13

F.—6

Steamers leave Sydney at 4 p.m. Tuesday, every three weeks; arrive Auckland, 10 a.m. Saturday ; arrive Samoa, 7 a.m. Wednesday; arrive Honolulu, 4 p.m. Tuesday; arrive San Francisco, 6 a.m. Monday. Time in Ports. Terminals—San Francisco ... ... ... ... ... 9 days. Sydney ... ... ... ... ... 12 „ Distances. Sydney to Auckland ... ... ... ... ... 1,280 miles. Auckland to Samoa ... ... ... ... ... 1,560 „ Samoa to Honolulu ... ... . . ... ... 2,270 „ Honolulu to San Francisco... ... ... ... ... 2,100 „

No. 36. The Hon. the Pbemiee, Wellington, to the Hon. the Pbemiee and Colonial Tebasubee, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 3rd May, 1900. 'Fb'isco service: This Government has not received further official information about the proposed American fast service. You have probably seen in the Press that Messrs. Spreckels have secured a ten-years contract from the United States. The Union Company, with whom Messrs. Spreckels are associated in carrying out present service, have received no confirmation of this. The United States Government, however, had called for tenders for a fast Pacific service by American boats manned by American crews. Messrs. Spreckels towards the end of last year informed Government that they proposed running a three-weekly service between San Francisco, Auckland, and Sydney by fast steamers of six thousand tons, then building in America, capable of performing the voyage between San Francisco and Auckland in from sixteen to seventeen days, providing a delivery of mails between the colony and London in from twenty-six to twenty-seven and half days, and thp,t in addition to any subsidy from United States they expected £30,000 per annum from colonies. As any such service would shut out the Union Company or a British-owned or built vessel, our House of instructed Government that in negotiating for a fast service it should be provided "that at least one British-owned steamer shall be employed in the service." My object in now communicating with you is to ascertain whether a purely American service would be acceptable to your colony, if no other service is to be secured, and what proportion of the £30,000 asked by Messrs. Spreckels your colony would be prepared to find. ' I

No. 37. The Deputy Postmasteb-Gbnebal, Sydney, to the Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Sydney, 19th May, 1900. Have received from Spreckels time-table of proposed new service of Oceanic Steamship Company, to commence first November, between San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney. Has any definite proposal reached you regarding this company ?

Steamers. Leave Sydney. Leave Auckland. Leave Samoa. Leave Honolulu. Arrive San Francisco. 1900. Tuesday. Dec. 4 1900. Saturday. Dec. ' 8 1900. Wednesday. Dec. 12 1901. 1900. Tuesday. Dec. 18 1901. 1900. Monday. Dec. 24 1901. Sonoma iierra Dec. 25 1901. Dec. 29 1901. Jan. 19 Feb. 9 March 2 March 23 April 13 May 4 May 25 June 15 July 6 July 27 Aug. 17 Sept. 7 Sept. 28 Oct. 19 Nov. 9 Nov. 30 Jan. 2 Jan. 8 Jan. 14 Centura Jan. 15 Feb. 5 Feb. 26 March 19 April 9 April 30 May 21 June 11 July 2 July 23 Aug. 13 Sept. 3 Sept. 24 Oct. 15 Nov. 5 Nov. 26 Jan. 23 Feb. 13 March 6 March 27 April 17 May 8 May 29 June 19 July 10 July 31 Aug. 21 Sept. 11 Oct. 2 Oct. 23 Nov. 13 Dec. 4 Jan. 29 Feb. 19 March 12 April 2 April 23 May 14 June 4 June 25 July 16 Aug. 6 Aug. 27 Sept. 17 Oct. 8 Oct. 29 Nov. 19 Dee. 10 Feb. 4 Feb. 25 March 18 April 8 April 29 May 20 June 10 July 1 July 22 Aug. 12 Sept. 2 Sept. 23 Oct. 14 Nov. 4 Nov. 25 Dec. 16 Sonoma Sierra Centura Sonoma Sierra Centura Sonoma Sierra Centura Sonoma Sierra Centura Sonoma Sierra Centura