expression of sympathy in my personal distress upon this occasion. In respect to the suspension and resumption of the mail-service, 1 regret that the performances of the steamers " Sonoma " and " Ventura " have turned out so unsatisfactorily. The " Sonoma, , ' which left as you state five days late upon her return trip to this country, only arrived here on Monday afternoon, the 30th ultimo, having added two more days to the late arrival. It is stated unofficially that the boilers have been giving much trouble upon the homeward trip. Seeing that this steamer was delayed six weeks after her appointed date of departure (19th April), it would seem that her condition should have been looked into before departure. On account of necessary repairs this vessel will not leave upon her outward trip until Saturday at the earliest, which will be three days after arrival of the through mails here. I trust that she may make a better record this trip, but am doubtful whether much improvement will be noted. I have, <fee, H. Stephknson Smith, Resident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, [U.S. Inc. oe/90.]
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No. 26 The Depdtt Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. SlB _ Post Office Department, Canada. Ottawa, 9th August, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st May last [No. 70, F -6a 19061 in which you draw attention to the fact that, owing to the earthquake at San Francisco on the 18th April last, the steamer "Sonoma," of the Oceanic Steamship Company, which was due to leave San Francisco at that time with the mails for New Zealand, was unable to make the voyage, and that the mails, which were mostly from Great Britain and the United States and were of great weight, were transferred from San Francisco to Vancouver, and despatched thence by the " Moana " of the Union Steam Ship Company, and asking that, as the " Moana " had at great expense been diverted from her route to land the mails at Auckland, the Union Steam Ship Company may receive special consideration for this voyage. You state that the company undertook the trip as made, on the assumption that it would receive poundage at the Postal Union rates for the conveyance of the additional mails from Vancouver to Fiji, and that your Government had agreed to pay £400 for the special call at Auckland. The amount of the poundage on the actual weights of British mails and the estimated weight of United States mails is, you state, £660 13s. 7d. , , In reply, I beg to say that I fear your letter to this Department was written under a misunderstanding of the situation. This Department could make no claim under the Postal Union Convention for transit charges for the conveyance of these mails from Vancouver to Fiji. The amounts each Administration is entitled to for transit service were fixed by the enumeration of 1896 and no modification in the movements of correspondence can give rise to further claims unless the modification affects a period of at least six months (Section xxxi, Regulations of Detail and Order). The only mode of settlement which seems to present itself is for the United States to withhold from the Oceanic Steamship Company, which did not perform the trip in question, though under contract to do so, the amount necessary to meet the demand of the Union Steam Ship Company, and pay this amount over to that company. In your letter you say that you are in communication with the United States Department regarding the matter. I have, <fee, R. M. Coulter, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand. fP.O. 06/1774.]
No. 27. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 27th August, 1906. As "Sonoma " will not reach Sydney till thirty-first instant, we do not anticipate departure thence till seventh prox., Auckland eleventh prox., and have requested Sydney agents to cable us definitely re departure on steamer's arrival (meantime advising Auckland Postmaster of the uncertainty). [P.O. 06/2769.] _________________
No. 28. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 27th August, 1906. "Sonoma's" late arrival and contractors' inability to despatch her on due date come at a most unfortunate time, in face of previous delays and interruptions, and there is certain to be public outcry. Have company not substitute vessel that could be despatched from Sydney and Auckland on due dates?
[P.O. 06/2759.] ___———— —-— No. 29. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, lo the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. •g IB Auckland, 28th August, 1906. We received your telegram of yesterday asking if Oceanic Company could substitute ■x steamer for " Sonoma " to enable mails' to be despatched on due date, to which we replied that we would cable the Messrs. J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company on the subject, which we did last ' We are now in receipt of reply from Messrs. Spreckels, which we have wired to you, that it is impossible to substitute steamer in place of " Sonoma." While the combination of circumstances, arising for the most part from the unsettled condition of shipping affairs at San Francisco since the disaster, which caused the delay to " Sonoma,' is much to be regretted, we do not see that it would be practicable to substitute a vessel in her place on this occasion. Even if a suitable vessel were available at the short notice, the cost of such a course would be out of all proportion to the earnings of the line.
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We are using every endeavour to shorten the stay of the " Sonoma " at Sydney, and trust that she may be able to leave Auckland on homeward voyage not later than 11th September. Yours, &c, Henderson and Macfarlane, General Agents for New Zealand Oceanic Steamship Company. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 06/2857.]
No. 30. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 28th August, 1906. " Sonoma " for Frisco postponed to seventh September. [P.O. 06/2857.]
No. 31. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 31st August, 1906. I have the honour to refer to your letter of the 2nd instant, acknowledging the letter from this office, dated 7th ultimo, on the subject of the San Francisco earthquake and other matters. I note what you say about the unsatisfactory running of the R.M.S. " Sonoma" and "Ventura." Your hope that the "Sonoma" might make better time on the last voyage from San Francisco has, I regret to say, not been realised, as the vessel did not reach Auckland until the 26th instant, six days late. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., Resident Agent for New Zealand, 216 California Street, San Francisco, Cal. [U.S. Inc. 06/91.]
No. 32. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, Ist September, 1906. Sydney agents cable "Sonoma" will leave there seventh instant, making departure from Auckland September eleventh. [P.O. 08/2857.] ,^_^_^^^_^^_______
No. 33. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 4th September, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo [not printed], confirming your telegram of the same date, stating that you did not expect that the R.M.S. " Sonoma " would be able to leave Auckland for San Francisco until the 11th instant; also your letter of the 28th ultimo, intimating that, as desired, you had telegraphed to San Francisco to ascertain whether, in view of the delay in the " Sonoma's " departure, another vessel could be substituted in her place to enable the outward mail to be despatched from Auckland on due date —namely, the 7th instant. I note that it had not been practicable to arrange for the employment of a substitute vessel, and that you were using every endeavour to shorten the stay of the " Sonoma " at Sydney, and hoped that she might be able to leave Auckland not later than the 11th instant. I have, &c, Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. W. Gkay, Secretary. [P.O. 06/2857.]
No. 34. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company, San Francisco. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 6th September, 1906. I am directed to refer to the personal representations of the Postmaster-General of this colony while in San Francisco as to the urgent need for a change in the direction of insuring the more regular arrival and departure of the steamers employed in the Auckland - San Francisco mail-
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service, and to inform you that since the return of Sir Joseph Ward here the delays have been strongly commented upon in Parliament. On the 24th ultimo Mr. J. G. W. Aitken, one of the members for this city, asked the following question: " Whether the Postmaster-General's attention has been drawn to the great irregularity that has existed in the delivery of the San Francisco mail, both in the Home land and in this colony, for a very long period—for instance, the mail by this route due at Auckland on the 20th instant, is not yet reported as having arrived at that port—and, if so, whether he will inform the House as to what steps he intends to take to see that the colony gets better served for the money expended on this service?" The Minister, in replying, said, " The whole dislocation is due to the terrible results of the earthquake in San Francisco, which has completely disorganized business in that city, including that of the Oceanic Company. lam full}' aware of the irregularities and the action taken by the Department to bring about more regular deliveries. When passing through the United States I took up this matter seriously with the contractors, who have been doing their best to bring about greater regularity. The question was also discussed with the Postmaster-General of the United States. The contractors confidently hope that Congress next session will grant an increased subsidy to the service, in which case the Oceanic Company will place an order for building larger and faster steamers, the plans for which are already prepared. The late departure of the ' Sonoma,' due at Auckland on the 20th instant from San Francisco, and her prolonged voyage, are stated to have been due to the maritime strike at San Francisco, precluding adequate labour for loading purposes, and compelling the company to engage inexperienced firemen and stokers. Representations have been made to the contractors." This answer did not satisfy Mr. Aitken, who represented that the delays and discrepancies dated from a period long before the recent earthquake, and that the unsatisfactory nature of the service could be traced from the time when the service fell entirely into the hands of an American company. While the "Sonoma" might have been delayed by a strike, he pointed out that she certainly lost a great deal of time between San Francisco and Auckland. Mr. Aitken admitted that at one time the San Francisco service was the premier service of the colony, but he considered it no longer held that position, and urged that the whole question of the colony's mail-services should be looked into, when, he was of opinion, it would be found that a saving in cost could be brought about by such a revision. , This attack on the service so early in the session presages that when the renewal is being discussed trouble may be expected from other quarters, and considerable opposition may be looked for before the House will agree to the colony becoming a party to the service for another term. The want of confidence in the regularity of the service is, however, not confined to the House of Representatives, but is beginning to be voiced by the public, which has raised an outcry over the late arrival of the " Sonoma," previously referred to, involving as it does a departure from Auckland on the present voyage four -days behind schedule time. The attached statements of the departures from and arrivals at Auckland and San Francisco from the beginning of this }-ear will show that there has been ample cause for grave dissatisfaction ; and the Postmaster-General wishes to have such an assurance from your company as will lead to the reasonable expectation that the last has been heard of these irregularities. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. Messrs. the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company, San Francisco, Cal. [S.F. Agr. 06/73.] [ ;
Enclosure 1 in No. 34. Statement showing the Departures from Auckland and Arrivals at San Francisco of the San Francisco Mail Steamers from the 19th January to the 1st October, 1906.
Left Auokland. Arrived San Franci 100. Vessel. Contract Time 396 Hours. Hours beyond Time-table Date. (6 a.m. Monday) Date. (Due 3 p.m.) '. Hours late. Date. Hours over. ' Sonoma " 'Ventura" '■' Sierra " ' Sonoma " 'Ventura" ' Sierra" 1906. h. m. January 19 ... 8 20 February 10 ... 15 44 March 2 ... 1 20 March 25 ... 38 30 April 13 ... 2 0 May 4 ... 3 15 February 6 February 27 March 19 ... April 12 ... May 1 May 21 ... —25th May a: 42 43 25 66 39 25 28 36 4 82 19 6 Service stopped by eai •thquake —two voyages missed July 11 ... I 127 30 July 27 ... 2 20 August 17* ... 10 September 12 f ; 106 0* I i id 15th June. ' Sonoma " ' Ventura " 'Sierra" 'Sonoma" July 30 ... August 14... September 3 October 1* 68* 54* 26* 93+ 176* 36* 8* 180* * These particulars not in o ate arrival at Auokland on inwi ciginal (the Mail Agents not havin ; ird voyage—six days late. then reported). t Late leparture due to
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Enclosure 2 in No. 34. Statement showing the Departures from San Francisco and the Arrivals at Auckland of the San Francisco Mail Steamers from the 4th January to the 26th August, 1906.
No. 35. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, Hir, — ■ Auckland, 13th September, 1906. In reply to your telegram [not printed] of this morning, we wired you that " Ventura " will leave Auckland for San Francisco on due date. The delayed arrival at this port from San Francisco was not, so Captain Hayward informs us, due to fault of machinery, but to the inefficient crew of firemen. Owing to the abnormal demand for workmen at San Francisco and the high rate of wages paid for even unskilled labour to clear away debris, &c, many of the regular firemen are working ashore, and the vessels have to take numbers of men who have never been in a fire-room before, with the result that after a few days' work they get run down. This condition of affairs will, in the opinion of Captain Hayward, be ameliorated on the homeward voyage, and he confidently expects that the influx of workmen to San Francisco, attracted by the high" rates of wages ruling there, will release some regular firemen and so enable better crews to be obtained in future. We remain, lee., Henderson and MacfarljAne. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 06/3014.] 4
No. 36. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlanb, Auckland. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 20th September, 1906. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, explaining that the late arrival of the " Ventura " at Auckland on that date was due to the inefficient crew of firemen, many of the regular firemen having left the vessel to work ashore at San Francisco. The explanation has been noted. I would, however, point out that this Department is advised that the "Ventura's" machinery gave trouble during almost the whole journey from San Francisco, and that the detention at Pago Pago is alleged to have been due to the necessity for repairs to the ship's machinery. While no doubt the inexperienced firemen had much to do with the prolonged voyage, this fact alone cannot be considered responsible for the steamer's late arrival at Auckland. It is hoped that the " Ventura's " machinery will be put in thorough repair at Sydney, and that a prompt arrival at San Francisco on the return trip may be reasonably expected. Both the Department and the public look for this. I have, &c, Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. W. Gray, Secretary. [P.O. 06/3014.] 1. . "
Left San Francisco. Arrived Auckland. Vessel. Date. (Due 2 p.m.) Hours late. Date. Hours beyond Time-taMe Date (5 a.m. Monday). I j woe "Ventura" ... ... January 4 '' Sierra " ... ... January 25 " Sonoma " ... ... February 15 "Ventura" ... ... March 8 "Sierra" ... ... March 29 h. m. 1906. i h m 6 29 January 23 .'..I 22 15 2 22 February 12 ... 13 10 1 24 March 6 ... I 33 0 3 3 March 27 ... 30 53 1 28 April 16 ... 9 50 Service stopped by earthquake. Mails of ] Voyage of 10th May missed. "Sonoma" ... ... May 31... "Ventura" ... ... June 21 "Sierra" ... ... July 12... "Sonoma" ... ... August 5 ,9th April sent by " Moana " from Vancouver. 4 0 June 23 ... 121 35 7 5 July 12... ... 85 25 4 12 July 30... ... 10 30 62 0* August 26 ... 149 35 ♦ Not in original (the Mail Agent not having then repi irted).
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No. 37. Tbe Sbcbetaht, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 25th September, 1906. With reference to your letters of the 31st May [No. 71, F.-a, , 1906] and the Bth June last [No. 77, F.—6a, 1906], concerning the conveyance by the steamship " Moana " from Vancouver of the mail for New Zealand from this country, diverted from the San Francisco route on account of the recent earthquake, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that the Canadian Post Office has not received any special payment from this office for the conveyance of the British mails on the occasion in question. Payment for the conveyance of the mails from this country for New Zealand by way of San Francisco is made to the United States Post Office on the basis of Postal Union statistics taken in 1896, the payment in respect of the sea-conveyance from San Francisco to New Zealand amounting <s> an average of about £200 per voyage. The Postal Union Convention provides, in paragraph 3of Artice XXXI, for a readjustment of transit charges when an important modification affecting a period of at least six months takes place in the flow of correspondence; but there is no provision for deduction from the regular payments on account of the diversion of a single mail, and the Post-master-General is precluded from claiming a rebate from the United States Post Office in respect of the mail in question. In these circumstances, he is unable to admit the claim of £82 4s. 7d. made against this office in your general account for the quarter ended the 31st March last for the sea-conveyance of this mail. It would appear, however, from your letter of the 31st May to the Postmaster-General of Canada, of which you forwarded a copy, that the conveyance by the " Moana " was arranged at the instance of the Post Office of the United States; and I am to suggest that any special claim which yon may feel justified in raising in respect of the diversion of the mail from the San Francisco route be addressed to that office. I am, &0., The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. H. Buxton Fohman. [P.O. Oe/177-i.J
No. 38. The Assistant to President, Oceanic Steamship Company, San Francisco, to the Sechetabt, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, DbahSir,— 38 Clay Street, San Francisco, 3rd October, 1906. In response to your communication of the 6th September, regarding the irregularities of the Auckland - San Francisco mail-service, you may pi-obably recall that during your sojourn here we showed you a statement regarding the delivery of the mails in London, which showed, prior to the 4th May, only two late deliveries in London, in spite of the late arrivals in San Francisco. The crucial test of the value of the service is the through connection between Auckland and London, and we have managed, in spite of our delinquencies as regards arrivals in San Francisco, to make a pretty fair iecord as far as the ultimate arrival of the mails in Jxmdon is concerned, and this is a point which we think should be given due consideration by your Parliament. We have mislaid the statement which we had, giving the London arrivals, which makes it necessary for us to procure a duplicate from New York, which we cannot do in time for this steamer. It will be forwarded, however, as quickly as possible. [Not received.] We rather feel that if your Parliament understood the grave difficulties which confront us even now, as a result of the recent earthquake and fire, they would condone most of our irregularities. For instance, it is impossible to obtain efficient crews here. Wages are so high in other lines of business that good men are very difficult to obtain for the engineer's department, and we are forced to put up with such material as cannot find employment in any other capacity. Another grave disadvantage that we labour under is, and has been, the late delivery of mails to our steamers, preventing our sailing on time from San Francisco, and thus throwing us out along the entire route. By the " Sonoma," sailing to-morrow, we are sending Mr. L. F. Cockroft, our general passenger agent, who is conversant with the situation, and can probably explain it to you from our standpoint, and we hope you will find much in his argument to mitigate our offences. Yours, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company, F. S. Samuels, Assistant to President. The Secretary, General Po.st Office, Wellington. [U.S. Inc. 06/106.1
No. 39. The Resident Ac;ent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Resident .Agency for .New Zealand, "216 California Street, San Francisco, Sir,— 4th October, 1906. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 31st August, in reference to the unsatisfactory running of the R.M.S, " Sonoma," and note that upon her last
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outward trip she arrived at Auckland six days late; and 1 have, I regret, to report that upon the last incoming trip the vessel did not reach here until 4 p.m. on Monday—over seven days late. Whether there is any plausible explanation for these severe delays I am not aware, but I think strong representation, if nothing else, should be made to the Oceanic Steamship Company in regard to the matter. 1 am satisfied, however, that these serious disruptions of the service caused by these slow trips are a source of much annoyance to the company. Notwithstanding the late arrival of this vessel, the company are making strenuous efforts to get the " Sonoma " away to-day (Thursday). 1 sincerely hope a better voyage may be made. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. v . [U.S. Inc.^oe/102.]
No. 40. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, Si R) _ 216 California Street, 25th October, 1906. I have the honour to report that the It.M.S. "Ventura" did not reach this port until 6 p.m. on Friday, the 19th instant. A heavy northerly gale was blowing at the time, and the steamer was not able to dock until after noon on the 20th instant. The gale was so severe that it was found impossible to even get a tug alongside the steamer, consequently the through mails did not leave this port until 6 p.m. on Saturday. This delay, coupled with the remarkably severe weather now being experienced on this continent, has probably lost us the connection at New York with the Thursday steamer. No advices yet have been received of the mails having passed Chicago, and I fear that they will be delayed at New York until Saturday. In this connection it would look as if some action will have to be taken with respect to the serious delays being experienced in the cases of the "Sonoma" and "Ventura." The reason given for the bad performance is the impossibility of procuring competent firemen in the enginerooms. The unions appear to be putting any men they like on these steamers despite the remonstrance of the Oceanic Steamship Company. Mr. Samuels is much perturbed at the poor record of these steamers, and says that the Oceanic Company is helpless in the hands of the union. The " Sierra," however, seems to be enabled to get n better class of men. Lloyd's surveyor, who has just returned from Honolulu upon the " Ventura," gives it as his opinion that as far as he could ascertain without making a thorough survey, there is nothing radically wrong with the engines or boilers. The vessel has been on the dry dock here, and had a new propeller installed, and it is hoped that better results will be obtained on the " Ventura " this trip. It is sincerely to be hoped this will be the case. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [U.S. Inc. 06/117.]
No. 41. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 29th October, 1906. Quite a relief to hear of " Sonoma' s" arrival, and I hope you are none the worse your verylong passage. You will now recognise that these irregularities must cease, and that " Sonoma " and " Ventura " must be given thorough overhaul forthwith, unless the service is to drop altogether out of public estimation. It is fast becoming a mere by-word. . . . [S.F. Agr..oe/1000
No. 42. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 29th October, 1906. Do not expect "Sonoma" can leave Sydney till twelfth proximo, Auckland sixteenth proximo. Hope wire definite dates to-morrow. [S.F. Agr. 06/94.]
No. 43. Mr L F Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 30th October, 1906. Thanks for your telegram. Conferring with Frisco reference " Sonoma." Will wire you shortly. [3.F. Agr. 06/100.]
