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UNITED STATES CONTBIBUTION AND CHABGES. No. 58. The Supeeintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-Geneeal, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., Sir,— 20th November, 1891. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to inform you that in a letter dated the 2nd ultimo the British office has called attention to the circumstance that, by reason of the entrance to the Universal Postal Union on the Ist October, 1891, of the Australasian Colonies, the British office will no longer settle with this department for the land-transit from San Francisco to New York, and the sea-transit from New York to Queenstown or Southampton, of the closed mails despatched from the colonies for Great Britain via San Francisco; but that such settlement for the United States intermediary transit expenses of said closed mails despatched on and after the Ist ultimo should be had by this department directly with colonies, pursuant to the provisions of Article 4 of the Universal Postal Union Convention, now in force ; and that the colonies had been so informed. The Postal Union Convention signed in Vienna in July last (paragraph 6 of Article 4 and paragraph 7 of Article 17 of the Convention, and paragraph 2 of Article XXIII. of the regulations for its execution) provides that the triennial statistics to be taken in November, 1893, shall furnish the basis for settlement of the accounts for intermediary transit during the years 1892, 1893, and 1894. Consequently, the expenses of the intermediary transit of the mails despatched from the Ist January, 1892, to the 31st December, 1894, will be settled for upon the basis of the weights of the mails despatched from the colonies during the first twenty-eight days of November, 1893. But those statistics will have no bearing upon the mails despatched from the Ist October to the 31st- December of the current year ; and, with a view to the prompt settlement of the transit expenses of said mails, I am directed to suggest that the practice which has heretofore prevailed in the settlement of these accounts with the British office be continued with respect to the mails despatched up to the 31st December next—that is to say, the charges for the United States intermediary transit, territorial and sea—be calculated upon the actual net weight of said mails. Presuming that the proposed arrangement will meet with your approbation, I have to request that you will furnish this department, at your early convenience, with a statement showing, in grammes, the net weights of the letters and other articles (separately) contained in each of the closed mails for Great Britain made up in and despatched from New Zealand via the United States from the Ist October to the 31st December, 1891, in order that the account may be prepared in this department, and transmitted to your Administration for acceptance. I am, &c, N. M. Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails. The Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 59. The Supeeintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-Geneeal, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of Foreign Mails, Washington, Sir,— 4th December, 1891. Referring to this department's letter of the 20th ultimo, relative to the settlement of the United States intermediary transit charges on the closed mails from New Zealand for Great Britain, despatched during the period from the Ist October last, the date of New Zealand's entrance to the Universal Postal Union, to the Ist January, 1892, from which date the settlement of all intermediary transit charges will be made upon the basis of the statistics to be taken in November, 1893, I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to request that you will cause this department to be informed, at your early convenience, of the net weights (letters and other articles separately) of each of the closed mails despatched from New Zealand to any foreign country through the intermediary of the United States from the Ist October to the 31st December, 1891, inclusive. The information in question is necessary in order that the transit account between your Administration and this department for the period referred to may be prepared ; and the Postmaster of San Francisco reports that the letter-bills of the mails from New Zealand for his office received since the Ist October have not advised the weights of the closed mails, as was the practice previously. I am, &c, N. M. Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails. The Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 60. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington. Post and Telegraph Department, General Post Office, Wellington, Sib,— 28th January, 1892. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 20th November and the 4th ultimo, and, in reference to your request to be supplied with the net weight of each closed mail