P.—6

16

I shall esteem it a favour if you will ask the Postmaster-General to give the matter his early consideration, and to communicate to me his views respecting it. I am, &c, W B. Peeceval, The Secretary to the General Post Office, St. Martins-le-Grand. Agent-General.

Enclosure 2 m No. 56. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-Genebal. Sib, — General Post Office, London, 29th December, 1893. The Postmaster-General has had before him your letter of the 19th instant, in which you suggest that, with a view of securing on some occasions an earlier arrival in New Zealand, by twenty-four hours, the mails for that colony sent by the route of San Francisco should be despatched by one of the fast steamers of the American Line from Southampton, instead of by one of the Cunard steamers from Queenstown, or, if still forwarded by the Cunard Line, that arrangements should be made for the steamer to leave Queenstown with the mails on board early on Sunday morning. In thanking you for these suggestions, I am directed to observe, in regard to the first, that there are many good reasons for the practice followed by this department in sending its mails by the contract services which it maintains, and that the only contract services to New York are those with the Cunard and White Star Companies. The arrangement is to send all correspondence going to or through the United States by the mail packets provided by the two companies abovementioned, unless specially superscribed for transmission by other vessels. But even if, on all occasions, an earlier arrival in New Zealand by twenty-four hours would result from the use of the Southampton route, this would only be attained by curtailing the time for posting in London and increasing the Friday night's posting, which latter effect would involve very serious inconvenience and risk of deranging other important services. You are perhaps not aware that, according to a list published by the Cunard Company, the " Campania," which has been withdrawn for a time, will resume her voyages from Liverpool on the 24th February next, the day fixed for the despatch of mails from London to New Zealand, via San Francisco. On Sunday, the 25th February, therefore, and every fourth Sunday thenceforward for some time, the " Campania " will carry from Queenstown the British mails for New Zealand, and, according to past performances, she may be expected to arrive at New York on the following Friday night or Saturday morning in each case. To carry out the second suggestion made in your letter would involve a despatch from London on Saturday afternoon instead of in the evening. The practicability of such a change has already been carefully considered by Mr Morley, on representations made directly to the Post Office by Sir John Burns, and it has been found that whatever advantage London might gain could only be secured at a great sacrifice of public convenience in the provinces or a very large expenditure of public money I have, &c, H. BUXTON FoBMAN W B. Perceval, Esq , Agent-General for New Zealand.

No. 57 The J D. Speeokels and Beothees Company San Francisco, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington Dear Sic, — San Francisco, 11th January, 1894. Preferring to your communication of the 20th of October, in reference to the despatch of mails from London On the 30th ultimo the mails for the " Mariposa " were despatched from London by the s.s. " Servia," of the Cunard line. They arrived in New York on January Bth (Monday last) and we are accordingly obliged to defer the sailing of the "Mariposa" until the 13th. Had they been despatched by the s.s. " Paris," sailing from Southampton on the same day December 30th, we should have been enabled to leave here on schedule-time, as the mail of the " Paris " arrived promptly in New York on Saturday, the 6th instant. Cannot the swiftest steamer be utilised in the despatch of these mails from London on the appointed days ? We believe that pressure from the postal authorities in Wellington can bring this about. Yours, &c, J D Spbeckels and Beothees Company W. Gray, Esq., Secretary, General Post-Office, Wellington.

No 58. The Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Kesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sih, — General Post Office, "Wellington, 25th January, 1894. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the loth ultimo, advising me, among other matters, of your interview with the Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, in reference to the inadequate contribution of the United States to the San Francisco mailservice.