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No. 44 The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Chief Postmasters. (Telegram.) Wellington, 30th October, 1906. Next best despatches for United Kingdom and Europe are via Suez on Saturday next from Wellington, and on Monday next from Auckland and Bluff. " Sonoma " leaves Auckland 16th November. I [S.F. Agt. 06/93.]; »___________^_
No. 45. Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 31st October, 1906. Further reference your message Sydney advises sufficient material at hand to make repairs "Sonoma" and "Ventura." Would be necessary to cancel next "Sonoma's" date, repairs requiring full three weeks. "Sonoma" would thus take "Ventura's" sailing November 30th from here without difficulty. "Ventura" would take ''Sierra's" date December 21st, and " Sierra " lay over three weeks likewise. This would give steamers opportunity for overhauling. If you approve this plan will you kindly advise? Also cablo San Francisco authorising cancellation of " Sonoma's " next date November 9th. [S.F. Agr. 06/100.]
No. 46. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 31st October, 1906. To drop the "Sonoma's" delayed outward trip altogether to enable her and "Ventura" overhauled thoroughly Sydney seems the best way meet the trouble. Presume you are quite satisfied that complete repairs can be effected both vessels in the time, and that all trouble will disappear. I would like have your assurance on the point before I communicate with Sir Joseph Ward, who is in Christchurch. Presume you have obtained Spreckels's consent to dropping " Sonoma's " trip. Matter should be settled without delay. [S.F. Agr ..06/100.]
No. 47. Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, Ist November, 1906. Re your message Henderson and Macfarlane: Engineer "Sonoma" assured me if three weeks were given complete repairs could be made, and that ship would then maintain schedule time. Have advised Frisco that proper material available Australia to make renewals, and recommended "Sonoma" and "Ventura" be each given three weeks' layover. If you approve, please cable Frisco direct authorising lapse, advising me when you have so done. jj. [S.F. Agr. 06/100.]
No. 48. Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to <he Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, Ist November, 1906. Frisco wires instruction given to overhaul " Sonoma " Sydney. Sailing day November 26th. [S.F. Agr. 06/100.]
No. 49. Ttie Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist November, 1906. I have not yet heard from Postmaster-General, but as soon as I do I will cable San Francisco. [S.F. Agr. 06/102.]
No. 50. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Poet Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, Ist November, 1906. Advertising "Sonoma" hence to San Francisco November thirtieth, "Ventura" December twenty-first, " Sierra " January eleventh. As company has established branch office here, kindly address future communications to Oceanic Steamship Company. [S.F. Agr. 06/104.]
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No. 51. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Oceanic Steamship Company, San Francisco. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd November, 1906. " Sonoma " to leave Auckland thirtieth November approved. [S.P. Agr. 06/109.]
No. 52. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd November, 1906. " Sonoma " and " Ventura " to be repaired Sydney. " Sonoma " leaves Auckland thirtieth, dropping trip. [S.F. A«r. 118/110.1
No. 53. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd November, 1906. '' Sonoma " and " Ventura "to be repaired Sydney. " Sonoma " leaves Auckland 30th November, thus dropping trip. " Moeraki " leaves Wellington Friday ninth, instead of Saturday tenth, giving us close connection Suez mail. [Telegram in similar terms also sent to the Deputy Postmaster-General-; Sydney.] [S.F. Asrr. 06/108.]
No. 54. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioneu. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd November, 1906. "Sonoma," "Ventura," to be repaired Sydney. No outward San Francisco mail until thirtieth November, after which running regular. There will be no trip from San Francisco sixth December. Inform Imperial Post Office, and request all mail in hand twenty-third November be despatched via Suez. [S.F. Agr. 06/107.]
No. 55. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd November, 1906. Postmaster-General approves repairs "Sonoma" and "Ventura." We are arranging despatch " Moeraki " Friday 9th, instead of Saturday 10th, to give close connection Brindisi mail. Have cabled Spreckels informing him of approval, and also cabled London that trip ordinarily leaving San Francisco 6th December will be dropped. [B.F. Agr. 06/103.]
No. 56. The Assistant to President, Oceanic Steamship Company, San Francisco, to the Hon. the Primb Minister. Oceanic Steamship Company, 58 Clay Street, San Francisco. Sii!,— 2nd November', 1906. ********* Relative to the necessity of giving the vessel [s.s. " Sonoma "] an overhauling in Sydney, we deeply appreciate your attitude in permitting a trip to be dropped from the schedule, to enable the work to be properly performed. . Yours, (fee, Oceanic Steamship Company, F. S. Samuels, Assistant to President. The Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. rs.F. Asrr. oe/167.1
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No. 57. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Prime Minister. (Telegram.) London, 2nd November, 1906. URGENT. In reply to your telegram of to-day's date, do I rightly understand there will be sailing from San Francisco for the mails leaving England to-morrow? Require immediate reply. [S.P. Agr. 06/113.]
No. 58. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. (Telegram.) Wellington, 3rd November, 190fi. Yes. Despatch third November. Only mail dropped from London twenty-fourth November. [S.F. Agr. 06/114.]
No. 59. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir, — Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, <Sth November, 1906. I have the honour to inform you thai the mail for London leaving Wellington to-morrow via Brindisi takes the place of the mail via Ran Francisco, which in ordinary course would have been despatched by the " Sonoma " from Auckland same day but for the temporary withdrawal of the steamer at Sydney for urgent repairs. The next mail by the San Francisco route will leave Auckland on the 30th instant by the "Sonoma." When she and the "Ventura" have been repaired, the regularity of the service may be looked for ; at least, the contractors give an assurance to this effect. Tn another letter I have confirmed the telegrams passing between us on the subject of dropping one San Francisco mail from Auckland, and another from London. I have, &c, Jas. MoGowan, for Prime Minister. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. [B.P. Agr. 06/123.]
No. 60. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Resident Agenc}' for New Zealand, San Francisco, Sir, 216 California Street, 14th November, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your cable of the 2nd November reading as follows [No. 52], from which T presume the vessels mentioned will be thoroughly overhauled in Sydney in an attempt to make them more quickly carry out the contract schedule. Nothing is said about the " Sierra," but I presume she will also have to stay over a trip for repairs. The mail in the meantime, I suppose, will go via Vancouver. T sincerely trust that the repairs made in Sydney will be found to make a material improvement in the time of the steamers, but must confess that 1 am not over sanguine that any great improvement will be secured unless new engines and boilers are installed. With respect to the renewal of the contract, I am informed (unofficially) that the Government has agreed to renew the contract for three years, provided new or better boats are put on the run. In the absence of any cable from you I am not in a position to deny or confirm this rumour. . I have, &c, H. Stephbnson Smith, Resident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [S.F. Agr. 06/152.]
No. 61. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sin, General Post Office, Wellington, 17th November, 1906. In reference to your letter of the Bth instant [not printed], concerning the conveyance of the San Francisco mail from Vancouver to Auckland by the "Moana," I have the honour to inform you that letters were written to the Post Offices at Melbourne, Washington, Ottawa, and London, but, so far, no satisfactory settlement has been arrived at. II is pointed out by the Post Offices of Canada and the United Kingdom [Nos. 26 and 37] that the Postal Union Convention provides, in paragraph 3 of Article XXXI, for a readjustment of transit charges when an important modification affecting a period of at least six months takes place in the flow of correspondence : but there is no provision for deduction from the regular payments on account of the diversion of a single mail.
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The Canadian Office states that it could make no claim under the Postal Union Convention for transit charges for the conveyance of the mails from Vancouver to Fiji, and that the only mode of settlement which seems to present itself is for the United States to withhold from the Oceanic Steamship Company, which did not perform the trip in question, though under contract to do so, the amount necessary to meet the demand of your company, and pay the amount over to you. The London Post Office, in a letter only 'now to hand [No. 37], suggests that any special claim in respect of the diversion of the mail from the San Francisco route should be addressed to Washington. The reply received from Washington to the first letter sent by this Department was to the effect that, as the despatch by the " Moana " in the emergency occasioned by the disaster at San Francisco did not come within the scope of the exceptions provided for in Article XXXI of the Postal Union Convention, it was not considered that the occasion should give rise to a claim for additional compensation against the Post Office Department in the United States by the Postal Administration of Canada. 1 will again write to the Postmaster-General, Washington, on the subject. I have, &c, The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company W. Ghat, Secretary, of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [P.O. 06/1774.]
No. 62. The Hon. the Postmaster-Genefal, Wellington, to the Superintendent op Foreign Mails, Washington. Sin,— General Post Office, Wellington, 27th November, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th July last [No. 23], about the diversion from San Francisco to Vancouver of the mails for New Zealand which left Vancouver on the 28th April by the R.M.S. " Moana," of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited). I note that your Department settles with the Canadian Office upon the basis of the regular international transit statistics for the sea conveyance of mails carried by steamers sailing from Vancouver, and that, in strict application of the Convention rules, the circumstances of the case do not give rise to a claim for additional compensation against your Department by the Postal Administration of Canada. The Canadian Office, in reply to a letter from this office, states [No. 26] that it could make no claim under the Postal Union Convention for transit charges for the conveyance of the mails from Vancouver to Fiji, and that the only mode of settlement which seems to present itself is for your Administration to withhold from the Oceanic Steamship Company, which did not perform the trip in question, though under contract to do so, the amount necessary to meet the demand of the Union Steam Ship Company, and pay the amount over to that company. The London Post Office suggests [No. 37] that any special claim in respect of the diversion of the mail from the San Francisco route should be addressed to your office. I shall be obliged if you will again consider the matter from the standpoint of an equitable settlement, »nd in regard" of the suggestion of the Canadian Office, that the Oceanic Company should be mulct in actual expenses of a service due to be performed by it, but which it was unable to perform. It is certain that the service was performed by the Union Company, and was of very great advantage to the Administrations on whose behalf it was performed, and that the company should not lose by its complaisance in recognising international necessities at a critical time in the handsome way it did. I have, &c, W. Gray, for the Postmaster-General. The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Post-office Department, Washington, D.C. [P.O. 06/1774.)
No. 63. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram ) Auckland, 27th November, 1906. * * * * * * * * * Last advice from Sydney leaves me to think overhaul of " Sonoma " very thorough. Trip from Sydney to Auckland should prove the work. Advertising her to leave Auckland Friday three p.m. [P.O. 06/3795.]
No. 64. The Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram ) ' Auckland, 30th November, 1906. "Sonoma" arrived at 1.30 p.m. to-day, and will sail at 1 a.m. to-morrow. Head winds and stiffness of engines given as cause of delay; but engineer reports ship now in capital order, and he expects to make up time on way to Frisco, [P.O. 06/3795.]
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No. 65. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist December, 1906. " Sonoma's " voyage rather disappointing, but hope for better tilings on way to Frisco. Grievous disappointment if irregular running not overcome. [P.O. 06/3795.]
No. 66. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist December, 1906. Exceedingly regret missing you ; but hope have pleasure of seeing you on your return from Sydney. " Sonoma " made rather long run, but hope that she will yet do much better on voyage to Frisco. Will be great disappointment unless repairs " Sonoma " and " Ventura " really effective Irregularities in running have caused considerable public dissatisfaction. . . . fP.O. 06/3795.]
No. 67. Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic 'Steamship Company, at Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 3rd December, 1906. Thanks for your wire. Confidently expect " Sonoma "will make good run, though she did not go on dry dock "Sydney. She will be cleaned in San Francisco. tS.F. Agr. 06/140.]
No. 68. Mr. L. F. Cockroft, Oceanic Steamship Company, at Auckland, to the Hon. the PostMastehGeneral, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 4th December, 1906. lie protracted voyages of my company's steamers, President Spreckels, of Oceanic, has ordered that learners be put in A 1 condition. £5,000 was spent on "Sonoma" while in dock Sydney, and "Ventura" is now undergoing thorough overhaul, "Sierra" will also receive attention. It_ is the intention of Mr. Spreckels to leave no stone unturned to make steamers efficient, and to maintain schedule time. [S.K. Agr. 06/146.] .^_———————
No. 69. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Hon. the PostmasterGeneral, Wellington. (Telegram \ Auckland, sth December, 1906. Messrs. Spreckels cabled to-day that they will do their utmost to secure regularity of contract dates.
[S.F. Agr. 06/146.] _«—_^. No. 70. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 6th December, 1906. Have you any idea what is keeping the " Sierra "1 Delay very serious. [P.O. 06/3831]
No. 71. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 6th December, 1906. As "Sierra " has for years made contract time, cannot explain delay arrival. Mr. Cockroft arrives yours to-night. . - • .V[P.O. 06/3831.] - — .......
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No. 72. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Bbanch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 27th December, 1906. What delayed " Sonoma " ? Very bad and disappointing. [P.O. 06/3795.]
No. 73. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 27th December, 1906. Ont,y received bare advice of " Sonoma's " arrival. When ship left Auckland captain and chief engineer told me that, while maohienry working well, the firemen were about the poorest in their experience, and they would attribute any loss of time to that fact. LP.O. 06/3795.)
No. 74. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, ] lth January, 1907. The weather is so thick on the coast that Captain Houdlette has postponed sailing of ".Sierra" till midnight. If not clear then will sail definitely 4 a.m., Saturday. [Sailed 4 a.m., Saturday, 12th.] U.O. U7/7L]
No. 75. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Khanoh Manauek, Oceanic Steamship Com patiy, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 14th January, 1907. When do you expeel " Sonoma " '!■ Her late arrival will render the Sue/, connection useless again. " Ventura" is also doing badly, and so far no encouragement to hope for regular running, nol withstanding the repairs. [P.O. U7/20:i.J ■
No. 76. The BRANCH Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the SECRETARY, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) ■ Auckland, 14th January, 1007. Look for " Sonoma " Friday night or Saturday morning. Kxpect she will bring letter having important bearing on ultimate efficiency of steamers to maintain contract dates. The "Sierra" seems already in fine shape. Her arrival here at eight o'clock on Friday morning last shows this, as she was delayed for some hours with very thick weather on the coast, and easily maintained fifteen knots. [P.O. 07/203.] .
No. 77. The Sborhtary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 14th January, 1907. lie " Sonoma ": Sorry to find that you anticipate further loss of two days on the voyage. She was two days eight hours late leaving Honolulu, and as you. do not expect her until Friday night, it means that you anticipate further loss of two days. Ido not know what business people will think. They might have excused late arrival up voyage; but on the return voyage lam afraid they will not be prepared to accept any excuse. 1 hope " Sierra " will make up some of lost time. [P.O. 07/203.]
No. 78. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company,-Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post ...•; ... -■■ - . ' Office, Wellington. . . ' •. ■ ■ (Telegram.) • Auckland, 20th January, 1907. '■ Sonoma , s-s " delay eatfSed by bad coal, foul bottom, and usual difficulty in obtaining good labour. She docks for cleaning and painting, Sydney, and we have asked office there to cable us immediately on arrival should she not be able to leave there on the 28th instant. At the worst, she will not leave Sydney later than the 29th instant. Captain and engineer confident make time to San Francisco. [P.O. 07/203.1
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No. 79. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, IU) Auckland, 21st January, ]907. 1 have the honour to confirm my telegram of the 20th instant. From advices from San Francisco it would appear that the contractors who made the repairs to the ship when she was in Sydney last trip omitted some rather important work, which was supposed to have been completed and advised as performed by such contractors. The work omitted, although of a minor character, will be attended to in Sydney this trip, and, as stated, the captain is confident of making good time on the homeward voyage. Our Sydney office will cable us a few hours after the " Sonoma's " arrival at their port when she will be despatched, and at the present writing we anticipate that it will be the 29th instant, or one day after time-table date. I have, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. V. A. Sproul, Branch Manager. [P.O. 07/203.]
No. 80. The buPEKINTKNDKNT of FoKEIGN Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmabtbr-Gbnheal, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Sik, Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., 24th January, 1907. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your reply, under date of the 27th November j_ No - 62], to this Department's letter of the 13th July last [No. 23] relative to au allowance by this Department to the Union Steam Ship Company for the conveyance from Vancouver to Fiji of mails which in regular oourse would have been despatched from San Krancisco by a steamer of the Oceanic line scheduled to sail on the 19th April last, but were im>t despatched on account of the earthquake at. San Francisco on the preceding day. In reply, 1 am to inform you that, for reasons set forth in its letter above referred to, this De partment does not see its way clear to make the proposed allowance to the Union Steam Ship Com pany for the service in question, said service having been rendered not to this Department, but to the Post Office Department of Canada, which, so far as this Department is concerned, conveyed the mails in question. The service became necessary by reason of the terrible catastrophe at San Francisco, which created such an emergency as would warrant any Administration in availing itself temporarily of (lie services of another Administration to the fullest extent allowed by (he stipulations of the Universal Postal Convention. The Canadian services, being available at the moment, were utilised; but as the exceptional despatch does not come within the scope of section .'5 of Article XXXI of the Postal Union Regulations, which specifies the conditions under which special transit statistics may be demanded, the service in question cannot call for any exceptional compensation, but must be considered as being provided for in the regular settlements made upon the basis (if the general transit statistics. In the opinion of this Department, any deviation from the principle laid down in said Article XXXI would create an unfortunate precedent. It is noticed from your letter under reply that the Canada Office is in substantial accord with the views of this Department in regard to this matter, as expressed in its letter of the 13th July. I am, &c, N. M. Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. 06/1774.]
No. 81. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company (at Wellington) to the Secbetary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, SIH) _ Wellington, 25th January, 1907. I have the honour to advise you that we expect to despatch the R.M.S. " Sonoma" from Sydney on the evening of Tuesday, 29th instant, and are advertising her to leave Auckland (id Saturday, the 2nd prox., at 6 p.m. I have, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company, V. A. Sproul, Branch Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 07/278.]
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No. 82. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 28th January, 1907. Understand " Sonoma " will not leave dry dock until Wednesday. Kindly ascertain quickly, and let me know exact time she is to leave Sydney for Auckland. [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 83. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 28th January, 1907. " Sonoma " leaving 1 p.m., 30th [Wednesday]. [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 84. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 28th January, 1907. If " Sonoma " is to be delayed in dry dock until Wednesday, I do not see how she can sail from Sydney that day. Think you should make further inquiries, and let me know positively when she does leave Sydney. [P.O. 07/278.] ____ p __^___ ——— _^^__
No. 85. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 28th January, 1907. The Sydney office cables that the " Sonoma " will be delayed in dry dock until Wednesday, and cannot therefore sail hence till Sunday next. Am therefore advertising her for 3 p.m. that day. Understand her starboard propeller blades are bent, and require adjusting. [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 86. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company (at Taupo). (Telegram.) Wellington, 28th January, 1907. Regret to say another delay to " Sonoma." Your office has just telegraphed as follows: —Begins: '•' The Sydney office cables that the " Sonoma " will be delayed in dry dock until Wednesday, and cannot therefore bail hence till Sunday next. Therefore advertising her for 3 p.m. that day. Understand her starboard propeller blades are bent, and require adjusting." Ends. In reply to inquiries, I learn that this advice really means that "Sonoma" will leave Sydney 1 p.m., Wednesday next. Will reach Auckland Sunday, and will leave 3 p.m. Earnestly hope no further delays. [P.O. 07/278.] .
No. 87. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Tele°ram.) Auckland, 28th January, 1907. #° * * « * * * * * Regret not seeing you while in Wellington. " Sierra " now seems at least able to make time, and if public will only withhold caustic criticism for two or three months the other steamers are bound to justify the large amounts being expended on them. [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 88. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 31st January, 1907. What is really the trouble with " Sonoma," and is she going to get away to-day? I hope her immediate departure is the first consideration with your people. IP.O. 07/278.]
