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No. 15. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th October, 1900. Frisco service: Resolutions Spreckels's service for one year passed House Representatives last night.
No. 16. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th October, 1900. Parliament passed resolutions authorising Government arrange Spreckels one year present weight basis. You had better communicate with Spreckels. Reply by wire. [See No. 93.] When will you commence new service?
No. 17. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th October, 1900. Frisco service : House of Representatives passed resolutions authorising continuance of service with Spreckels for twelve months. As Union Company's contract to be cancelled, there will be no outward steamer from Sydney twenty-first November.
No. 18. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th October, 1900. You probably have learned from newspapers this morning that resolutions re Frisco service passed by House last night. Minister agreed to cancel your contract and relieve you of sailings, as applied for. Will confirm by letter. Am as yet without definite information about commencement Spreckels's service.
No. 19. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 13th October, 1900. Letter confirming cancellation contract by to-day's mail. Have you advised Spreckels that your connection with service ceases with the departure of " Mariposa " and arrival of " Moana" ? Am informing Press Association that your contract is cancelled, and that there will be no Frisco despatch next month. Presume will hear from you next week about connecting with outward Vancouver service leaving Sydney 7th proximo, and also connection with Federal mails leaving Sydney 20th or 27th proximo.
No. 20. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th October, 1900. Referring to your telegram of the 14th July last, and more particularly to your letter of the 6th instant, asking that the contract for the San Francisco mail-service might be cancelled, and your company relieved from its sailings after the departure of the " Mariposa " on the 29th instant from Auckland and her arrival at San Francisco, and the arrival of the "Moana" at Sydney about the 28th instant, I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to inform you that, the accompanying San Francisco mail-service resolutions having been passed by the House of Representatives, empowering the Government to enter into an agreement for one year with the J. D. Spreckels and Brothers Company for the continuance of the service, the Hon. Mr. Ward agrees to relieve your company of the present contract, as requested. I am to express the Postmaster-General's regret that circumstances over which neither your company nor the Government has any control should have rendered a change in existing arrangements necessary ; and, at the same time, to place on record the highly satisfactory manner in which the service has been conducted by your company since its first contract with the Government in 1885. I shall no doubt hear from you in due course as to your proposed arrangements next month for a close connection outward with the Federal or Vancouver service, as mentioned in your telegram already referred to. The next Vancouver mail leaves Sydney on the 7th proximo, and connections with the Federal mails timed to leave Sydney on the 20th or 27th proximo would also be very suitable in substitution for the abandoned San Francisco despatch of the 20th proximo from Auckland. I have, &c, The Managing Director, W. Gray, Secretary. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.