12
F.—6
new San Francisco mail contract, you cannot pass the vouchers we have sent in to you for mailages subsequent to the Ist November. Probably the following extract, from communications that have passed between ourselves and Mr. J. D. Spreckels will be sufficient information on which to pass the vouchers meantime, and we can undertake to obtain Messrs. Spreckels's receipt for the money in due course:— Cablegram, 24th July, from J. D. Spreckels to Union Steam Ship Company: " Will you continue acting as agents under new service ?" Cablegram, 31st July, from Union Steam Ship Company to J. D. Spreckels, San Francisco: " Prepared to continue agency . . . until discuss personally. " Extract from letter from J. D. Spreckels to James Mills, 31st August, 1900 : " In response to yours of Ist August, confirming your cablegram re continuing our agency, I had postponed this matter, having expected to sail for the colonies on our first new steamer, which I had expected would leave in place of the " Mariposa " this trip. I have not yet considered any plans regarding the appointment of agents, having left that matter for discussion with you, believing that it might be agreeable to us both that you should continue to act on our behalf. lam pleased that you will retain the agency until we have had this personal discussion." I have, &c, T. W. Whitson, for Managing Director. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.
No. 49. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir,—- General Post Office, Wellington, 21st January, 1901. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo, on the subject of the conveyance of Australian correspondence by the steamers of the San Francisco mailservice. I note that your department has arranged to pay 2s. per pound for letters and post-cards, and 4s. 6d. per hundredweight for other matter, conveyed from Sydney to San Francisco. I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. W. Gray, Secretary.
No. 50. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 21st January, 1901. I have the honour to inform you that the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, advises me that his department has arranged with your company to pay the under-mentioned rates for mailmatter despatched thence by the San Francisco mail-steamers, commencing with the "Alameda," which left Sydney on the Ist ultimo : namely, Letters and post-cards, 2s. per pound; other mailmatter, 4s. 6d. per hundredweight. . I am, &c, The Managing Director, W. Gray, Secretary. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.
No. 51. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Under-Secretary and Superintendent of Telegraphs, Brisbane. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 31st January, 1901. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th instant, on the subject of sea-transit rates for Queensland correspondence conveyed by steamers to San Francisco. In reply, I have to inform you that the existing rate of payment is to continue to be paid for the time being. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Under-Secretary and Superintendent of Telegraphs, Brisbane.
No. 52. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, Ist February, 1901. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th ultimo, in connection with subsidy-payments for the San Francisco mail-service. As I hope to receive definite information on the subject from the United States Post Office by the next mail-steamer arriving from San Francisco, it would perhaps be as well to allow the question, as to whom the payments are to be made to, to stand over until then. I may, however, say that the postal authorities at Washington have intimated that the Messrs. Spreckels were not authorised to enter into any arrangement with the New Zealand Government for the conveyance