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No. 89. The Bhanoh Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 31st January, 1907. i have cabled Sydney thai our obligations to New Zealand must make the despatch of the steamer our chief consideration. lam also wiring Mr. Cockroft, at the Geyser Hotel, Whakarewarewa, and have arranged with Chief Postmaster here to facilitate delivery of message without delay. [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 90. The BiiANCH Mamageb, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 31st January, 1907. Sydney agents cable us as follows: " ' Sonoma's ' sailing delayed account strike firemen and sailors. Cannot say now when she will sail. Will advise later." [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 91. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 31st Januarj 7 , 1907. Sydney cables that the trial of mutinous firemen is now proceeding. They hope to cable us this evening what time they will despatch the " Sonoma." [P.O. 07/278 ]
No. 92. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 31st January, 1907. Sydney agents cable strikers sentenced four weeks' hard labour. Sydney unions will supply fresh members crew to-morrow morning, and " Sonoma " expected sail noon February first. Advertising departure from Auckland Tuesday, fifth instant, three p.m. [P.O. 07/278.1
No. 93. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist February, 1907. Am afraid "Sierra" little better than "Sonoma" and "Ventura." " Sierra " left Auckland about thirteen hours late, and I have just received advice that she reached Frisco over three days late. Glad to learn " Sonoma's " trouble apparently ended. Hope cooks and stewards will not create another complication. [P.O. 07/278.] _____________________
No 94. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, Ist February, 1907. Re "Sierra": San Francisco cable [states] arrived midnight thirtieth January. As she left here thirteen hours late she should have reached San Francisco six a.m. on the twenty-ninth January. Has therefore lost forty-two hours. Inclined to think she was delayed at Honolulu, as she was only eight hours late in arriving there. [P.O. 07/71(1).]
No. 95. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, Ist February, 1907. Sydney office cables me as follows:' "We have seen Sir Joseph Ward. He is satisfied we have taken only course left open, and we are doing our best despatch as expedient as possible. We will telegraph again. Union promise have full complement crew 4 o'clock p.m." [P.O. 07/278.]
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No. 96. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 2nd February, 1907. Just in receipt of Sydney cable. Full crew nearly engaged. Sailing this afternoon. [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 97. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 3rd February, 1907. " Sonoma"" sailed from Sydney to-day, Saturday, two p.m. Captain expects to make fast passage. [P.O. 07/278.J
No. 98. The Ofpiobb in Charge, Telegraph Office, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 7th February, 1907. S \ii.nn 4.35 a.m., "Sonoma," San Francisco. [P.O. 07/278.1
No. 99. The Acting Mail Agent, R.M.S. "Ventura," to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. S IB) _ Marine Post Office, E.M.S. " Ventura," 12th February, 1907. 1 have the honour to report that the mail-steamer "Ventura," due to leave Auckland 21 st December, did not leave until 4.5 p.m., 22nd December. . . . Received pilot, Golden Gate, L2th January, 8.1,6 p.m. Steamer made fast to wharf San Francisco, 13th January, 10.49 a.m.' Mails delivered to Post Office, San Francisco, 11.45 a.m. The Eastern mails left San Francisco by 6 p.m. train same day. The best day's run was 306 miles; lowest, 230, in bad weather; cause of delay, the old trouble, defects in maohinery. Time occupied, outward voyage, 527 hours. . . . Steamer was advertised to sail 6 p.m., 18th January (Friday), but did not leave the wharf until 6.46 a.m., 19th January (Saturday). . . . Received pilot at Auckland 12th February, 7.45 a.m. Made fast .to wharf 9.45 a.m. Time occupied on inward voyage, 556 hours. The best day's run, inward voyage, was 343 miles; lowest day's run, 194 miles, in bad weather. Cause of delay, same as outward voyage. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. George Rudd, Acting Mail Agent. [P.O. 07/434. J
No. 100 The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 12th February, 1907. Pending cable from Messrs. Spreckols re work to be done to " Ventura " in Sydney, will advertise her sailing from Auckland on twenty-seventh instant. [P.O. 07/447.1
No. 101. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 13th February, 1907. Advertising "Ventura" to leave Sydney, Monday, twenty-fifth instant. Auckland, Friday, March first. [P.O. 07/447.] —————^
No. 102. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram ) Auckland, 14th February, 1907. MESSRS. Spreokbls advise me that when the "Ventura" arrives back at San Francisco she will l.c/laid up, and her sailing date from there cancelled. The "Sierra's" date from San Francisco
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on April 11th may also be withdrawn, but this latter is not definite. Matters have now reached a stage when some sacrifice of time-table must be made in order that the company can guarantee punctuality of arrivals and .departures, [B.F. Agr. 07/24.]
No. 103. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 14th February, 1907. We are negotiating at present with Huddart-Parker for charter of " Riverina "as a stopgap. My recommendation to Mr. Spreckels of this course has met with a cable to send all particulars and earliest time " Riverina " would be available. As officially wired you, however, it seems inevitable that the " Ventura's " next date from San Francisco will be cancelled. [S.F. Agr. 07/24.1
No. 104. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 14th February, 1907. In the face of the break in the service only the other day, the proposed withdrawal of the " Ventura " would be very serious, but I recognise something drastic has to be done to rehabilitate service and restore public confidence. I thought that the sacrifice in the running had already been made when trip dropped the other day to enable steamer undergo overhaul Sydney, which, unfortunately, entirely failed in its object as irregularities as rife as ever, and to an extent which I fear cannot be tolerated much longer by New Zealand. While writing have received second telegram about chartering "Riverina." I hope substitute vessel, or, rather, vessels, may be secured, as "Ventura's" trip from Frisco should not be dropped. Whatever additional money sacrifice has to be met should be faced now without again interfering with the continuity of the service from either end so soon after the break a few weeks ago. I hope that Spreckels will now do the right thing, which will be the best in the end. [S.F. Agr. 07/24.]
No. 105. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company (at Dunedin) to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 21st February, 1907. Replying to my cable San Francisco say that during present uncertainty they can only say that the steamers will be thoroughly reconditioned. This I should think refers only to my proposal that a steamer should be substituted for the " Ventura " to leave San Francisco on March 21st. I will be in Wellington on Sunday, or can arrive Saturday should you wish to see me on this matter. Kindly reply care Neill (Limited), Dunedin. [S.F. Agr. 07/31.]
No. 106. The Branch Manager's Office, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 21st February, 1907. Our Sydney office cable "Ventura" sailing postponed. Repairs will take three to six weeks. Matter referred to San Francisco. Reply received will advise further. Our first sailing from Auckland is March fifteenth. [S.F. Agr.;o7/29.]
No. 107. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company (at Dunedin). (Teleoram.) Wellington, 21st February, 1907. You will of course have heard that Spreckels has withdrawn "Ventura" and cancelled her sailing this month. Repairs will probably take from three to six weeks. Apparently no substitute vessel contemplated, and first sailing now from this end fifteenth March—the "Sierra's." You will find I think that public will not tolerate another break, and you may hear that because of the break Endish mails will be withdrawn until steamers prove that they are able to keep time. No need to hurry back. [S.F.'Agr. 07/31.1
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No. 108. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Chief Postmasters (Telegram.) Wellington, 21st February, 1907. There will be no steamer from Auckland for San Francisco until 15th March. In meantime make every use of opportunities via Suez. [S.F. Agr. 07/30.1
No. 109. The Hon. the Acting Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Pkime Minister of New Zealand (at Colombo). (Telegram.) Wellington, 21st February, 1907. No improvement Frisco. "Ventura" eight days late from Frisco. Her condition so bad Spreckels withdrawn her for thorough repair Sydney, and cancelled her sailing this month. No outward mail now until fifteenth March. Public not tolerate another break in service. Company should provide substitute vessel at once. Unless they do, think we should stop sending English mails until steamers able keep time. Cable your views. [S.F. Agr. 07/28.]
No. 110. The Hon. the Prime Minister of New Zealand (at Colombo) to the Hon. the Acting PostmasterGeneral, Wellington. (Telegram). Colombo, 22nd February, 1907. Unless substitute provided better stop sending Frisco till service put proper footing. [S.F. Agr. 07/51.]
No. 111. The Hon. the Actings Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. (Telegram ) Wellington, 22nd February, 1907. No Frisco mail from New Zealand to-day, as "Ventura" in such bad state repair. Spreckels decided withdraw her for thorough repair, and cancel her sailing from New Zealand this_ month. There will therefore be no steamer from Frisco on March twenty-first. Request Imperial Post Office to forward London mails for New Zealand by Brindisi mail of eighth March. Will telegraph more fully later. [S.F. Agr. 07/36.] __________— —
No. 112. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company (at Dunedin). (Telegram.) Wellington, 22nd February, 1907. " Ventura's " withdrawal. Unless substitute vessel provided English mails will not be sent by Frisco steamers until service put on proper footing, and it is shown that steamers able keep timetable dates. [S.F Agr.J)7/51.] ___________^—— ——
No. 113. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. (Teleo-ram.) Wellington, 23rd February, 1907. "Ventura" is'not yet ready to sail indefinitely. No mail sent yesterday. By the first opportunity Auckland, 15th day of March. London mail, 9th day of March, will be sent Brindisi. [S.F. Agr. 07/38.]
No 114. The Mail Agent, R.M.S. " Sierra," to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) ' Auckland, 2nd March, 1907. The RMS. " Sierra "left Auckland on 12th January, at 4.8 a.m. . . . Owing to the bursting of a steam-pipe on the 7th February, the " Sierra " did not leave San Francisco until 11.43 p.m.— over nine hours late. . . . Arrived Pago Pago on 22nd, remained two days in port effecting repairs to machinery and boilers. . . . On the outward voyage the steering-gear and the fans
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used for creating the forced draught were almost continuously out of order. On the inward voyage the vessel was stopped for twelve hours on the 18th February owing to a mishap in the engineer s department. Fine weather was experienced throughout the voyage. [P O. 07/613.]
No. 115. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd March, 1907. Acting Postmaster-General has decided that no mails to or from Great Britain are to be sent via San Francisco for the present. Letter follows. [S.F. Agr. 07/55.1
No. 116. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 2nd March, 1907. The protracted trip of the " Sierra " was entirely due to defective feed-pumps, which can be perfected in about six days at Sydney. We are confident of despatching her from this port on the eighteenth instant, and Captain Houdlette says he is perfectly sure will make the trip to San Francisco in seventeen days. We anticipate the "Ventura" will be despatched from Auckland about one week after the " Sierra," and I yet hope that you will be able to send a mail by one or other of these steamers. Just in receipt of your telegram advising decision Acting PostmasterGeneral, and, while acknowledging justice of same, trust "Sierra" will receive some mail homeward. [P.O. 07/613.] '
No. 117. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th March, 1907. I am afraid tliat you underrate the actual condition of the " Sierra," as I don't expect to see her get away on the 18th. I think that she will be nearer a week late. Until you open up you never know what is really the matter. I think it would be useless to think of sending mails by either vessel. [S.F. Agr. 07/56.]
No. 118. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th March, 1907. Very bad news about the service, and it looks as if we were seeing the beginning of the end. How much longer have you to carry on with the American Government, and are you likely to carry on now you know there is no chance whatever of your obtaining increased subsidy? What is the latest news from your principals 1 [S.F. Agr. 07/57.] _____________ __
No. 119. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th March, 1907. Owing continued disarrangement San Francisco service, request Imperial Post Office cease sending New Zealand mails by that route until further notice. No mails will be sent from New Zealand via San Francisco until service put on a proper footing, and it is demonstrated that steamers ableto keep time-table dates. [S.F. Agr. 07/65.]
No. 120. The Hon. the Acting Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Postmaster-General, Washington. (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th March, 1907. Owing continued disarrangement service, no mails from or to Great Britain will be sent via San Francisco until further notice. [Similar telegram sent to the Secretary, Postmaster-General s Department, Melbourne, an<s. the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.] [S.F. Agr. 07/61.1
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No. 121. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. S lR) __ General Post Office, Wellington, 4th March, 1907. I have the honour to confirm my telegrams of the 22nd ultimo and 2nd instant on the subject of the San Francisco mail-service. It is to be regretted that owing to the failure of your company to keep its steamers in proper repair, it should be found necessary for the Acting Postmaster-General to order that no mails for Great Britain shall be sent to or received from the United Kingdom by way of San Francisco until further notice. The irregular running of the steamers and the lengthy voyages which have been the rule for some time past render it imperative that the service should for at least a time be abandoned for mails beyond America. Under the circumstances it will not be necessary that the Mail Agents accompany the steamers. I should be obliged if you would direct that all mail-room fittings are to be handed over to the Chief Postmaster, Auckland. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. V. A. Sproul, Esq., Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. [S.F. Agr. 07/66.] _^___^_^_^^^_
No. 122. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, g IB ;_ Melbourne, sth March, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your cablegram of to-day's date, which reads as follows [No. 120], and to inform yon that the Deputy Postmasters-General in Die several States are being advised accordingly. 1 have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. [S.F. Agr. 07/80.] ______
No. 123. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, gIK __ Auckland, 6th March, 1907. We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your communication of the 4th instant, confirming your telegrams of 22nd ultimo and 2nd instant, on the subject of the San Francisco mat - service and regret that the Acting Postmaster-General deems it necessary to order that no mails for Great Britain shall be sent to or received from the United Kingdom by way of fean Francisco until further notice. As already advised you, my company has made arrangements for a thorough overhaul of the steamers at San Francisco, and as soon as this is completed, and the steamers made thoroughly efficient in all departments, they will again take up the running, when we earnestly hope that the difficulties which have prevented the renewal of the mail contract will have been over_ come and that, our steamers will once again carry the English mails to the entire satisfaction of your Department. We have, V. A. Sproul, Branch Manager for New Zealand. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [S.F. Agr. 07/73.]
No. 124. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, - Wellington. Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 216 California Street, 6th March, 1907. ******** 1 have also to acknowledge the receipt on the 23rd February of your cable reading FNo J l3l rom which 1 understand that the mails intended for the ''.\entura "_ have been withheld and thaHlilv will be sent from Auckland about the 15th March, probably vu> Fiji and Vancouver and tl, at the London mails that would in the usual course come through here for the ontwill mean a suiens'on oV the mail route from England via San Francisco until such time as the out taking definite ac ion in ag | he Bil / that had reac hed its final stages pro- «« «*•. Pacifio - * nd the ne " Congress may possibly bring forward a Bill that will include all Pacific lines.
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I presume that during the interval and suspension of the service, the Canadian Pacific route, tie-Vancouver and Fiji, will be availed of as far as sailing dates are suitable. lam not in possession of Messrs. Spreckels's views upon the condition and probabilities of their resuming at an early date at this writing. Trusting that the contractors will be enabled to resume in the early future, I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [U.S. Inc. 07/14.]
No. 125. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 7th March, 1907. Have cabled Spreckels to-night regarding their intention for the future. Cannot say definitely now how long American contract has yet to run, but it is over three years. Hope to hear to-morrow from San Francisco re future policy. Is there a hope of English mail going by " Sierra "1 [S.V. A«r. 07/71.]
No. 126. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 7th March, 1907. The " Sierra," as Captain Houdlette expected; made a fast passage to Sydney of three days sixteen hours. In view of this, do you think Acting Postmaster-General would consent to the steamer taking British mails on her homeward trip? You could secure independent expert opinion as to state of machinery before leaving Sydney. [S.F. Agr. 07/75.]
No. 127. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, Bth March, 1907. Sydney agents advise that it is now definitely settled that the "Ventura" will leave here Friday, 22nd instant, and will be followed by the ''Sierra" on Monday, April Ist. In regard to the '■'Ventura," she will undertake a trial trip of fifty miles on the 16th instant, provided you can promise an English mail, should a speed of fifteen knots be maintained. The company invites you lo be officially represented on board. Kindly say if you agree to this proposition. [S.F. A«r. 07/81.]
No. 128. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. S IR) _ General Post Office, Wellington, Bth March, 1907. I have the honour to refer to my letter of the 17th November last [No. 61], concerning the conveyance of the San Francisco mail from Vancouver to Auckland by the R.M.S. " Moana " on the 28th April last. The Washington Post Office, which was again written to on the matter, now replies [No. 80] to the effect that it does not see its way clear to make the proposed allowance to your company for the conveyance of the mail between Vancouver and Fiji, as the service was rendered not to the United States Post Office, but to the Canadian Post Office, which, as far as the United States Office is concerned, conveyed the mails in question. The opinion is also expressed that as the exceptional despatch of the San Francisco mail from Vancouver does not come within the scope of section 3 of Article XXXI of the Postal Union Regulations, which specifies the conditions under which special transit statistics may be demanded, the service in question cannot call for any exceptional compensation, but must be regarded as being provided for in the regular settlements made upon the basis of the general transit statistics. It is added that any deviation from the principle laid down in Article XXXI would, it is considered, create an unfortunate precedent. As already advised, the Canadian Office explained that it could make no claim under the Postal Union Convention for transit charges for the conveyance of mails from Vancouver to Fiji; and the London Post Office suggested that any special claim in respect of the diversion of the mail from (he San Francisco route should be addressed to Washington. Bearing in mind the valuable assistance rendered by your company at a critical time, I much regret that°the representations ma.de on your company's "behalf by this Department to the Postal Administrations concerned should not have proved successful. I have, ho., I). Robertson, for Secretary The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [P.O. Oe/1774.]!,
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No. 129. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, Sir, — Melbourne, Bth March, 1907. Adverting to the communications from your office of the 31st May, 1906 [No, 71, F.-6a, 1906], in the second paragraph of which it was suggested that the Postmaster-General, Ottawa, be asked by this Department to forgo payment at Postal tniion rates for mails carried from Vancouver to New Zealand by the contract steamer " Moana " on account of the British and United States Administrations, which mails were diverted from the Frisco route on account of the interruption to that service in consequence of the earthquake at San Francisco, I have the honour, by directiou of the Postmaster-General, to inform you that the Oceanic Company's s.s. "Sonoma" being unable, in consequence of the earthquake, to leave San Francisco with the English and other mails for New Zealand, it was necessary 1o send them to Vancouver, in order that they might be despatched thence by the Union Company's s.s. "Moana" under contract with the Governments of the Commonwealth and Canada, and under these circumstances this Department was asked by the Melbourne manager of the Union Company to allow the " Moana " to proceed direct to Auckland, instead of to Brisbane, in order that there might be no further delay in landing the mails at New Zealand. No stipulation was made as to terms, and it was naturally assumed that the New Zealand Government would pay the Oceanic Company for the service required without calling upon the contracting Governments to assist in making such payment by forgoing their claim to be paid for the carriage of the mails at the Postal Union rates. 2. I am to add that, in view of the foregoing, this Department cannot recommend that the Commonwealth Government should forgo its claim, or ask the Canadian Government to do likewise. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. R. T. Scott, Secretary. [P.O. 06/1774.]
No. 130. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) ■• ■ ■ Wellington, 9th March, 1907. Spreckei.s having definitely decided to withdraw from the service puts out of the question our sending mails by either "Ventura" or "Sierra," as there is no knowing what may happen. Steamers withdrawn on arrival at Frisco. No steamer to bring back incoming mails. You must recognise the helplessness of the position. (S.F. Agr. 07/81.] L .. :
No. 131. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 11th March, 1907. We-are advertising the " Sonoma "to leave Auckland for San Francisco on Friday, April twelfth. [S.F. Agr. 07/79.]
