E.—6a

4

"That the Government be written to, urging that Auckland be allowed to remain the port of call and departure for the San Francisco mail-service, as the Chamber considers it is more suitable than Wellington." . . . I have, &c, R. H. B. Robinson, Honorary Secretary. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington.

No. 4. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Hon. Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Gisborne. General Post Office, Wellington, 16th June, 1899. Sir, — San Francisco Mail-service : Port of Gall. ' I have the honour, by direction, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, on the above-noted subject, which will receive consideration. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Hon. Secretary, Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, Gisborne.

No. 5. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Post and Electric Telegraph Department, General Post Office, Sir,— Sydney, 16th June, 1899. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to forward herewith a copy of a letter which has been addressed to him by the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, regarding a proposal in connection with the San Francisco mail-service to make Wellington the port of call instead of Auckland. I have, &c, S. H. Lambton, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

Enclosure in No. 5. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Sydney, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir, — Sydney Chamber of Commerce, Sydney, N.S.W., 9th June, 1899. I have the honour, by direction of the committee of this Chamber, to call your attention to the proposal in connection with the San Francisco mail-service, to make Wellington, New Zealand, the port of call instead of Auckland, New Zealand, and to hand you herewith copy of a statement made by the Auckland Chamber on the subject. The committee of the Sydney Chamber recognises that the making of Wellington the port of call instead of Auckland will of necessity retard the delivery of mails by the San Francisco route, and desire to respectfully protest against any alteration which will have this effect. Apart from the question of the mails, the delay and possible inconvenience to Australian passengers must not be lost sight of, and, as these are fully twice the number of the distinctly New Zealand passengers, their claims to consideration should have special attention. The report alluded to in the first paragraph shows that the Australian cargo inward, carried by the San Francisco mail-steamers, is six times greater than that for New Zealand, and, as you doubtless are aware, delay in receipt of cargo is a disadvantage to consignees. The committee consider the proposal a retrograde movement, and respectfuly desire you to thoroughly investigate it, and not allow of the proposed change, for, so far as the public are concerned, the committee are unaware that this colony, which contributes to the subsidy, has been consulted in the matter. I have, &c, Henry Chas. Mitchell, Secretary. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney.

No. 6. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the President, Chamber of Commerce, Auckland. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 19th June, 1899. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th ultimo, and to say in reply that it has never been the intention of Government to substitute Wellington for Auckland as the port of call for the San Francisco mail-steamers. I have read your letter with much interest, and am pleased indeed to learn of the increasing commercial prosperity of Auckland and the North. I have, &c, W. C. Walker, The President, Chamber of Commerce, Auckland. For Postmaster-General.