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No 68. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Eesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th April, 1894. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th February last, intimating that owing to the late arrival of the Monowai "on the 19th January you considered it advisable to endeavour to detain the steamer " New York " at New York City for the arrival of the Australasian-British mails. The action you took in the matter is approved. I regret to learn, however, that your efforts did not meet with success. I have, &c, W Gray, Secretary H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., Eesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, California.

No 69 The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Eesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th April, 1894. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th February last, directing attention to the almost uniform detention at San Francisco of the steamers conveying the British mails for the Australasian Colonies, and suggesting that the day of departure from San Francisco be therefore altered to Friday The question of delay in the transit of the mails had already received consideration, as will be seen from the copy enclosed herewith of correspondence exchanged on the subject of a quicker transport across the Atlantic. You will observe that the London postal authorities, however, do not see their way to agree to the suggestions made by the Agent-General for the colony for the securing of an earlier delivery of the mails in New Zealand. But, notwithstanding the decision of the London office, the Hon. Mr Ward intends to make further representations in the matter It will also be urged that on occasions when transport of the whole mail can be secured by the swiftest vessels, the practice of dividing the mails and despatching the earlier portion by slow steamers may not be carried out. It has been decided that the question of changing the sailing-day from San Francisco shall remain in abeyance in the meantime. I have, &c, W Gray, Secretary H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., Eesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, California.

No. 70. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Eesident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th April, 1894. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth ultimo, in reference to the late despatch of the " Alameda " from your port. Considering that the mails crossed the Atlantic by the Lucania," it is to be regretted that the " Alameda " was unable to be despatched according to time-table. I note the rapid forward transit of the " Alameda's " Homeward mails, and, for the purposes of comparison, I am now endeavouring to ascertain the time taken in delivering the " Arawa's mails in London. I have, &c, W Gray, H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., Eesident Agent for New Zealand, Secretary San Francisco, California.

No 71 The Hon. the President of the Postal and Telegraph Conference, New Zealand, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington. Postal and Telegraph Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 1894. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th April, 1894. 1 have the honour to send you herewith (enclosure No. 1) copy of a resolution in relation to the San Francisco mail-service, passed by the Australasian Postal and Telegraph Conference, which sat in this city last month. You will observe that the terms of the resolution refer both to the desire of these colonies for the continuance of a service performed through United States territory, and also to the inadequate support accorded the San Francisco service hitherto by your Government, and the prohibitive charges for the United States transit with which, in maintaining it through the now long period of years during which it has been regularly carried on, this colony in particular has had to contend. Negotiations for the proposed renewal of the service should be set on foot almost immediately, and I shall be glad to learn from you, at as early a date as possible, whether your Government can see its way to increase its payment in aid of the service. I shall also be glad to hear at the same