No. 132. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the Hon. the Prime Minister of New Zealand (at London). (Telegram.) Wellington, 13th March, 1907. Spheckels advises confidentially withdrawal from service imperative meantime. He cannot say whether withdrawal permanent. Last despatch from New Zealand "Sonoma" seventh February. [S.F. Agr. 07/82.] PT
No. 133. The General, Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin, Sin,— 15th March, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Bth instant, advising that the efforts made by you on behalf of this company to secure for us an allowance for the conveyance of the San Francisco mail from Vancouver to Fiji by the R.M.S. "Moana" in April last have been unsuccessful, for the reasons set forth in your communication. We regret that the Postal Administrations concerned have seen fit to adopt this attitude, and presume there is nothing to be gained by attempting to carry the case further with them. We have to express our appreciation of the strong efforts in connection with this matter put forth by you on our behalf, and we can only regret that they have not proved as successful as we had hoped. I have, &c, D. A. Aiken, for General Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 06/1774.)
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No. 134 The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company (at Sydney), to the Secretary, General Post . ... . . Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) ■ . Sydney, 19th March, 1907. " Ventura." Trial trip is very satisfactory. Average speed per hour about sixteen miles. Will sail to-day, one o'clock p.m. Am passenger. [S.F. Agr. 07/88.] ' '
No. 135. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 22nd March, 1907. I have the honour to supplement the information I gave you on the Bth instant [No. 128], which you acknowledged on the 15th, by reporting that the Secretary to the Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, now replies that it was assumed that no call would be made upon the contracting Governments for assistance in making payment for the diversion of the " Moana " to New Zealand, and that in the circumstances the Commonwealth Government does not see its way to forgo its claim or to ask the Canadian Government to do so. I have, &c, D. Robertson, for Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [P.O. 06/1774.1 L_
No. 136. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Acting Prime Minister. (Telegram.) London, 23rd March, 1907. # * * * * * * * *. Imperial Post Office decided to put a stop to despatch of mails via San Francisco. [Suez Conn. 07/86.)
No. 137. The Officer in Charge, Telegraph Office, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 23rd March, 1907. Arrived, 8.20 p.m., "Ventura," from Sydney. [P.O. 07/1084.]
No. 138. The Officer in Charge, Telegraph Office, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 25th March, 1907. Sailed, 3 a.m., "Ventura," Honolulu. [B.F. Agr. 07/101.]
No. 139. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. ~ . Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin, Sir,— 25th March, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of 22nd instant, reporting that the Secretary of the Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, now replies that it was assumed no call would be made on the contracting Governments for assistance in making payment for the deviation of the " Moana " to New Zealand, and that, in the circumstances, the Commonwealth Government does not see its way to forgo its claim, or to ask the Canadian Government to do so. We are sorry that the Postmaster-General's Department of the Commonwealth has taken up this position; but, at the same time, would ask you to accept our thanks for having approached it on the matter. I have, &c, D. A. Aiken, for General Manager, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, [P.O. 06/1774.] __
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No. 140. The Acting Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Adelaide. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 27th March, 1907. 1 have the honour to inform you that a mail-seryice via San Francisco is no longer subsidised by the New Zealand Government, and that the last mail covered by a subsidy was despatched by the R.M.S. " Sonoma," which left Auckland on the 7th ultimo. No advice of the departure of the steamers from Auckland for San Francisco will, therefore, be sent to you henceforward. I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Adelaide. D. Robertson, Acting-Secretary. [S.F. Agr. 07/111.]
No. 141. The Main Agent, R.M.S. "Sonoma," to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir,— Marine Post Office, R.M.S. " Sonoma," 27th March, 1907. I have the honour to report as under on the outward and return voyages of the " Sonoma." On the outward voyage the "Sonoma" sailed from Auckland, 7th February, 5.14 a.m.; on Bth February encountered a strong gale which lasted for two days; arrived at Pago Pago 11th February, 7*33 p.m.; left next day 1.35 a.m.; arrived at Honolulu 20th February, 8.37 a.m.; continued voyage the same day 7.36 p.m., arriving at San Francisco 27th February, 6.32 p.m., after a slow voyage of twenty-one days nine hours seven minutes, due in a measure to the fortyeight hours' gale and unskilled firemen. The " Sonoma " docked the following morning, 28th February, and the mails were forwarded East at 11 a.m. same day. They arrived at New York, sth March, 4.30 a.m., and were despatched thence to destinations by North German Lloyd e.g. " Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse," sailing 10 a.m. same date for Southampton. The return mail ex Cunard s.s." Etruria," dated London, 16th February, arrived at New York 24th February, 10.30 a.m., and was forwarded West by 5.25 p.m. Hudson River train same day, reaching San Francisco 28th February, 2.30 p.m. As the "Sonoma" had only arrived in port the previous evening it was impossible for her to leave again until the 6th March, on which date she sailed at 6.42 p.m., six days late. Arrived at Honolulu 13th March, 6.5 a.m.; left same day 11.45 p.m. Arrived at Pago Pago 21st March, 5.50 a.m., resumed voyage the same day 5.55 p.m., arriving at Auckland 27th March, midnight, after a voyage of twenty days nine hours twenty-nine minutes. The steering gear was a frequent source of trouble on account of erratic action and occasional breakdown, and this, in addition to lengthy stops at Honolulu and Pago Pago, partly accounts for long voyage, as the engines worked fairly well throughout. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. D. E. Lindsay, Mail Agent. [P.O. 07/981.1
No. 142. Voyages of San Francisco Mail-steamers. Auckland to San Francisco.
Steamer. Left Auckland. Left Honolulu. I Arrived San Francisco. Due. Actual. Due. Actual. Due. Actual. i ; ■ I 1906. 1906. ' Ventura " J21 Dec, 3 p.m.J22 Dec, 4.50 p.m. 1907. 1907. 'Sierra" ... ;11 Jan., 3 p.m.|12 Jan., 4.48 a.m. 1 Sonoma " J 1 Feb., 3 p.m ! 7 Feb., 4.35 a.m. 1907. 1907. 1907. 1907. 1 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan., 6 a.m. 12 Jan., 8.16 p.m. 22 Jan. 24 Jan. 28 Jan., 6 a.m. 30 Jan., 11.10 p.m. 12 Feb. 20 Feb. 18 Feb., 6 a.m. 27 Feb., 6.32 p.m. San Fra: cii \co to Auckland. Left Bar Steamer. Left San Francisco. Left Honolulu. Arrived Auckland. Due. _ Actual. Due. Actual. Due. Actual. I I 1907. "Ventura" 17 Jan., 2 p.m. 1907. 19 Jan., 8.19 a.m. 1907. 23 Jan. 1907. 27 Jan., 12.27 a.m. 14 Feb., 1 p.m. 13 Mar., 11.25 p.m. 1907. 1907. 4 Feb., 5 a.m. 12 Feb., 7.45 a.m. " Sierra" , 7 Feb., 2 p.m. 8 Feb., 1.2 a.m. 13 Feb. 25 Feb., 5 a.m. 2 Mar., 11.20 a.m. "Sonoma" 28 Feb., 2 p.m. 6 Mar., 6.42 p.m. 6 Mar. 18 Mar., 5 a.m. 27 Mar., midnight. IS.F. Ext. 07/78A.J
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No. 143. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 11th April, 1907. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th ultimo [No. 124]. 1 am unable to say at present what will be the outcome of the suspension of the San Francisco service. I note that no communication had reached you from the Oceanic Steamship Company about the discontinuance of the service. I also note that the American Congress adjourned on the 6th ultimo without taking any definite action on the pending Shipping Subsidy Bill. In the absence of the San Francisco service, mails between (his colony and Great Britain are being exchanged by way of the Suez, Vancouver, and direct routes. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. H. Stephenaon Smith, Esq., Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. [U.S. Inc. 07/25.]
No. 144. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 18th April, 1907. Just received cable this afternoon, "Ventura" arrived Frisco last Tuesday [16th April; left Auckland 25th March]. [P.O. 07/1084.]
No. 145. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 20th April, 1907. " Sierra " arrived San Francisco Thursday last [18th April; left Auckland Ist April]. [P.O. 07/1085.]
AUSTEALIA-SUEZ SEEVICES.
No. 146. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Si R) _ General Post Office, Wellington, 18th May, 1906. I have the honour to forward herewith statement of New Zealand mails despatched by the Orient line of steamers during the year 1905, and by the P. and 0. packets during January of the same year. The weight adjustments for 1904, and particulars of certain mails conveyed by French and German packets during the dislocation of the Orient service, have also >been embodied in the account. The net amount due to Melbourne is £567 ss. 10d., payment of which has been arranged through the money-order account. 1 have, &c, Thomas Rose, Acting-Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 06/21.]
No. 147. The Comptroller and~Accountant-General, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Post-master-General, Wellington. g IR General Post Office, London, 4th July, 1906. With reference to your letter of the 20th April last [No. 88, F.-6a, 1906], in connection with the payment by your office for the sea transit of New Zealand correspondence by P. and O. packets from Australia to Europe, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that this Department proposes to recover the charges due to the United Kingdom on this account since Ist February, 1905, on the basis of special statistics taken by the Commonwealth in respect of mails despatched during the period Ist to 28th June, 1906.
5-F. 6.
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The Commonwealth Office, in proposing that the adjustment of the accounts for the sea transit of mail-matter between the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Australia by P. and 0. and Orient packets should be based on statistics to be taken during that period made no specific reference to New Zealand mails, but the Melbourne office was requested by telegram to arrange for their inclusion in the returns. The Secretary of the Commonwealth Post Office has no doubt since communicated with you in the matter, and if you agree to accept such statistics as a basis of settlement, I am to request that you will'be good enough to furnish this Department with a statement showing the weight of New Zealand mails despatched in closed bags during the period in question for conveyance by P. and 0. packets to destinations other than the United Kingdom. Statements G, showing the weights of mails received in this country having been conveyed by P. and 0. packets, will be forwarded to Wellington for your acceptance in -due course. I am, &c, H. Davies, for Comptroller and Accountant-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. [Suez Conn. 06/46.]
No. 148. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Comptroller and Accountant-General, General Post Office, London. g lß> _ General Post Office, Wellington, 29th August, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th ultimo, stating that your office proposed to recover the charges due to the United Kingdom on account of the sea transit of New Zealand mail-matter sent by P. and 0. packets since the Ist February, 1905, on the basis of special statistics taken in respect of mails despatched during the period from the Ist to the 28th As pointed out in the accompanying copy of my letters of the 7th June and 17th instant [Nob. 93 and 94, F.-6a, 1906] to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, owing to the temporary stoppage of the San Francisco mail-service, and to the fact that no mail from this colony was despatched by that route in June, the statistics of that month, if taken to form the basis of payments for correspondence conveyed by Federal service, would be unfavourable to New Zealand. Statistics, statement of which is sent herewith [not printed], were, therefore, taken for the first twenty-eight days of July as well, during which period the correspondence had reverted to the usual channels. Statistics of correspondence for places beyond the United Kingdom taken for a like period are also attached, and I have to request that you will be so good as to base the accounts, so far as New Zealand mail-matter is concerned, on the statistics for that period. I have, &c, Thomas Rose, for the Postmaster-General. The Comptroller and Accountant-General, General Post Office, London. [Suez Conn. 08/47.]
No. 149. The Secretary, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, to the Hon. the PostmasterGeneral. SIR> _ Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 17th September, 1906. 1 have the honour, by direction, to ask you to be good enough to arrange to receive a deputation from this Chamber on the subject of improving the mail facilities between New Zealand and the United Kingdom. I have, &c. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. S. Cakroll, Secretary. [Suez_Conn. 06/49.)
No. 150. The Seckbtary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington. SlB( . General Post Office, Wellington, 25th September, 1906. I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant, asking the Postmaster-General to receive a deputation from your Chamber on the subject of improving the mail facilities between New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In reply, I am to inform you that the Minister will be pleased to receive the deputation at his office, at Parliament Buildings, at 11 a.m. on Monday, the Ist proximo. [Deputation postponed till the 15th October.] I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Secretary, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, [Suez Conn. 06/50.]
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No. 151. The Secretary, Chamber of Commeice, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. SIR, — Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 28th September, 1906. I have the honour, by direction, to submit to you that, in the opinion of the Council of this Chamber, the mail arrangements between New Zealand and the United Kingdom are in urgent need of improvement and extension. The San Francisco route provides, no doubt, an excellent service for the carriage of mails if due dates were strictly adhered to. Unfortunately, the mail often arrives in San Francisco too late for the despatch with which it ought to connect, while it is also frequently behindhand in its arrival in New Zealand, thus detracting appreciably from its value. But, however good the San Francisco service might be made, the volume and character of the colony's trade at the present day call for a more frequent service than once in three weeks. The mail via Brindisi might be utilised with much advantage were it not that the weekly steamer leaving Wellington on Saturday arrives in Sydney the day after the departure of the mail from that city. thus causing a week's loss of time for letters by that route. My Council desires, therefore, respectfully to urge that the Government should make such arrangements as would resulf in the weekly mail via S3'dne3 7 being despatched in time to connect with the mails via Brindisi leaving that city. I am, <fee, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. C. W. Carroll, pro Secretary. [Sues Conn. 06/55.1
No. 152. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, let October. 1906. The Postmaster-General has been requested to arrange for a close connection Wellington to Sydnej - with P. and 0. and Orient services. Steamer to leave Wellington in ample time, say, Friday, to insure connection with the train leaving .Sydney for Melbourne following , Tuesday afternoon. Kindly say whether you could provide such a connection—(l) every three weeks, and (2) once a fortnight, and, if so, what subsidy would be required. [Suez Conn. 06/67.1
No. 153. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) - Dunedin, Ist October, 1906. Cannot reply immediately your wire re connection with P. and O. and Orient services Sydney, for as you know Huddart-Parker hare one sailing in five between Wellington and Sydney, and will be necessary consult them. [Sues Conn. 08/67.]
No. 154. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 4th October, 1906. Referring your telegram Ist October. We shall be glad provide connection either once every three weeks or once a fortnight on Fridays from Wellington to Sydney for £300 a trip, subject to conditions for failing to connect not being too drastic as mentioned in Managing Director's letter of. Bth March, 1904 [No. 87, F.-6, 1904]. What term do you propose for contract? [P.O. 06/630(3).]
No. 155. The Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), (Memorandum.) Wellington, 18th October, 1906. Mail-services: In a telegram received by me from Dunedin, reference is made to the statement of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth to a deputation that negotiations with the Union Steam Ship Company and Huddart, Parker, and Co. are still progressing, with a view to arranging Friday sailings from Wellington to Sydney. In the same message it is mentioned that on 4th instant an offer was made-by my head office -by telegram to you in connection with this matter, to which, up to the present, no reply has been received, and I shall be obliged if you will kindly inform me whether it is proposed to communicate with Mr. Holdsworth by wire or letter, or whether it would be preferable to you for him to come to Wellington for the purpose of having a personal discussion with the Hon. the Postmaster-General on the subject. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. W. A. Kennedy. [Suez Conn. 06/58.] . ,
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No. 156. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Manager, Unioii Steam Ship Company, Wellington. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 25th October, 1906. I beg to refer to your letter of the 18th instant, about the proposed Friday sailings of your company's steamers from Wellington to Sydney, and to inform you that a reply on the matter will be sent after the session. Yours, &c, The Manager, W. Gray, Secretary. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Wellington. [Suez Conn. 06/59.]
No. 157. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Genekat, Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist November, 1906. As there will be no San Francisco steamer outwards until 30th, owing to decision to repair •• Sonoma " in Sydney, propose to ask you to despatch " Moeraki " from Wellington Friday, ninth, instead of Saturday, tenth, to insure close connection with Suez mail. Presume there will be no difficulty in arranging this. , [5.1 , . Agr. 06/102.]
No. 158. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 2nd November, 1906. Under special circumstances will despatch " Moeraki " Friday, 9th. Notice is, however, very short, and some trouble may be caused with passengers booked for Saturday. Friday is holiday, and shall have to obtain consent Harbour Board to work. Have no doubt they will consent, but will involve considerable overtime payments. Shall be agreeable adjust special payment later. Have advised Kennedy. Please let him know what you finally decide. [S.F. A(?r. 05/104.1
No. 159. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Generai, Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd November, 1906. Postmasteh-General approves despatch "Moeraki" Friday, 9th, instead of Saturday, 10th. Obliged if you will now kindly complete arrangements. Have advised Kennedy. [S.F. Agr. 06/104.]
No. 160. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram, i Dunedin, 2nd November, 1906. Have completed arrangements " Moeraki " sailing ninth from Wellington. [S.F. Apr. 06/103.1
No. 161. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Wellington. (Memorandum.) General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd November, 1906. The Postmaster-General has now approved of the arrangements in connection with the despatch of the " Moeraki "on Friday, the 9th instant, instead of Saturday, the 10th. I shall be obliged if you will now complete the arrangements. I have advised Mr. Holdsworth. D. Robertson, for Secretary. The Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Wellington. [S.f. Agr. 06/105.] ■ ■■•■
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No. 162. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 29th November, 1906. 1 have the honour, by direction, to forward you the subjoined copy of a resolution adopted a< a recent meeting of the Council of this Chamber. I have, &c, S. Carroll, Secretary.
Copy of Resolution. Resolved, " That this Council records its appreciation of the convenience afforded to the community by the alteration of the sailing date of the steamer for Sydney on the 9th instant, and hopes that this arrangement will soon become permanent." The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. [Suez Conn. 06/76.]
No. 163. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 29th November, 1906. Postmaster-General has requested me to ascertain definitely what actual payment your company and Huddart-Parker Company would require to despatch steamer from Wellington for Sydney every third Friday—that is, the Friday following the arrival of the San Francisco mail due in Auckland previous Monday. Can you reply to-day, or would you prefer to communicate direct with Sir Joseph Ward, who, 1 understand, is likely to see Mr. Mills? I have communicated with Mr. Jones. [Suez Conn. 06/590.]
No. 164. The Sβ ore tart, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Grnkhal Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 29th November, 1906. Postmaster-General advises me that he has arranged with Mr. Mills for the payment of £200 per trip for Sydney steamer to leave Wellington every third week on the Friday instead of the Saturday, so as to make close connection with the Suez mail leaving Sydney Tuesday afternoon. Kindly arrange this to begin from to-morrow week, and make widely known. Post-offices have been duly advised. [Suez Conn. 06/590, J
No. 165. The General. Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 30th November, 1906. We are arranging " Warrimoo " leave Wellington on Friday, 7th. [Suez Conn. 06/83 A.]
No. 166. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, Bth December, 1906. " Warrimoo " sailed yesterday 4.30 p.m. to make close connection outward Suez mail. [Suez Conn. 06/86.]
No. 167. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Sir, — General Post Office. Wellington, 13th December, 1906. Connection with the Mail-service via Suez. I have the honour to inform you that arrangements have been made for the direct steamer from Wellington to S3'dney to be despatched every third Friday, instead of Saturday, in order to make a close connection with the mail via Suez leaving Sydney on Tuesday afternoon. This arrangement commenced with the despatch of the s.s. " Warrimoo " on the 7th instant. I shall be obliged by your informing me whether, in the event of the steamer's missing the ordinary express, and its being possible to make a good connection by engaging a special train, it would be possible to secure a special, and, if so, what the cost would be. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Secretarj., Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 06/91.]
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No. 168. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the President, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington. Sin,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th December, 1906. Referring to the representations of the deputation representing your Chamber which waited on the Postmaster-General on the 15th October last, on the subject of mail communication with the United Kingdom, at which it was urged that provision should be made to provide a close connection at Sydney with the mails leaving that city for Europe via Suez, I am directed by Sir Joseph Ward to inform you that it has been arranged with the shipping companies concerned that a steamer shall leave Wellington each Friday following the due date of arrival of the San Francisco mail at Auckland (every three weeks), insuring prompt connection with the Suez mail timed to leave Sydney the following Tuesday afternoon. The Postmaster-General has also received and desires me to thank you for your Chamber's letter of the 29th ultimo on this matter. I have, &c, The President, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington. W. Gray, Secretary. [Suez Oonn. 06/89.]
