F.—2

POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH CONFERENCE, 1894.

REPORT OF DELEGATES ATTENDING THE INTERCOLONIAL POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH CONFERENCE HELD IN NEW ZEALAND IN MARCH, 1894.

All the colonies were represented. The Conference sat on the sth, 6th, 7th, and Bth March at Wellington, and on the 19th March at Auckland. The principal resolutions agreed to were as follows : — POSTAL SERVICE. CANADIAN PACIFIC MAIL-SEE VICE. That this Conference is favourable to a four-weekly service (alternating with the San Francisco service) between Australia, New Zealand, and Vancouver, the mail-steamers calling at one main port in New Zealand and such ports in Australia as may be determined upon. SAN FEANCISCO MAIL-SEBVICE. That, in the opinion of this Conference, it is desirable that a four-weekly service via San Francisco be continued, and that strong representations be again made to the United States Government, pointing out the inadequate support given to the service by them, and urging for an increased payment in support of the line, and that further representations be made to obtain a reduction in the heavy overland charges. OCEAN MAIL-SEBVICE. That this Conference agrees to the extension of the present Federal mailfcontracts with the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient Companies for a period of one year from the 31st January, 1895. PENNY POSTAGE FEOM GEEAT BEITAIN TO AUSTBALASIA. That, with regard to the proposals from time to time made for penny postage between Great Britain and the colonies, and more recently that such be adopted for letters from the United Kingdom, leaving the rate from the colonies as at present, this Conference, while recognising the desirableness of adopting the lowest possible rates, desires to express the opinion that the heavy cost of providing speedy and. regular communication does not admit of any further reduction being made at the present time, the reduction to 2jd. in 1891 having resulted in an annual loss to the colonies of about £40,000 , and that the partial reduction proposed — namely, m the rate from Great Britain — would be most undesirable, as such a measure would compel the colonies to reduce their inland and intercolonial rates from 2d. to Id., involving a probable loss to them of a quarter of a million per annum, in addition to that already mentioned as the result of the reduction to 2 Jd., and that a copy of the foregoing be transmitted to the Imperial Government. POSTAL UNION CONGBESS. That the question of the appointment of a delegate to attend the Postal Union Congress at its next meeting be postponed.