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No. 84. ' v ■ ' • The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 30th March, 1899. Sydney Post Office complains that sailing-hour of San Francisco steamers altered from 4 p.m. to noon without any arrangement being made. Was not aware of this alteration. Please say why made. Sydney considers 1 p.m. earliest hour at which steamers should sail, but would prefer 2 p.m. As you are no doubt aware, Queensland mails do not arrive at Redfern until 11.40 a.m., and Victorian and other colonial mails may be a little late at any time. Shall be glad if you will instruct your Sydney manager by telegraph to arrange an hour which will meet wishes of Mr. Lambton.

No. 85. The Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 30th March, 1899. Aeeanged start noon from Sydney for winter months, enable steamers in case bad weather get well up towards Auckland before dark. Point was not important under old time-table, as mail reached Sydney on Sunday. Victoria and Queensland not parties contract. Do they require special consideration ? As their mails are small it should only be slight inconvenience despatch day earlier. Prefer adhere noon, but will cable Sydney office consult Lambton.

No. 86. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 30th March, 1899. I think you should agree to meet convenience of Sydney Post Office by despatching Frisco mailsteamer either lor 2 p.m. It would be a retrograde step to require Melbourne and Brisbane mails to be closed twenty-four hours earlier than formerly.

No. 87. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. R. W. Cameeon and Co., New York. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 30th March, 1899. I have the honour, by direction of the Hon. the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of and to thank you for your letter of the 17th ultimo [see No. 57], stating that you had been assured that the present time-table of the railway-service between San Francisco and New York would be continued until the service could be accelerated. In reply, I have to inform you that, in the belief that the regularity of the trans-continental service would be maintained, the Minister decided to give a trial to the proposal to despatch the mail vid San Francisco from Auckland two days later, with a view to a close connection with the fast steamers of the American line which leave New York on Wednesdays. I have, &c, W. Geay, Secretary Messrs. R. W. Cameron and Co., No. 23, South William Street, New York.

No. 88. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 30th March, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th ultimo [see No. 60], in reference to the recent change in the sailing-day of the mail vid San Francisco from Auckland, and confirming telegrams which have passed between us on the subject. I duly received your letter of the 16th October last [see No. 104], with which you forwarded copy of a letter sent by you to the Chairman of the Eawaiian Commissioners, urging that provision be made in the proposed shipping laws to exempt foreign mail-steamers from the application of the United States shipping and coastal laws, which I apologize for not acknowledging sooner. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., W. Geay, Secretary. Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.