No. 169. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sin, General Post Office, Wellington, 18th December, 1906. In reference to the arrangement made with the Postmaster-General for the direct steamer from Wellington to Sydney to be despatched every third Friday, in order to connect with the outward Suez mail from Sydney, at a cost of £200 per trip, 1 have now the honour to formally advise you that the arrangement has been confirmed. The new service is regarded as having commenced with the despatch of the s.s. " Warrimoo " on the 7th instant. The matter of penalties for failing to make the connection at Sydney will be brought up later. In the meantime, I am in communication with the Federal Post Office about the engaging of a special train in the event of the express train being missed. As all negotiations were, at the request of the Huddart, Parker, and Co. Proprietary, conducted with you, I should be obliged if yon would inform me whether it is the intention that your company shall be responsible for the service whether conducted by your own steamers or by vessels of the Hud dart-Parker line. I have, &c, W. Ghat, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Suez Conn. 06/92.1
No. 170. The Secretahy, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, Si R> Melbourne, 21st December, 1906 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 13th instant, intimating that arrangements have been made for the direct steamer from Wellington to Sydney to be despatched every third Friday, instead of Saturday, and asking whether, in the event of the steamer missing the ordinary express leaving Sydney on the Tuesday afternoon with the mail via Suez, it would be possible to secure a special train to connect with it, and, if so, what the cost would be, and to inform you that the matter will receive attention. You will be further advised in due course. l haye > &c -> The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. fSuez. Conn. 07/2.]
No. 171. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin, Dear Sir, 21st December, 1906. I have to acknowledge your letter of the 18th instant, and note that in confirming the arrangement recently entered into between the Postmaster-General and the Managing Director you agree that the service shall start with the " War-imoo " from Wellington on the 7th instant. that you think of bringing up the matter of penalties later, but Mr. Mills advises me that, in view of the small amount of subsidy, it was agreed that there should be no penalty in the event of failure to connect, though it would be clearly understood that the company would make every endeavour to insure the sailing and connection arranged for. With regard to the concluding paragraph of your letter, Messrs. Huddart-Parker agreed that we should negotiate on their behalf, and their vessels will continue to leave Wellington every fifth week for Sydney, equal to three special sailings on Friday per year. Yours, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. C. Holdsworth. [Suez Conn. 06/93.]
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No. 172. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, g IR) Melbourne, 22nd December, 1906. With reference to your letter of the 18th May last [No. 146], forwarding statements of New Zealand mails despatched by the Orient line of steamers during the year 1905, and by the P. and O. packets during January of the same year; also particulars of certain mails conveyed by French and German packets during the dislocation of the Orient service in February-May, of 1905, and to my letter of the 21st September last on the subject, I hare the honour to inform you it is considered that, during the currency of the old contract for the conveyance of mails to Europe—viz., up to the 31st January, 1905—this Administration should be credited at the old ra t e s—viz., 12s. per pound for letters, Is. 6d. per pound for books, and 6d. per pound for newspapers. The weight of New Zealand mail-matter despatched by P. and 0. and Orient vessels during the month of January, 1905, was: Letters, 5711b. 11 oz.; books, 5871b. 6 oz. ; newspapers, 1,400 lb. 3ioz.; and the difference between the amount allowed on such mails at Postal Union rates and the sum arrived at on the basis of the higher rates mentioned above is £301 2s. 6d. I may add that it is reported by the Victorian Branch of this Department that there is an amount still due by New Zealand on "account of transit rates on the mails referred to as follows: Letters, 6831b. 4o'z., at 4d. per pound, £11 7s. 9d. : other articles, 2,6811b. 50z., at 4s. per hundredweight, £4 15s. 9d.: total, £16 3s. 6d!: and a further sum of £317 6s. should therefore be credited by your Administration to this office. f have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. [Suez Oonn. 1)7/4.1
No. 173. Gratuities on Mail-matter sent by Subsidised Wellington-Sydney Steamers.
Number of Letters and Other Articles.
No. 174. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. SIR) _ General Post Office, Wellington, 11th January, 1907. I have the honour to refer to your letter of the 21st ultimo, relative to the arrangement under which a steamer is despatched direct from Wellington to Sydney every third Friday in order to connect with the following Tuesday's Suez mail from Sydney, and, in reply, to inform you that your observation that, in view of the small subsidy payable, no penalty would be incurred by your company in the event of it failing to connect with the mail in question, correctly states what was agreed upon by the Postmaster-General. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company (Limited), Dunedin. [Suez Conn. 07/1 J
Date. Steamer. Foreign. Australian. ith November, 1906 th December, 1906 !8th December, 1906 " Moeraki" " Warrimoo " " Eiverina " £ s. 103 2 38 10 17 4 a. 5 5 9 £ 8. d. 41 i 10 33 12 10 18 19 10
Foreign. Australian. Date. Steamer. Number. Number. Letters. Other Articles. Letters. Other Articles. 9th November, 1906 7th December, 1906 28ih December, 1906 " Moeraki" " Warrimoo " " Eiverina" 46,310 17,286 7,716 18,241 7,026 3,471 17,665 14,108 7,934 21,189 22,205 13,084 [Sue* Conn. 07/15.]
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No. 175. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th January, 1907. Postmaster-General wishes to learn for what payment your company would be prepared to substitute a fortnightly in place of present three-weekly connecting Suez service, leaving here every second Friday. [Suez Conn. 07/24. J
No. 176. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 16th January, 1907. Referring your telegram 12th', we are prepared make fortnightly connection for same rate per trip as at present arranged for three-weekly connection. This is, of course, understood to be exclusive of usual mailage. [Suez Conn. 07/28.] ™^__—.
No. 177. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Sir, General Post Office, Wellington, 18th January, 1907. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo, about the conveyance of New Zealand mail-matter by the vessels of the Orient and Peninsular and Oriental lines during the month of January, 1905. In reply, I have to inform you that it has been decided to pay at the old rates —namely, 12s. per pound for letters,, Is. 6d. per pound for books, and 6d. per pound for newspapers. Payment of the sum of £301 2s. 6d., the difference between the amount already credited at Postal Union rates and that due at the higher rates, will be arranged through the Money-order Account. As regards the carriage of New Zealand mail-matter over Victorian railways during the year 1905, payment of the amount due—namely, £16 3s. 6d. —has already been arranged through the Money-order Account. Kindly refer to my letter of the 1 2th instant [not printed]. T have, &c, W. Giiay, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 07/6.]
No. 178. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Prime Minister. (Telegram.) London, 19th January, 1907. Have you arranged for regular connection between New Zealand and Suez mail? If so, does it apply both ways, and also all mails 1 Will special endorsement be necessary? Inquiries being made. [Suez Conn. 07/80.] .
No. 179. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Hon. the PostmasterGeneral, at Christchurch. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 19th January, 1907. If desired we will, in conjunction with Huddart-Parker, advance day of departure of weekly steamers from Wellington to Sydney to Friday for same payment per steamer as under present agreement namely, £200, plus mailage. I have no means of judging what latter may amount to, but am willing that a maximum amount should be fixed for English mails in any one steamer of) gay, fifty pounds, until experience is gained, and that the question of mailage should be subject to'mutual reconsideration after three months. I hope this proposal will be satisfactory to you. [Suez Conn. 07/28.]
No. 180. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Huddart, Parker, and Co. Proprietary, Wellington. Gentlemen, General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd January, 1907. I have the honour to inform you that, in accordance with the arrangements made with the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), I have forwarded to that company
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your claim for £200, being the amount of subsidy for the conveyance of mails from Wellington to Sydney by the s.s. " Riverina " on the 28th ultimo. This Department will await a claim from the Union Company for the subsidy for the trip in question. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Huddart, Parker, and Co. Proprietary (Limited), Wellington. Suez Conn. 07/20.]
No. 181. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd January, 1907. I have the honour to forward herewith a claim by the Huddart, Parker, and Co. Proprietary (Limited), Wellington, for £200, the subsidy for the conveyance of mails from Wellington to Sydney by the s.s. "Riverina "on the 28th ultimo. I assume that your company will claim from this Department the subsidy due for the trip in question. I have, &c, The General Manager, W. Gray, Secretary. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Suez Conn. 07/21.]
No. 182. The Hon. the Postmaster-General (at Auckland), to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Auckland, 28th January, 1907. Referring to your wire of nineteenth instant, it was not contemplated that the mailage, in addition to the subsidy, should be paid. The general practice has been that a subsidy takes the place of gratuity, and this -is what I assumed at the time we were discussing the matter. In order to establish a better connection, I shall be glad if you will arrange for a fortnightly service on Fridays, on the terms you name, to commence on such date as may be arranged with the Department. [Suez. Conn. 07/28.1
No. 183. The Hon. the Postmaster-General (at Auckland), to the President, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 28th January, 1907. In reply to your Chamber's representations, I have made arrangements with Union Company and Huddart-Parker for their steamers to leave Wellington fortnightly on a Friday, and this service will be brought into operation without unnecessary delay and as soon as arrangements can be completed. I find there ure considerable difficulties in way of steamers leaving Wellington weekly on Friday, and under circumstances the arrangements T have just made for fortnightly service had better receive fair trial. [Suez. Conn. 07/29.] ___^^^__^_______^_
No. 184. The Hon. the Prime Minister (at Auckland), to the High Commissioner. (Telegram.) Auckland, 28th January, 1907. Suez mail: Arrangement has been made for fortnightly service to connect with Sydney. Date to be arranged between Union Steam Ship Company and the Department. [Suez. Conn. 07/117.]
No. 185. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist February, 1907. Mr. Mills heard from Sir Joseph Ward before he left Auckland about the fortnightly connection with outward Suez mail at Sydney. It has been decided that the connection shall commence as from next Friday —that is, the ordinary three-weekly date—and every second Friday thereafter. Presume this acceptable 1o your company. [P.O. 07/121.[ ___^_—.——i
No. 186. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 2nd February, 1907. We shall °be pleased arrange Friday sailings from Wellington to Sydney, as indicated by you, which we take to mean Bth February, and fortnightly thereafter. [P.O. 07/121.1
6—F. 6,
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No. 187. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, New Zealand (at Sydney). (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd February, 1907. " " further delay most unfortunate. " Riverina " leaving to-day only able connect with Orient mail leaving Sydney twelfth, due London seventeenth March. If " Sonoma " does not leave Sydney for a week, her mails should reach London fourteenth March. Therefore do not purpose forwarding accumulated mails by " Riverina." As you are on spot, probably know possibilities. Will you say whether you approve what I purpose doing? [P.O. 07/278.1
No. 188. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, New Zealand (at Sydney), to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 2nd February, 1907. " Sonoma " leaves to-day. I concur course you propose to deal with accumulated mails. [P.O. 07/278.]
No. 189. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. S IB) General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd February, 1907. I have the honour to inform you that as from Friday, the Bth instant, and every fortnight thereafter, steamers will leave Wellington for Sydney on the Friday to enable a close connection to be made with the Suez mail at Sydney. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 07/37.]
No. 190. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. ■ (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th February, 1907. Fortnightly Suez connection. First steamer leaves Wellington eighth instant. [Suez Conn. 07/39.]
No. 191. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, SIR; _ Melbourne, 28th February, 1907. With reference to your communication of the 13th December last [No. 167], intimating that arrangements have been made for the direct steamer from Wellington to Sydney to be despatched every third Friday instead of Saturday, and asking whether, in the event of the steamer missing the ordinary express leaving Sydney on the Tuesday afternoon with the mail via Suez, it would be possible to secure a special train to connect with it, and, if so, what the cost would be, I have the honour to inform you that the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, to whom the matter was referred, has now submitted a reply, copy attached, received by him from the Secretary, Railway Commissioners, Sydney, in regard thereto. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. [Suez Conn. 07/62.]
Enclosure in No. 191. The Secretary, Railway Commissioners, Sydney, to the Deputy Postmaster-Genekal, Sydney. With reference to your letter of the 30th ultimo, relative to the running of a special train from Sydney to Melbourne for the carriage of mail-matter reaching Sydney too late to catch the Melbourne express at 7.50 p.m., I have to inform you that the matter has had close inquiry and oon--81 e Tn reply, lam to inform you that, with regard to the charge for such a train, the Victorian authorities quote 7s. 6d. per mile, while our charge would be Bs. per mile, and the total charge would therefore be—Victoria, 191 miles, at 7s. 6d., £71 12s. 6d. ; New South Wales, 392 miles, at Bs., £156 165.: total, £228 Bs. 6d.
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With regard to the timing of the train, I am to say that the Victorian Department state that the special should reach Albury not later than 9.30 a.m., to go forward from there at 10.30 a.m., and arrive at Melbourne at 3.40 p.m., thus allowing one hour for the postal duties before departure of the Adelaide express at 4.40 p.m. The best arrangement, no far as this Department is concerned, would be for the special to leave Sydney as a second division of the express at 8.20 p.m., or only thirty minutes behind the ordinary express, arriving at Albury at 8.22 a.m., and landing the mails at Melbourne at 2.32 p.m. Probably, however, a train run with an interval of only thirty minutes after the express would be of little use to your Department. An alternative arrangement, which would suit the convenience of your Department, would be to start the special train from Sydney at 9.28 p.m., one hour thirty-eight minutes behind the express and thirty-eight minutes behind the mail train. This train, however, would have to pass the ordinary down mail train at Moss Vale, delaying same seventeen minutes, and that train would also be delayed a further twenty minutes crossing the up mail, thus upsetting the whole of the branch line working. In addition, the 4.20 a.m. up mixed train from Harden to Goulburn would be delayed twenty-three minutes, and in order to permit of this train making its connection at Goulburn with the 11.20 a.m. passenger to Sydney, the down express mixed newspaper train would have to be correspondingly delayed at Goulburn. The special train would arrive at Albury at 9.14 a.m., and go forward at 10.30 a.m., which is the latest the Victorian Department would agree to. The running of the train could not be accelerated, the time-table calculated being based on no stops beyond those required for locomotive purposes being made. It will be seen that to run a special train as desired by you would, in the case of a train leaving at 8.20 p.m., allow very little more time than at present, while in the case of the proposed special at 9.28 p.m., it would result in such serious interference and dislocation of the ordinary traffic arrangements as to make it undesirable to run the train. With regard to the notice required to run the train, in either case the necessary arrangements could be made provided notice was given not later than 4 p.m. on the date required to run. In view of the circumstances as herein explained, my Commissioners would be glad to have your further views on the matter before taking any definite action as to the suitability or otherwise of the terms and time-tables proposed.
No. 192. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sin, General Post Office, Wellington, sth March, 1907. Referring to your telegram of the 19th January last, and the Postmaster-General's reply of the 28th idem, as to the terms on which your company would agree to despatch its steamers from Wellington for Sydney every two weeks oii the Friday instead of the Saturday, in place of every three weeks as previously arranged, in order to secure close connection with the outward Suez mail leaving Sydney for London on the following Tuesday, I have the honour to inform you that, in addition to your claim of £200 for accelerating the departure of the " Moeraki " from Wellington on the 22nd ultimo, a voucher for £50, as commutation payment in lieu of the- ordinary gratuity on mails for the voyage in question, has been prepared, and the amount will be paid in due course. I shall be glad if you will claim the sum in any future vouchers rendered. I have, &c, D. Robertson, for Secretary. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [.Suez Conn. 07/58.)
No. 193. The Hon. Secretary, Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, Blenheim, to the Hon. C. H. Mills, M.H.R., Wellington. Sin, — Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, Blenheim, 6th March, 1907. 1 have the honour, by instruction of my Council, to forward you a copy of resolution passed at its last meeting, and to ask that you will kindly place the matter before the proper authorities. I have, &c, The Hon. C. H. Mills, M.H.R., Wellington. E. Mead, Hon. Secretary.
Enclosure in No. 193. Copy op Resolution passed at Meeting of Cooncil of Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, field on 27th February. "That, as the San Francisco mail-service has now practically become defunct, this Chamber respectfully asks the Government, to promptly make other arrangements which will give a regular service between New Zealand and the United Kingdom." The Hon. the Postmaster-General, For your consideration. Yours, &c, I lth March, 1907. C. H. Mills. [S.F. Agr. 07/84.]
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No. 194. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Acting Peime Minister. (Telegram.) London, 19th March, 1907. Referring to your telegram of the 4th March, Imperial Post Office having under consideration c< ntinuing sending by mail via San Francisco, ask for full particulars mail-service between Australia New Zealand in connection with mail-service via Suez. [S.F. Agr. 07/90.1
No. 195. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. (Telegram.) Wellington, 20th March, 1907. Mails connect Suez mail at Sydney fortnightly by special despatch of Union boats from Wellington, beginning eighth February. . . . [S.F. Agr. 07/92.]
No. 195 a. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Acting Prime Minister. (Telegram.) London, 23rd March, 1907. Inferring to your telegram 20th March: Telegraph date at which subsidised steamers leave Australia for ISiew Zealand in connection with mail-service via Suez. . . . [Suez Conn. 07/66.]
No. 196. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. (Telegram.) Wellington, 25th March, 1907. Steamers from Australia not subsidised, but present connection close. Use every despatch. [Suez Conn. 07/68.)
No. 197. The Hon. the Acting Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. C. H. Mills, M.H.R. Wellington. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 3rd April, 1907. I have the honour to refer to the letter to you of the.6th ultimo from the Hon. Secretary of the Maryborough Chamber of Commerce, forwarding copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of the Council of the Chamber on the 27th February, ia which the Government is asked to promptly make other arrangements to give a regular mail-service between New Zealand and the United Kingdom. ' ... In reply, I have to inform you that the matter had already been arranged by entering into a contract with the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand for a close connection with the Suez mail steamers fortnightly. I have, &c, John G. Findlay, The Hon. C. H. Mills, M.H.R., Wellington. Acting Postmaster-General. [S.F. Agr. 07/117.]
No. 198. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. SIR __„ General Post Office, Wellington, 4th April, 1907. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th February last, transmitting copy of a letter from the Railway Commissioners to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney with respect to the running of a special train from Sydney to Melbourne when the closeconnecting steamer conveying English mails from this colony misses the Suez mail at Sydney. I have to thank you for the trouble that you have taken in the matter. If it is decided to make any special arrangement 1 will communicate with you again. 1 have, &c, D. Robertson, Acting-Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 07/87.]
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No. 199. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Defutx Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sip,— General Post Office, Wellington, 12th April, 1907. I have the honour to inform you that, owing to the discontinuance of the San Francisco mail-service, arrangements have been made as from the Bth February last for steamers to leave Wellington fortnightly on Friday, in order to make a close connection with the mail via Suez leaving Sydney on the following Tuesday. It may, however; sometimes happen in the winter that the close-connecting steamer will arrive just too late for the mails to be*sent on by the express train from Sydney to Melbourne. In order that this Department may be in a position to decide whether under such circumstances the expense of running a special train should be incurred, I should be obliged if you could see your way to arrange for a "collect" cable message to be sent to this office fortnightly on Tuesday at about 5 p.m., stating whether the close-connecting steamer had been signalled, and whether connection would be made with the express train at 7.50 p.m. It is understood that the special train would have to leave one hour and thirty-eight minutes after the express —that is, at 9.28 p.m. I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. D. Robertson, Secretary. [Suez Conn. 07/88.]
No. 200. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 20th April, 1907. Ahout what time should " Miowera " reach Sydney? I could arrange for special train from Sydney to Melbourne leaving Sydney about 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Is steamer likely to be pushed, or is captain likely to assume that as he cannot reach Sydney in time for mail train he need nor hurry ? [Suez Con. 07/91.] [Owing to thick weather the " Miowera " was detained in Worser Bay until 5 a.m. on Saturday, 20th April.]
No. 201. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 20th April, 1907. Cannot be certain what Captain Newton will do under circumstances, but think he will push through. We instructed him yesterday, if arriving about train time, to have English mails handy to be delivered immediately. I find from records ship has been steaming well in Vancouver trade lately, usually averaging good fourteen knots. In trim she is now in, and if Newton pushes on, should arrive about nine or little earlier on Tuesday evening. [Suez Conn. 07/91.1
No. 202. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, te the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington (Telegram.) Sydney, 20th April, 1907. Mails must be on Sydney wharf one hour before despatch of special train. [Suez Conn. 07/104.]
No. 203 The General Manager, Union Steam .Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 22nd April, 1907. Are you arranging for special train from Sydney to Melbourne for "Miowera" mails? We wish to advise our Sydney manager, so that every effort will be made to give prompt transhipment, jflj [Suez Conn. 07/101.1
No. 204. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manaoer, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) ■ Wellington, 22nd April, 1907. Am in communication with Sydney about special train. Will let you know immediately decision is arrived at. Latest time special can leave is 9.38 p.m., and mails would require to be on Sydney wharf a full hour before then. [Suez Conn. 07/101.]
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No. 205. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 22nd April, 1907. My letter twelfth. In event " Miowera " arriving in time to-morrow for special to be of use, could you arrange with Railway Department on understanding that special to be cancelled without charge if not required ? [Suez Oonn. 07/105.] __________________________
No. 206. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 22nd April, 1907. Railways now require special start 8.20 p.m., but may be ordered up to 6 p.m. Steamer thought too late if not sighted 5 p.m. Railways require actual expenses if special cancelled. [Suez Conn. 07/101.]
No. 207. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 22nd April, 1907. Sydney advises that Railway now requires special to start not later that 8.20 p.m. It is thought, however, that steamer will be too late if not sighted by 5 p.m. How long before arrival at wharf should steamer be sighted 'I [Suez Conn. 07/101.]
No. 208. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 22nd April, 1907. " Miowera " should be signalled two hours before arrival at wharf. [Suez Conn. 07/102.]
No. 209. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 22nd April, 1907. Glad if you would order special and arrange to cancel if steamer too late. Will guarantee actual expenses if special cancelled. What will they probably amount to? [Suez Conn. 07/106.]
No. 210. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 22nd April, 1907. Actual expenses, if special cancelled, will amount to one pound. [Suez Conn. 07/101.]
No. 211. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 23rd April, 1907. Arrangements for special train from Sydney now complete. Kindly cable your Sydney agents as you suggest. [Suez Conn. 07/102.] ___^___^_^________
No. 212. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Teleo-ram.) Dunedin, 23rd April, 1907. We have cabled our Sydney office to have everything ready for prompt transhipping. [Suez Conn. 07/102.]
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No. 213. The Deputy Postmaster-Genekal, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 23rd April, 1907. No sign of " Miowera " at five oclock. [Suez Conn. 07/102.]
No. 214. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 23rd April, 1907. As " Miowera " not sighted, kindly cancel special train. [Suez Conn. 07/102.]
No. 215. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 23rd April, 1907. Sydney advises no sign of " Miowera " 5 p.m. No chance now of making connection. [Suez Conn. 07/102.]
No. 216. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 24th April, 1907. Thanks for wire. Sorry " Miowera " did not arrive in time to make connection. 1 am sure Captain Newton did his best. [Sues Conn. 07/102.] —^^_—
No. 217 The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 27th April, 1907. In reference to the late arrival of the " Miowera " at Sydney with the outward Suez mail which left Wellington on the 19th instant, I beg to inquire what arrangements are proposed to be made in connection with the departure of the steamer next Friday to insure her leaving Wellington in good time to connect with the train leaving Sydney for Melbourne on the following Tuesday. It is observed that the last few steamers have left Wellington late in the day, and now that the winter i.s approaching, it is desirable to allow a greater margin for bad weather. While the fog existing on the night of the 19th was responsible for the delay of the "Miowera,'' it is pointed out that if the steamer had been timed to leave before dark, she would not have had the same difficulty in passing out of the harbour. As the Suez mail is now practically the only opportunity for the rapid transport of mails to the United Kingdom, I need scarcely say that grave inconvenience to the Department and dissatisfaction'to the public will result from every failure of the connecting steamers to reach Sydney in good time. I have, &c, The Managing Director. D. Robertson, Secretary. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin, [Suez Conn. 07/108.]
No. 218. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 30th April, 1907. : Moeraki " takes mail this week, and we anticipate she will get away from Wellington in good time Friday afternoon. As regards " Miowera," our trouble did not commence with the fog, but with exceedingly bad weather working east coast ports, and also in Wellington, which delayed vessel. [Suez Conn. 07/113.]
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VANCOUVER SERVICE.
No. 219. The SuchetAiiy, Department of Industries and Commerce, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Department of Industries and Commerce, Wellington, (Memorandum.) 6th September, 1906. Canadian Steam Service. Referring to the subsidised line of trade steamers now running between Wellington and Vancouver, 1 have received the following letter from the Wellington manager of the New Zealand and African STeamship Company (Limited), who act as agents for this service: "We have been asked by the owners of steamers at present employed in the New Zealand—Canadian service if these steamers are not exempt from pilotage charges seeing they are under contract with the Government to carry mails. Our friends are under the impression that under these circumstances steamers are relieved of any pilotage dues incurred. Will you kindly let us know if this happens to be the case, and oblige." I shall be glad if you will advise me whether steamers under contract to carry mails for the New Zealand Government are exempt from any of the charges mentioned in this letter. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. T. E. Donne, Secretary. i Van. Misc. 06/21.)
No. 220. The Skokktahy, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce, Wellington. (Memorandum.) General Post Office, Wellington, 12th September, 1906. Your No. 06/9, 6/9/06. —Canadian Steam Service: The San Francisco mail steamers are, during the continuance of the contract, exempt from charges for harbour dues, dock dues, or other rates levied under " The Harbours Act, 1878," or any amendment thereof, or under any special Act in that behalf, at the Port of Auckland, for any of the steam vessels employed in the outward services under the mail contract. The reason the outward steamers are specially mentioned is that our contract with the company is for outward mails only. It has generally been the custom for ocean-mail steamers under contract to be relieved of dues of the kind. It is not thought that the exemption would apply to the line of trade steamers running between Wellington and Vancouver. I send herewith copy of section 132 of " The Harbours Act, 1878," and also copy of clause 15 of the San Francisco mail-service contract. Thomas Rose, for Secretary. The Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce, Wellington. [Van. Misc. 06/27.]
Enclosure 1 in No. 220. Extract from "The Harbours Act, 1878." 132. Nothing in this Act shall charge with any harbour dues: — (5.) Any steamship carrying mails under any contract made with the Postmaster-General in cases where it is provided by the terms of such contract that such steamships shall be exempt therefrom.
Enclosure 2 in No. 220. Copy op Clause 15 of the San Francisco Mail-service Contract. 15. " During the continuance of this contract, and so long as the same shall be faithfully carried out by the company, no charge for harbour dues, dock dues, or other rates shall be made or levied under " The Harbours Act, 1878," or any amendment thereof, or under any special Act in that behalf, at the Port of Auckland for any of the steam vessels employed in the outward services under this contract, and all such vessels shall be exempt therefrom accordingly."
No. 221. Pacific Mail-sERVICEB, Resolutions relative to, passed by the House of Representatives, Friday the 26th Day of October, 1906." [See No. I.]
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No. 222. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the COLONIAL Postmaster, Suva. Sin,— General Post Office, Wellington, Bth April, 1907. I have the honour to inform you that, owing to the discontinuance of the Sun Francisco mail-service, it is expected that heavy mails will reach this colony from America by way of Vancouver. In order that the necessary arrangements may be made beforehand for promptly disposing of the mail on receipt in this colony, I should be obliged if your office could see its way to notify the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, by " collect " cable message of the number of bags of mail for New Zealand offices transhipped from the Vancouver steamer at Suva. The telegram might be made up in the following form: "Postal, Auckland. —Vancouver, • Miowera,' to-day, 250 bags." I have, &c, The Colonial Postmaster, Suva. D. RoBEHTSON, Acting-Secretary. Van. Misc. 07/10.]
INTERPROVINCIAL SERVICE.
No. 223. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 24th August, 1906. In event of " Sonoma " not arriving within next few hours, what do you propose about bringing mails south ? [P.O. 06/2759.1
NO. 224. The General Managkb, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 24th August, 1906. We are endeavouring arrange with Auckland. " Wainui " reaches Onehunga to-morrow morning with 300 tons to discharge - , and leaves to-morrow evening for west coast. If you wish mail despatched to-morrow morning, we could turn "Wainui" straight back to New Plymouth to return again to Onehunga to discharge ; but as this would involve considerable expense and detention we would require £60. [P.O. 06/2759.] »
No. 225. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 24th August, 1906. In the event of "Sonoma" not arriving in time to connect with " Takapuna " this afternoon, and assuming that she arrives to-morrow, Department agreeable to pay sixty pounds (£6O) if you will turn "Wainui" back when required to-morrow. Kindly make any preliminary arrangements. Presume if "Wainui" can get away fairly early to-morrow that you will detain " Pateena " until special train arrives. [P.O. 06/2759.]
No. 226. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin, Suu— ' 7th September, 1906. Detention of " Wainui" at Onehunga for Inward Frisco Mail. We beg to submit, for your consideration, the circumstances in connection with the recent detention of the "Wainui " at Onehunga.
7-F. 6,
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We would point out that (hough the arrangement under which we undertook to despatch the " Wainui " to New Plymouth with her cargo undischarged fell through, owing to the nonarrival of the " Sonoma " on Saturday, we instructed our Auckland office to hold the " Wainui " until the latest possible hour on Sunday night in readiness for despatch at the earliest possible moment after arrival of the mail, and though as it subsequently happened the mail could have been despatched by the " Rarawa," sailing on Sunday afternoon, we consider we are entitled to a reasonable remuneration for the services of the "Wainui," inasmuch as she was at the option of the Department from Saturday morning until Sunday night, and in place of sailing at daylight on Sunday morning was despatched at midday with the mail. I have, &c, D. A. Aiken, for (General Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 06/2867(1).]
No. 227. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 9th October, 1906. Detention of " Wainui " at Onchunga for Inward San Francisco Mail in August last. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th ultimo, detailing the circumstances under which the " Wainui " was detained at Onehunga for the San Francisco mail, and asking for some remuneration for the detention, notwithstanding that it would have been possible to send the mails by the " Rarawa," which sailed on the same afternoon as the " Wainui." In reply, I have to inform you that the Minister, after taking into consideration the fact that the " Wainui " was held at the Department's option, has decided to authorise a payment of £25 for the detention of that steamer on the 26th August. A voucher for this amount will be prepared and passed for payment in the usual course. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [P.O. 06/2857(1).]
No. 228. The General Manager, Railway Department, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Memorandum.) Railway Department, Wellington, 6th December, 1906. Special Trains for San Francisco Mails. ********* The present practice as already pointed out [No. 97, F.-6a, 1906] is to attach carriages to through specials, but there are instances where the specials carrying mails overtake goods trains by which the mails are brought on to destination. These latter trains occupy a considerable time iii doing the journey, having to shunt at all stations en route, and they are invariably heavilyloaded and unsuitable for conveyance of passengers. The steamer people are making a great deal too much out of the chance of the steamer missing the connection when delayed for Frisco mail, as there are other occasions during the year when their boats miss the train, but the companies do not on those occasions manifest any great anxiety to arrange at their own cost special trains to take passengers on to destination. They invariably content themselves by asking that a special train be run for the convenience of the passengers, but not at the cost of the company. It ia not the practice to run trains in such cases unless the number of passengers is sufficient to justify that course, and this is rarely the case. This Department cannot undertake to provide special trains where steamers fail to connect with mail train ; but where your Department pays for a special train through to Wellington, cars will be attached for the conveyance of passengers who may desire to come through by train. Where, however, the special merely runs to a station to overtake a goods train, the conveyance of passengers cannot be undertaken. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. T. Ronayne, General Manager. I [P.O. 00/054.]
No. 229. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 10th December, 1906. Postmaster-General has intimated to Oceanic Company that he would not be prepared to renew Frisco service in terms resolutions of House of Representatives until it be seen whether mail delivery is more reliable. Presume your company do not object to carry on coastal service from month to month meanwhile. [P.O. 00/054.]
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No. 230. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 11th December, 1906. Referring your wire 10th, it is understood our coastal agreement is concurrent with Frisco contract, so we must submit to conditions you mention. [P.O. 06/654.]
No. 231. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist March, 1907. No sign of "Sierra." Apparently unlikely she will reach Auckland to-day. Can you make arrangements bring mail south to-morrow in event of her arriving after south steamer leaves to-day? [P.O. 07/613.]
No. 232. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, Ist March, 1907. " Hawea " due Onehunga to-morrow morning, with sheep. Intended leave immediately sheep discharged, probably between ten and eleven a.m. If mail not arrived we could arrange detain her until latest sailing-hour Saturday, but in this case we should expect Department favourably consider small payment, as done in previous cases. [P.O. 07/613.]
No. 233. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, Ist March, 1907. Iγ " Sierra " does not arrive in time for mails to connect with " Hawea " between 10 and 11 a.m. I shall be glad if you will instruct your Auckland office to detain her as suggested until latest sailing-hour Saturday. Small payment will be agreed to if the detention is necessary. [P.O. 07/613.]
No. 234. The Postmaster, Onehunga, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Onehunga, 2nd March, 1907. The " Hawea," with inward Frisco mails, sailed at 3.30 p.m., and will cross the bar about 5.30 p.m. [P.O. 07/613.]
No. 235. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd March, 1907. Keferring to our telephone conversation to-day, I have now to inform you that the Department is agreeable to pay the sum of £50 for despatching the " Te Anau " from Wellington to-morrow after the arrival of the special train with the San Francisco mail for southern offices. Will you kindly arrange accordingly, and send me a confirmation of the arrangement by bearer? Yours, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Wellington. [P.O. 07/613.]
No. 236. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 4th March, 1907. I have the honour to inform you that, owing to the irregular running of the steamers to and from San Francisco, and the lengthy voyages which have been the rule for some time past,
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it has been decided in the meantime to abandon the San Francisco route for mails to and from the United Kingdom. This will, for the present, render the special coastal service between Lyttelton and Onehunga unnecessary. I am without information as to the intentions of the Oceanic Steamship Company for the future, but will advise you immediately should the special coastal service be again necessary. I have, &c, The Managing Director, W. Gray, Secretary. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [S.F. Agr. 07/67.]
No. 237. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 23rd March, 1907. Hβ discontinuance special coastal service between Lyttelton and Onehunga in connection with San Francisco mail, as " Sonoma " has inward mail, kindly arrange for its conveyance. Reply collect urgent. [S.F. Agr. 07/100.]
No. 238. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 23rd March, 1907. Will arrange conveyance, inward mail ex "Sonoma." We have " Corinna " available Onehunga should mail arrive to-day, but understand " Sonoma " not expected until Monday. [S.F. Agr. 07/100.]
PARCEL MAILS.
No. 239. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, New Zealand Shipping Company, Christohuroh. Sib, — General Post Office, Wellington, sth October, 1906. 1 have the honour to refer to the letter from this office, dated the 29th March last [No. 75, F.-6, 1906], concerning the conveyance from New Zealand to the United Kingdom of parcel mails by your company's steamers, and to inform you that it is now proposed that a formal agreement for Ihe performance of the service in question shall be entered into between this Department and your company. The proposed form of agreement has been printed, and a copy, in duplicate, is forwarded herewith. 1 shall be glad if, after perusal, you will be so g_ood as to inform me whether the agreement meets with your company's approval. If it is desired to make any emendation of the terms, kindly return one copy duly marked. I have, &c, The General Manager, W. Gray, Secretary. New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), Christchurch. [Similar letter sent to Messrs. Levin and Co. (Limited), Agents, Shaw, Savill and Albion Company (Limited), Wellington.] [P.O. 06/2137.]
No. 240. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, g IR) General Post Office, London, 23rd October, 1906. With reference to your letter of the 4th August last [No. 110, F.-6a, 1906], concerning the payments made by your office to the shipping companies beyond the share of the postage allotted for the sea conveyance of parcel mails during the period from the Ist July, 1904, to the 30th
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September, 1905, 1 am directed by the Postmaster-General to acquaint 3-011 that the estimate of £320 was based on the average payment to the shipping companies for the years 1901, 1902, and 1903, as shown in the statement which accompanied your letter of the 2nd July, 1904 [No. 63, F.-6, 1906]. From the particulars now furnished it appears that the average weight of the parcels despatched during the period in question was somewhat greater than that estimated here; and thai the amount actually paid by your office to the shipping companies in excess of that received was 16s. In the circumstances, the Postinaster-Geneml authorises you to claim the balance of £123 His. from this office in your next General Account. 1 am, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. H. Buxton Fouman. [P.O. 06/2137.]
No. 241. The Hon. the Postmasteu-General, Wellington, to the SECRETARY, General Post Office, London. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 7th December, 1906. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd October last, on the subject of payments made by this office to the shipping companies beyond the share of the postage allotted for the sea conveyance of parcel mails during the period from the Ist July, 1904. to the 30th September, 1905. In reply, I have to thank you for agreeing to reimburse this office in the sum of £123 165., representing the difference between the estimate of £320 arrived at by your office as the amount overpaid to the companies and the amount actually paid, £443 16s. The amount will be claimed in the next General Account. I have, &c, W. Gray, for the Postmaster-General. The Secretary, General Post Office, London. [P.O. 06/2137.1
No. 242. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, New Zealand Shipping Company, Christchurch. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 16th January, 1907. I have the honour to inquire whether you are yet able to reply to my letter of the sth October last, on the subject of a proposed agreement between your company and this Department in connection with the conveyance of parcel mails from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The General Manager, New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), Christchurch. [P.O. 06/2137.] „
No. 243. The General, Manager, New Zealand Shipping Company, Christehurch, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), SlB, — Christchurch, 19th January, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 16th instant, and to inform you that a copy of your letter of sth October was forwarded to our London office, and thej' inform us that they have not entered into any agreement with the Postal authorities for the carriage of parcel-post mails from the United Kingdom to this colony, and that they do not wish us to do so for the homeward voyage. Taking into consideration the small amount of freight we receive for these mails, we are not disposed to sign a formal agreement, but are quite prepared to continue the carriage of same upon present terms. I have, &C, Isaac Gibbs, General Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 06/2137.1
No. 244. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th April, 1907. During cessation San Francisco service, may we send parcels for United States through Canada? If so, what transit rates? [5.1 , . News 07/94.]
No. 245. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Ottawa, 23rd April, 1907. As United States has declined parcel post arrangements with Canada, regret we have no power to accept parcels for that country. [P.O. 07/998.] . ..
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No. 246. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioned. (Telegram.) Wellington, 24th April, 1907. Inquire from Imperial Post Office whether New Zealand can send parcels for United States via London during interruption San Francisco service. [P.O. 07/998.]
No. 247. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Acting Prime Minister, Wellington. (Telegram.) London, 29th April, 1907. Referring to your telegram of 24th April: Parcels for United States of America may be sent Home from New Zealand to this country for transmission under conditions set forth in the British Parcelpost Table A. Copy sent to you October last. Parcels should be enclosed in parcel mails. Amounts specified, page nineteen, column six, of the table, should be placed to credit of British Post Office with respect to British territorial rate and the onward conveyance. [P.O. 07/998.]
No. 248. The Hon. the Acting Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Postmaster-General, Washington. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th April, 1907. During interruption Sau Francisco service, may Honolulu be regarded as exchange office for parcels for United States? [P.O. 07/998.] ««^_——-—
No. 249. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th April, 1907. Press paragraph here indicates that your company, in conjunction with Oceanic, will keep up monthly service Auckland to San Francisco by way of Tahiti. If this is correct, kindly let me have particulars, as I wish to make arrangements to keep parcel post to United States running. [P.O. 07/998.]
No. 250. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunediu, 26th April, 1907. Wβ have made no arrangement with Oceanic Company for through service. They book by our Karotonga-Tahiti service steamer in the ordinary way any passengers they have and tranship them to their local steamer, thence to San Francisco. We have no information from them regarding latter; but understand sailings at thirty-six days intervals, and as our steamer arrives Tahiti every twenty-eight days there will be considerable waiting, and therefore through service not so good as via Vancouver. Suggest you communicate with Oceanic Company, from whom doubtless Press paragraph emanated. [P.O. 07/998.] »^_a_ia^—>_>— - - ■• * ■'•'
No. 251. The SeorBTART, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th April, 1907. Press paragraph here indicates that your company, in conjunction with Union Company, will keep up monthly service Auckland to San Francisco by way of Tahiti. Union Company informs me no arrangement made by that company with 3-ours for through close connection. Kindly say what is interval between arrival Union Company's boat from New Zealand at Tahiti and departure your steamer to San Francisco. What is latter steamer's time-table? It is desired, if possible, to make arrangements to keep parcel post to United States running. [P.O. 07/998.] v
No. 252. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 27th April, 1907. No arrangement made with Union Company to maintain monthly sailings Auckland-San Francisco via Tahiti. Sailings —Auckland-Tahiti, May 14th, June 11th, and Tahiti-San Francisco, June 6th, July 12th. Time to Tahiti nine days, thence San Francisco twelve days. P.O. 07/998.]
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No. 253. The Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Acting Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) Washington, D.C., 29th April, 1907. Replying your cablegram : Send to Honolulu parcels for United States. [P.O. 07/998.]
No. 254. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Chief Postmasters. (Telegram.) Wellington, .'iOth April, Parcels for the United States are to be sent forward on Auckland for despatch by Vancouver steamers to Honolulu. Arrangements made for transit between Honolulu and United States. [P.O. 07/998.
MAIL-SERVICE VIA TEHDANTEPEC.
No. 255. [Extraot from Hansard No. 7, of 12th September, 1906.] Mail-service via New York and Tehtjantepec. Mr. WiLPORD (Hutt) asked the Government, Whether they will immediately ascertain the possibility of a quick mail-service via New York and Tehuantepec, and whether they will, as soon as possible, place before honourable members authentic information, with all details of the proposed service 1 The Hon. Sir J. G. Ward (Postmaster-General) replied, The supposition that a faster mailservice between Liverpool and New Zealand is possible via Tehuantepec than by way of San Francisco is not supported by facts. The distance between Salina Cruz, the Pacific terminal port of the Tehuantepec Railway, and Auckland direct is 6,180 miles, as against 5,925 miles between San Francisco and Auckland via Honolulu and Pago Pago, or 255 miles longer than the present San Francisco route. Mr. E. F. Wright, a member of the Royal Colonial Institute, lias published what he believes to be the superior advantages of the Mexican route for a fast service between Liverpool and New Zealand by twenty-knot boats on the Pacific (vide the New Zealiind Times of the 28th ultimo). He calculates the time from Liverpool to New York at si\ days, New York to Salina Cruz four days (as against three days and a half from New York to San Francisco), and Salina Cruz to New Zealand twelve days, or twenty-two days for the through journey. But in the newspaper report which has, apparently, given rise to the honourable member's question, the time from Salinn Cruz to New Zealand is understated by nearly a day. The present running from San Francisco to Auckland, via Honolulu and Pago Pago, is between seventeen and eighteen days (an average of about fifteen knots an hour), but were the service performed by twenty-knot boats the time would be reduced to about thirteen days, including stoppages. By dropping out Honolulu and Pago Pago the distance would be shortened from 5,925 to 5,565 miles, and the journey by twenty-knot steamers could be made in eleven days and a half. But the subsidy for such a service would be far beyond what would be paid by the colony, as it would be in respect of the suggested twenty-knot service via Tehuantepec, unless Mexico or some other country contributed largely to the cost, which is not at all probable. The railway-line of 190 miles between Coatzaeoalcos, the Mexican Gulf port, and Salina Cruz, on the Pacific, is already completed and used for local traffic-. The Salina Cruz Harbour will not be finished for some time, but both ports will be available for cargo traffic about the end of the year. This railway brings the ports on the east and west coasts of America within a much shorter distance of each other than would be possible via the Panama Canal. Indeed, the Tehuantepec Railway line is heralded as " the rival of the Panama route." New York and North Atlantic ports will be 1,200 miles, and New Orleans and Mexican Gulf ports 1,400 miles, uearer San Francisco, Japan, and China. The harbours will accommodate vessels carrying 10,000 tons of cargo, which, it is alleged, could be landed, sent across the isthmus, and reshipped in four or five days, and in cases of emergency in about thirtysix hours. But such transhipping would be fatal to the success of any fast mail line to New Zealand and Australia. Mr. Wright contemplates the running of the Pacific section of the service with only two steamers, and allowing only one lay day at either terminal port. But this would not be possible in practice. At least three steamers would be required, with at least a week at either
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end for handling cargo, coaling, victualling, and the overhaul of machinery, boilers, &c, that is always necessary after long runs. The possibilities of the Mexican route, however, may be greater than 1 have indicated, and lam arranging to obtain fuller information upon the matter. I have for general information stated what is within my own knowledge.
No. 256. The Him. the Prime Minister to the Hkih Commissioner. SI H) Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 24th September, 1906. I have the honour to inform you that on the 29th ultimo Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.H.Ii.. asked the following question in the House of Representatives: — Whether Government will immediately ascertain the possibility of a quick mail-service vui New York and Tehuantepec, and whether they will, as soon as possible, place before honourable members authentic information, with all details of the proposed service? The reply given will be found on page 484 of Hansard No. 7, copy of which is being forwarded to you under separate cover. From the reply you will observe that the possibilities of the Mexican route for our mails are not so great as would appear from the remarks of those writers who have been advocating its claims in the Press; but, as stated, further information oa the subject may change the aspect of the case as far as it is understood in this colony. I shall, therefore, be obliged if you will be good enough to obtain all the information possible of the Tehuantepec route, particularly in relation to a fast mail-service between Great Britain and New Zealand, so that the question can be more fully and intelligently considered here. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, Prime Minister. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. [P.O. 08/2810.]
No. 257. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sib,— 13th December, 1906. Referring to your letter of the 24th September last, instructing me to obtain information as regards the Tehuantepec route, I beg to traniinit herewith copy of correspondence with the Imperial Post Office and with the Tehuantepec National Railway. I also enclose the undermentioned report, newspaper extracts, and booklet: — (1.) Vice-Consul Kennedy's report. (2.) Extract from the Commercial Intelligence, with maps, 20th June, 1906. (3.) Extract from Page's Weekly, 16th and 23rd November, 1906 [not printed]. (4.) Souvenir of President Diaz's visit to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec [not printed]. The table attached to the letter from the General European Agent of the Tehuantepec National Railway Company purports to show that witli seventeen-knot steamers from Salina Cruz to Auckland mails sent via New York would reach New Zealand in twenty-five days and a half, and in making this computation eleven days are put down as the time between Liverpool and Salina Cruz. The Imperial Post Office, however, state that the time of transit between London and Salina Cruz is at present approximately thirteen days and a half, or two days and a half longer than that given in the above-mentioned table. It is quite possible that, with a service specially organized for the purpose of insuring the greatest speed, mails from this country sent via Salina Cruz would reach New Zealand some days earlier than the mails going by the present San Francisco route. At the same time, if a similar special service via San Francisco were established, the same speed in transit might be secured. It appears to me that in any case it would be well to await the further development of the mail-service between this country and Salina Cruz before taking any definite steps for the extension of that service to New Zealand. I have, &c, The Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. W P. Reeves. P.O. 07/237.1
Enclosure 1 in No. 257. The Secretary to ttie High Commissioner to the General European Agent, the Tehuantepec National Railway Company (of Mexico), London. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, S.W., Dear Sir,-- 20th November, 1906. The Government of New Zealand are desirous of ascertaining the possibility of a quick mail-service to New Zealand via New York and Tehuantepec, and Messrs. S. Pearson have informed the High Commissioner that you are in a position to give information relating to that route,
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The High Commissioner would therefore be much obliged it' you would inform him— 1. How long it will take (quickest despatch) to go by rail from New York to Saliva Cruel 2. When will the harbour-works at Salina Cruz be completed; also those at Coatzacoalcos? 3. What are the imports and exports of Salina Cruz? If you can add any further information which might aflect the question of a mail-service between'Salina Cruz and New Zealand, or can supply any printed matter relating to that part of the world, or name any publication on the subject, the High Commissioner would feel indebted to you. Yours, etc., Walter Kennaway. E. H. Mundy, Esq., General European Agent, the Tehuantepec National Railway Company (of Mexico), 48 Lime Street, London, E.C.
Enclosure 2 in No. 257. The General European Agent, the Tehuantepec National Railway Company (of Mexico), London, to the High Commissioner for New Zealand. The Tehuantepec National Railway Company (of Mexico), 48 Lime Street, Deah Sir, London, E.C, 21st November, 1906. Replying to your favour of yesterday, I am sending you, under separate pover, some literature descriptive of what has been'done on'the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to make this an up-to-date inter-oceanic route, fitted in every way to handle with economy and despatch a big traffic in freight, passengers, and mails between the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards. Included in this literature you will find a copy of the British Consular Report for the District of Mexico, issued last month, containing a detailed description of the Tehuantepec Railway and its terminal harbours; also an illustrated article in Page's Weekly of the 16th instant. The railway itself has been completed and in operation for some time past. A great deal has been done in the way of constructing modern terminal harbours which would permit of steamers drawing 33 ft. loading and discharging with safety and despatch alongside our wharves direct into our cars. On the 20th January next the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company will inaugurate services of 13,000-ton steamers on the Pacific, between Salina Cruz, San Francisco, and Hawaii, and a service of 8,000-ton steamers on the Atlantic, between our terminal harbour of Coatzacoalcos and New York. On that date this route will be opened for the transportation of American domestic traffic. As evidence of the progress already made with our terminal port of Salina Cruz, I would say that according to a cable received here on the 10th instant, the first large steamer to come alongside our wharves at Salina Cruz, the Kosmos steamship " Serapis," discharged 1,000 tons of freight there in twenty-four hours on the 9th instant. 1 enclose two maps of this railway and its steamship connections. We are making arrangements so that by the early summer 0f'1907 we shall be handling traffic from all European ports, via Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, to all ports on the west coast of America, to Honolulu, &c. in connection with direct services of steamers between European ports and Coatzacoalcos. Your questions I will answer seriatim: — 1. At present the journey by rail from New York to Mexico City takes under four days. The distance from Mexico City to Salina Cruz (which points are connected by rail) is 513 miles, and when our arrangements are complete and a few small delays at transfer stations cut out the journey should not occupy twenty-four hours, making a total from New York to Salina Cruz of about five days. 2 The entire scheme for the port works at Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos will not be entirely completed for another year or two. You will learn from the article in Vaye , * Weekly and the Consular Report referred to what accommodation for shipping is now available at our terminal harbours To this information I would add that we have guaranteed the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company a depth of 29 ft. of water at Coatzacoalcos, and a depth of 30 ft. of water at Salina Cruz, by January next. 3. The imports and exports of Salina Cruz itself are comparatively unimportant, but there will be a big volume of transhipment business at this port, where vessels will be able to load cargoes from New Orleans, New York, and Europe, brought to Salina Cruz by the railway from Coatzacoalcos • they will also be able to tranship freight to steamship lines connecting with all ports north of Salina Cruz up to San Francisco and Puget Sound, and also ports south of Salina Cruz as far as Valparaiso, &c. I have pleasure in enclosing a statement describing the possibilities of the Tehuantepec route in connection with New Zealand, comparing our times and distances from Europe to New Zealand with other routes available. If there is any further information with which I can furnish you, please command my services. Tmirs > *** .. E. H. Mundy, The High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. General European Agent.
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Sub-enclosure to Enclosure 2 in No. 257. Copy. 21st November, 1906. Memo, for the High Commissioner for New Zealand. Possibilities of Tehuantepec Route from Eukope to New Zealand. Comparison of Mail Times, and Distances. ... „ Distance in t-. Via Suez - Nautical Miles. Da y B ' London to Auckland, via Gibraltar (P. and 0.) ... ... ... 47 London to Sydney, via Brindisi ... ... 12,555 ... 36 Sydney to Auckland ... ... ... ... 1,264 ... 3 13,819 — 39* At discussion in New Zealand Parliament, about 7th September, 1906, it was stated that the times from the Bluff to London via Suez were —by P. and 0., thirty-nine days; by Orient, fortyone days. Via San Francisco. Da^ Liverpool to New York ... ... ... 3,036 ... 6 New York to San Francisco (3,500 statute miles) . 3,039 ... 6 San Francisco to Auckland ... ... ... 5,681 ... 18 11,756 — 30* • These times agree with the English Post Office Guide (July, 1906). The Premier of New Zealand, 29th September, 1906, gave the distance from San Francisco to Auckland as 5,925 miles. At discussion in New Zealand Parliament, about 7th September, 1906, it was stated that the average time from London to Auckland via San Francisco was thirtyone days, and vice versa thirty days. Via New York and Salina Cruz. Das ' B - Liverpool to New York ... ... ... 3,036 ... 6 New York to Salina Cruz by rail (3,450 statute miles) ... ... ' ... ... 2,996 ... 5 Salina Cruz to Auckland (by seventeen-knot steamers) 6,010 ... 14J — 12,042 25} Via Coatzacoaloos and Salina Cruz by 17-knot Steamers in both Oceans. Liverpool to Coatzacoalcos ... ... 4,818 ... 12 Coatzacoalcos to Salina Cruz, across Tehuantepec Railway (189 statute miles) ... 164 ... 1 Salina Cruz to Auckland ... ... ... 6,010 ... 14} 10,992 — 27} By same Route, but with 20-knot Steamers in both Oceans. Liverpool to Coatzacoalcos ... ... ... 10 Coatzaooalcos to Salina Cruz mail time could be reduced to twelve hours ... ... 164 ... } Salina Cruz to Auckland ... ... ... 6,010 ... 12} 10,992 23 E. H. M.—2l/11/06. Enclosure 3 in No. 257. The Secretary to the High Commissioner to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Dear Mr. Buxton Forman,— Ist December, 1906. The High Commissioner has been asked by his Government to obtain information as regards the possibility of a quick mail-service to New Zealand via New York and Tehuantepec. The agent here of the Tehuantepec National Railway has supplied information respecting the communication between New York and Salina Cruz, the port on the west coast of Tehuantepec. The High Commissioner, however, thinks that it would be an advantage in reporting to his Government if you could kindly give him some particulars as to the mail-service between this country and Salina Cruz, such as the length of time it takes for the mails to go between London and Salina Cruz, and by what routes the mails are despatched. If you think it desirable we will communicate officially respecting the matter. Yours, &c, H. Buxton Forman, Esq., C.8., General Post Office, E.C. Walter Kennaway
Enclosure 4 in No. 257. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the High Commissioner. Sir,— General Post Office, E.C, 12th December, 1906. With reference to your letter of the Ist instant, I am -directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that correspondence from the United Kingdom for Salina Cruz, unless specially
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addressed for transmission by another route, is included in the mails for Mexico, despatched hence to New York every Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon. The time of transit from London to Salina Cruz is approximately thirteen days and a half. I am, &c, The High Commissioner for New Zealand. E. W. Farnall.
Enclosure 5 in No. 257. [Extract from Diplomatic and Consular Reports on Trade and Commerce in the Consular District of Mexico for the Year 1905.] Tehuantepec National Railway. Recognising the necessity of terminal ports at Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos, if the Tehuantepec route was to become a highway of the world's commerce, the Government entered into negotiations with the British firm of S. Pearson and Son (Limited), who had already carried to a successful conclusion two very large undertakings in Mexico—viz., the drainage canal of the Valley of Mexico and the port works at Vera Cruz—the result being that this well known firm of contractors undertook to bring the railway up to the requisite standard of solidity, and to construct harbour-works and provide all modern facilities for shipping at the terminal ports. In addition, the Mexican Government entered into a partnership agreement with the said firm for the joint exploitation of the Tehuantepec Railway and the ports of Selina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos for the period of fifty-one years, counting from the Ist July, 1902, this being probably the first instance on record where the supreme Government of a rich and independent nation has made such an arrangement with a firm of contractors, and is an eloquent testimony to the high reputation for integrity, efficiency, and business capacity which this British firm has acquired in the Republic of Mexico. The work undertaken by the contractors virtually amounted to the rebuilding of the railway, which is of the standard gauge of 4 ft. 8J in. The grades and curves have been considerably reduced, the ruling grade now being 1"6 per cent, compensated, except on Chivela Hill, where the gradient, with compensation, amounts to 2'B per cent. All the bridges have been substantially rebuilt, using steel trusses of modern type on concrete or masonry piers and abutments, whilst culverts of adequate capacity have been put in where required in solid masonry. A new five-span steel bridge, over 600 ft. long, has been constructed over the Jaltepec River, replacing the old structure, which had become too light for the new heavy rolling-stock and engines. New sleepers of creosoted pine, native hardwood, and Californian redwood have been laid down, all provided with steel tie-plates: and at the end of the year 1905 about 120 miles of line had been relaid with 80 lb. steel rails, the remaining 56 lb. rails being replaced by 80 lb. rails as rapidly as the latter arrived. At present date (September, 1906) about 156 miles have been relaid. The remainder of the distance from the 156 th mile to the 190 th mile being on the south end of the line, the drier portion, already laid with 56 lb. steel, and practically a tangent, good road-bed, &c, there is no necessity for any change to be made. At the end of 1905 the line had been ballasted with gravel and crushed rock, excepting miles. All this has now been completed. The tropical vegetation along the line is destroyed by the use of a special chemical which is sprayed from a tank car under steam pressure by means of an atomizer. The siding-accommodation at each terminal port will be nineteen miles. The company at present owns fifty-seven locomotives of standard American types, all of which have been adapted for burning crude oil as fuel. At present the oil is imported from Beaumont, Texas, but it is confidently expected that the local oil-wells will soon be able to supply more than all the oil needed. The oilfield is situated about thirteen miles from Minatitlan, on the main line, and the oil will be brought to the storage-tanks by pipe-lines. Capacity. xr Ilm w The rolling-stock at present consists of — Tons. iNumDer. Box cars (covered wagons) ... ... ... -j „- „_„ Stock cars (cattle-trucks) ... ... ... ... ] on __ v ' (30 50 d<l i 25 35 Hatcals --130 100 Gondolas (open trucks) ... ... ... ... 30 43 Tank cars ... ... ... ... ... 30 15 Cabooses (guards' vans) ... ... ... 21 Passenger-coaches ... ... ... ... 14 Officers' cars ... ... ... ... 5 Tourist car ... ... ... ... 1 Baggage, express, and mail cars ... ... 5 All the above rolling-stock is of American type, and in good condition.
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From Santa Lucreeia to Salina Cruz there is a daily service of Pullman oars in connection with the trains on the Vera Cruz and Pacific Railway. The headquarters of the Tehuantepec Railway are situated at Rincon Antonio, where the principal offices and repair shops of the company have been erected. The railway-station is a solid and commodious steel-frame structure, filled in with brick and cement. Comfortable modern houses have been erected for the general manager and superior officials, whilst the subordinate officials, clerks, mechanics, &c, are provided for in excellent staff houses, provided with electric light, bathrooms, and all modern sanitary requirements. Electric-power is used throughout the shops, generated by a steam plant, crude oil being used for fuel. The river at Coatzacoalcos forms an excellent natural harbour, with ample depth of water; but the bar at its mouth has prevented the entrance of ships except those of very light draught. To remove this obstruction to navigation, two converging jetties have been nearly completed from the mouth of the river into the sea, to confine the river-water within such a narrow channel that it will itself scour away the bar, assisted at first by a certain amount of dredging until a depth of 33 ft. is obtained. The jetties will be about 1,300 metres long, and built of rock and rubble. Both jetties are practically completed, with the exception of the protecting blocks at the extremities. Four steel wharves 136 yards long have been built, with iron warehouses along them 136 yards long by 36 yards wide, and one timber wharf 216 yards long, all ready for service and provided with the necessary railway-tracks. Six electric cranes and twelve capstans have been provided for handling cargo, and an electric plant of 1,000 kilowatts installed to furnish the necessary energy for these cranes and for other purposes. More cranes are now being erected. The creation of a port at Salina Cruz has been by far the most difficult part of the whole undertaking, involving enormous breakwaters to form an outer harbour of refuge, and an inner basin, or harbour proper, dug out of the foreshore. The east breakwater is 1,100 yards long, whilst the west breakwater will be 630 yards long. Both are curved, with the convex sides of the curves turned seawards. The entrance to the outer harbour between the breakwaters is 216 yards wide. The construction of these breakwaters is as follows : First a rubble-formation is laid to 33 ft. below low water, varying in width from 8? yards at the base to 54 yards at the top. Upon this foundation random blocks of rock or concrete - , weighing 25 tons or more, are deposited by means of steamcranes, the bank of separate blocks having a slope of 45 degrees. On top of these are two rows of concrete blocks, 40 tons each, carefully placed in position, having a joint width of 33 ft. by 6 ft. 6 in. high, their surface being nearly 18 ft. above low water. Above the placed blocks will be a parapet 19| ft. wide by 6 ft. 6 in. high. At the end of 11)05 the cast breakwater had been advanced to a length of 660 yards, and is now (September, 1906) practically completed, excepting the parapet. The west breakwater is about two-thirds completed. The total depth at the entrance to the outer harbour is 65 ft. This enclosed harbour has an area of about 200 acres. The inner basin, which will be wholly artificial, occupies the former site of the old Town of Salina Cruz. About one-third of the excavation has been completed by means of dredges which pump sand into their own hoppers and afterwards deposit it at sea. The basin at first will be 1,085 yards long by 240 yards wide, with a depth at low water of 33 ft. A wall, about half finished, of concrete monoliths backed with masonry forms a division 76 yards wide between the inner basin and the outer harbour, an entrance of 32 J yards wide being left in the wall. Three steel sheds, 136 yards long by 36 yards wide, have been erected, equipped with six electric cranes and twelve capstans of similar type to those at Coatzacoalcos, provided with electric energy from a generating plant of 1,000 kilowatts. A fourth shed will be added shortly. A graving dock, 195 yards long by 32J yards wide, built in concrete, is nearly completed. The bottom is to be nearly 31 ft. below low-water level. By the new route goods can be sent from the eastern seaboard of the United States of America to Japan, China, and Australia in less time than by either Suez or Panama. The saving in distance from New York to Sydney by way of Tehuantepec, as compared with the Suez Canal route, is 5 700 miles, and calculating that steamers can carry cargoes at a profit at the low rate of $1 per milesi any railway rate across Tehuantepec less than $5 70c. per ton will show an economy as compared with the Suez route, with an actual saving of time of fifteen days. Tehuantepec is nearer to the axial line of the world's trade than Panama, and even when the Panama Canal is opened will probably be able to hold its own for all fast freight from the Eastern States and Europe to points on the Pacific coast northwards and from Eastern American ports to China and Japan. The average saving in distance by the Tehuantepec route over that of Panama to all points on the Atlantic coast of the United States of America and to Europe is about 1,250 miles or, say, five days' steaming for an ordinary freight steamer, and if freight takes two days to cross Tehuantepec by rail and the steamer only one to pass the Panama Canal, a net saving in time of four days, whilst the railway rates will probably be less than the canal dues.
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Enclosure 6 in No. iis7. [Extraot from the Commercial Intelligence, London, of the 20th June, 1906.] The Tehuantefec Railway.—The Route's Traffic Prospects. Upon tlie opening of the two new ports at the close of this year the Tehuantepec route should compete, under advantageous conditions, for all traffic at present moving between the Orient and United States Atlantic ports, between west coast ports of North and South America and European ports, between San Francisco and New York, and other points. This traffic is now forced to make the tedious passage round Cape Horn or through the Straits of Magellan, to go by the Panama route, or over the American and Canadian transcontinental lines, or by way of Suez Canal. The great saving in distance of the Tehuantepec route over Panama is clearly shown by the following table in nautical miles : — Distances in Nautical Miles. Via Via New York to — Tehuantepec. Panama. San Francisco ... ... ... ... 4,226 5,495 Aoapuloo ... ... ... ... 2,366 3,613 Mazatlan ... ... ... ... ... 3,017 1,055 Yokohama ... . . ... ... ... 8,666 9,835 Honolulu ... ... ... ... ... 5,699 6,688 New Orleans to — San Francisco ... ... ... ... ... 3,091 4,700 Aoapuloo ... ... ... ... ... 1,262 2,861 Mazatlan ... ... ... ... ... 1,759 3,458 Liverpool to — San Franoisoo ... ... ... ... ... 7,182 8,038 Acapulco ... ... ... ... .. 5,274 6,035 Honolulu ... ... ... ... ... 8,511 9,263 Yokohama ... ... ... ... ... 11,478 12,500 It will be seen that in nearly every instance the Tehuantepec Isthmus route represents a very considerable saving in mileage, which means time and money also. It has been estimated that the average saving in distance by the Tehuantepec route over Panama to all points on the Atlantic coast of the United States and Europe is about 1,250 miles. The ordinary freight steamer makes about ten miles an hour, or, say, 250 miles a day, requiring five days longer via Panama, assuming (lie time of crossing the two isthmuses to be the same. It will take a steamer about one day to pass through the Panama Canal, and the freight about two days to pass over Tehuantepec from ship to ship, leaving still four days to the advantage of Tehuantepec. The extra cost of the four days to a steamer, say, $2,000, plus the Canal tolls, would make a 5,000 ton cargo cost about $10,000 via Panama. Even should the cost by Tehuantepec be equally great there would still be the saving in time of four days. For the American railway traffic, too, between New York and San Krancisco the Tehuantepec route will be a strong competitor. Nominally. the railways require twenty days to carry goods between these two points, but in practice forty days is nearer the truth. By means of the Tehuantepec railway and its steamship connections the time will be not more than twenty-five days. In point of salubrity the superiority of the Tehuautepec route over the Panama Isthmus is very marked, an important factor in favour of the Mexican Isthmus. The latter, too, has the richer natural resources, for the exploitation of which much foreign capital has already been invested. The soil and climate are adapted for the growth of corn, coffee, cacao, tobacco, rice, and sugarcane. The forests abound in game, and the rivers, lagoons, and oceans in fish. Interspersed among the woodlands are park-like tracts of good grazing land for cattle. The dense forests yield not only a variety of useful timber, which in Spanish times was sent to Habana for shipbuildingpurposes (hence the name El Corte given to the upper reaches of the Coatzacoalcos River); but also cabinet-woods, dye-woods ; and woods producing precious gums, resins, and balsams. When this route opens its terminal harbours for inter-oceanic traffic in December next, the American-Hawaiian Line will divide its steamers now running between Hawaii and New York, via Magellan, into two fleets, giving a regular service between San Francisco, Hawaii, and Salina Cruz on the Pacific, and a weekly service between New York and Coatzacoalcos on the Atlantic. The American-Hawaiian line, whose present dead-weight carrying-capacity is 76,000 tons, are now building two 12,000 ton and one 8,000 ton steamers, specially for service in connection with this route, and when these steamers are put into commission early next year, it will make a total dead-weight carrying-capacity of this fleet, operating solely in connection with this route, of 108,000 tons. In addition to tins, all the steamship lines now running from Europe to Mexico will put on direct services to Coatzacoalcos; steamship connections will also be established at Salina Cruz with nil the Pacific coast ports of Central' and South America as far south as Valparaiso. The American-Hawaiian line has recently signed a freight contract for a number of years, under which about 300,000 tons of sugar will be shipped annually from Honolulu to New York, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, via Tehuantepec.
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No. 258. [Extract from the Commercial Intelligence, London, of the 18th July, 1906.] To New Zealand in Three Weeks.—A Suggestion for a New Mail and Passenger Route. From Liverpool to New Zealand in three weeks, or, to be exact, twenty-two days ! Such is the glittering feature of a project which appears to be well within the range of practical politics, lo reduce the five weeks' passage via Suez by sixty hours the Australian Government have just agreed to pay an English syndicate nearly £250,000 per annum. For a sum that by comparison is a mere bagatelle the time could be reduced almost one-third, or, again to be precise, to twenty-four days and a half. The Australian Government, dissatisfied for several reasons with the present service, has undoubtedly entered into the new contract in a hurry—the new service will not begin until 1908—and it has apparently made the mistake, which New Zealand may rectify, of over _ looking the birth of a great new trade route—the Tehuantepec route. It is with the opening of this route—which is due to take place in six months' time—that the amazing reductions in the passage to the Antipodes already indicated could be given effect. The Pacific Route. The credit of being the first advocate of a mail-service via the Tehuantepec Railway terminal on the Pacific rests with Mr. E. F. Wright, a member of the Royal Colonial Institute, who has made a study of this question for years. An ardent Imperialist, with all a business man s keenness for the quickest possible communication with the colonies, Mr. Wright has gone deeply into the subject of'improving the Pacific route, and, having carefully covered the ground is convinced that his scheme for a service " from Liverpool to New Zealand in three weeks is not only feasible but eminently practicable. At present the time occupied by each stage of the existing mail route via San Francisco is as follows: — Days. Liverpool - New York ... ■•■ ••• •■• ••■ •■ , New York-San Francisco ... ■•■ ••• ••• •■• San Francisco - New Zealand ... •■• ••• ••• '"el New Zealand - Sydney ... ••■ ■•• ■■• ■•• ■•■ 2 Total ... ... •• •• ■■;• 31 By the Proposed Route the train journey would be from New York to Salina Cruz (the Pacific port of the Tehuantepec Railway), the times being — Days. Liverpool - New York •■■ ••■ ••• •■■ ■• New York - Salina Cruz ... ... ••• ■•• ■■■ 12 Salina Cruz - New Zealand ... ••■ ••• ••■ •■; lz Total (Liverpool - New Zealand) ... •■■ ■■■■ ••• 2^ New Zealand - Sydney Total (Liverpool-Sydney) ... ••■ ■•■ ••• 24£ It should at once be explained that the Pacific service in this table is reckoned at a twentyknot evS whereas the San Francisco boats do only fifteen knots. But Mr Wright points out thaYthe distance from Salina Cruz to New Zealand fortunately permits two twenty-knot boats to maintain a fortnightly service, allowing one full day at each terminal, whereas a fifteen-knot "rvuLwo,ad necessitate three Ws. That is to say, taking into account the charges tor interest maintenance and working on the third boat, a twenty-knot service would actually cost less than a not From San Francisco this would not be possible. As to the railway journey, the d See from New York to Mexico City, via St. Louis, is 3,110 miles, which, at forty miles per £v would be a fraction over three days, or, say, three days and a half, including stoppages, giving another half-day from the City of Mexico to Salina Cruz. New Sights for Travellers. Bearing in mind the great attraction the new route would be to passengers, owing not only to its quickne but also to the new ground that would be opened up to them, Mr. Wright's oontenton that the venture would be a profitable one cannot be deemed otherwise than reasonable. MoreSending huge sums to perfect the Tehuantepec route, is it unreasonable to su Pf nZ'that tfa Z>K would co-operate with New Zealand in subsidising the necessary line of Steamers? The San Francisco service, it may bo noted, receives very little assistance in the shape of subsidies There is some reason to believe that the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zeaknd assured of a fair measure of support, would gladly take up the service, as this forming i*hißhly important connection with the Tehuantepec Railway would have striking possibilities n a tugniy mpormiiiw K nMhpr noint ureed by Mr. Wright in favour of the project is that it would irtL an 1m by aTritish line, an! the vesting in British hands of the control the quickesTpassage across the Pacific. Such in brief outline is Mr. Wright's scheme, and we Ihink that HmeHts JL early and earnest attention of both the New Zealand and Mexican authorities.
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No. 2*9. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Peimb Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sik,— 20th December, 190 C. Tehiuxnte-pec Mail Route Inquiry. In continuation of my letter of the 13th instant, I beg to transmit herewith a cutting [not printed] from the World's Carriers of the 15th instant, containing a further description of the Tehuantepec National Railway. I also enclose some copies [not printed] of a coloured map of the line and its steamship connections. The annexed cutting from Page's Weekly of the 16th November [not printed] is required to complete the enclosures to my above-quoted letter, and 1 shall therefore be glad if you will kindly cause it to be attached thereto. I have, &c, The Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. W. P. Reeves. [P.O. 07/237.]
No. 260. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir, — 26th January, 1907. In continuation of my letter of the 20th ultimo, I beg to enclose herein cuttings from the liaihvay Times of the 19th instant, Commercial Intelligence of the 16th instant, and the Times Engineering Supplement [not printed] of the 23rd instant, giving further information relating to the Tehuantepec National Railway. I also annex a sailing card [not printed] of the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company's new route between Atlantic and Pacific ports, via Tehuantepec. I have, &c, Walt etc Kbnnaw ay, The Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. For the High Commissioner. [P.O. 07/237(1)0
Enclosure 1 in No. 260. [Extract from the Commercial Intelligence, London, of the 16th January, 1907.] The Tehuantepec National Railway. The great British-Mexican trans-Isthmian railway project —the Tehuantepec National Railway— is to be officially inaugurated on Wednesdey next, the 23rd instant, at the Pacific terminus, Salina Cruz, and upon the following Friday at its Atlantic terminus, Coatzacoalcos, when, in the opening of the first practicable route for commerce across the Central American Isthmus, a dream of centuries will have become realised. The importance of the occasion to Mexico and the world's commerce will be fittingly recognised by the presence at the ceremony of President Diaz, the Mexican Cabinet Ministers, the diplomatic corps, and many other representative and leading men in the Republic. Sir Weetman D. Pearson, Bart., M.P., the president of the railway, and head of the great British firm of contractors who have constructed the entire works, sailed on the sth December by the s.s " Baltic," in order to be present at the opening. For the time being the new route will be directly available for the transportation of American domestic traffic only, the first steamship connections available being those provided by the Ameri-can-Hawaiian Steamship Company. It will be early summer of this year before the route will be soliciting traffic from European ports to all ports on the west coasts of North and South America, and to Honolulu, &c, though in the meantime shipments will be possible via- New York. The American-Hawaiian line's services in connection with the Tehuantepec Railway will also be inaugurated on the 25th instant, and will comprise the following: — Weekly Sailings. New York, Pacific coast ports, and Hawaiian Islands; Pacific coast ports and Hawaiian Islands. Every Twelve Days. Hawaiian Islands ariid New York. Every Twenty Days. Pacific coast ports and New York. For these services the company has available a fleet with a dead-weight carrying-capacity of close upon 100,000 tons, including the following newly built steamers: — Tons. Tons. "Alaskan" .. .. .- .. 11,000 " Californian' .. .. .. 8,000 "Arizonan" .. .. ' .. 11,000 "Hawaiian" .. .. .. 8,000 "Columbian" 11,000 " Oregonian' .. .. .. 8,000 "Mexican" . .. .. 11,000 "Isthmian" .. .. .. 6,000 "Texan" .. ■• 11,000 " Nebraskan : .. .. .. 5,000 " \merioan" ~ .. . • 8,000 " Nevadan " .. .. .. 5,000
F.— 6
64
Enclosure 2 in No. 260. [Extract from the Railway Times, London, of Saturday, 19th January, 1907.] A New Inter-oceanic Railway. The inauguration in the coming week of the new Tehuantepec Railway, which is described in the present issue, together with its terminal harbours on the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, will mark the beginning of a new era in international commerce. To a large extent it will serve the purpose for which the Panama Canal is designed, and even when the project is completed i< may be expected that the Tehuantepec Railway will take a large share of the inter-oceanic traffic. In the case of the canal, the ship itself, with its cargo, will pass from sea to sea, while in the case of the railway the cargo must be unloaded at one end, transported over the railway, and loaded into another ship at the other end. This disadvantage is counterbalanced by the fact that the sea route via Tehuantepec is more than a thousand miles shorter than that by Panama, and that the most approved and powerful appliances have been provided at each end of the railway for loading and unloading cargo. For a great proportion of the long-distance traffic of the world it appears that the terrible detour round Cape Horn or through the Straits of Magellan will be a thing of the past. The Mexican Government are to be congratulated on the successful termination of their efforts and on the realisation of an idea which, in the shape first of a canal and then of a railway, has been before men's minds for centuries. Messrs. S. Pearson and Son (Limited), the great British contractors, who have carried out the work of reconstructing the old and comparatively useless railway, and of building the harbours, are also to be congratulated on their success in a work of much difficulty. They have done everything in a most thorough manner, and have once more shown their great power of organization in executing large and difficult works in a foreign country far away from natural bases and supplies. As a headquarters for their work. and also for the railway when completed, they built a modern town in what may be described as the wilderness, erected' large workshops, and generally provided the requirements of European civilisation in a tropical region which hitherto has been sparsely populated by white men. As an interesting and somewhat amusing instance of British impartiality and of combining the swaviter in inodo with the fortiter in it, it may be mentioned that they provided quarters cheek by jowl for a Roman Catholic chapel and a Masonic lodge. Within a few days steamers will be entering and leaving the harbours at each end of the railway and goods will be transported by it, with great resulting economy both of time and money for trade between Europe and the east coast of America on the one hand, and Pacific Ocean ports, both in the New and the Old World, on the other. The shade of Hernando Cortes, who built a road across the peninsula in the sixteenth century, ought now to feel much gratification.
No. 261. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir, Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 13th February, 1907. Tehunntepec Mail Route. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 13th and 20th December last, on the above-noted subject, enclosing copy of correspondence with the lx>udou Post Office and the General European Agent of the Tehuantepec National Railway Company, of Mexico, together with printed matter and maps. I note that you are of opinion that it would be well to await further developments of the mail-service between the United Kingdom and Salina Cruz before any definite steps are taken for the extension of that service to New Zealand. I have, &c, Wμ. Hall-Jones, Acting Prime Minister. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. [P.O. 07/237.]
No. 262. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. S IR) Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 22nd March, 1907. Tehuantepec Mail Route. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your further letter of the 26th January last, forwarding cuttings from the Railway Times, Commercial Intelligence, and the Times Engineering Supplement, giving additional information relating to the Tehuantepec National Railway; also a sailing card of the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company's new route between Atlantic and Pacific ports via Tehuantepec. I have, &c, John G. Findlat, For Acting Prime Minister. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. [P.O. 07/237(1).|
Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,000 onpies), fS2 12b. 6d.
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Permanent link to this item
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Bibliographic details
OCEAN MAIL-SERVICES (FURTHER PAPERS RELATING TO). [In continuation of Paper F.-6a, presented on the 27th October, 1906.], Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1907 Session I, F-06
Word Count
36,614OCEAN MAIL-SERVICES (FURTHER PAPERS RELATING TO). [In continuation of Paper F.-6a, presented on the 27th October, 1906.] Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1907 Session I, F-06
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