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of mails from San Francisco to this colony. [No. 108.] Payments heretofore made by the London Post Office for the carriage of its mails to New Zealand are in future to be recovered by the United States Post Office. I have, &c, The Managing Director, W. Gray, Secretary. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 53. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir,— Dunedin, 15th February, 1901. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of Ist instant re subsidy-pay-ments for the San Francisco mail-service. I hope the advice you receive by the incoming mail will enable you to pass our vouchers for payment of subsidies due the Oceanic Company. I have, &c, T. W. Whitson, for General Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 54. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 21st February, 1901. Referring to your letter of the 15th instant, on the subject of the subsidy-payments for the San Francisco mail-service, I have the honour to inform you that no advice was received on the matter from the United States Post Office by last mail. As, however, Mr. Spreckels is said to be en route for New Zealand by the s.s. " Ventura," the question should remain over until his arrival here. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 55. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Auckland, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Auckland, sth March, 1901. The outward San Francisco mail at present closes at this port at 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings. The mercantile community find this early hour on Saturday to be very inconvenient, and I am directed to bring this matter under your notice, and to ask that the time for closing this mail may be extended from 11 a.m. till 12 noon, thus giving merchants and the public an extra hour to enable them to complete their correspondence without undue rush. While the hour may not disarrange the movements of the mail-steamer, it would be of great moment to those seeking this concession at your hands. Trusting you may see your way to grant this request, I am, &c, The Hon.« the Postmaster-General, Wellington. H. Goulstone, Secretary.

No. 56. The Managing Director, Onion Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 18th March, 1901. It has been arranged that after despatch of " Ventura " we hand over Frisco agency in Sydney to Burns, Philp, and Company, and Auckland agency to Henderson and Macfarlane.

No. 57. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 19th March, 1901. I have the honour to inform you that the Auckland Chamber of Commerce has represented that it would be a convenience to business-people were the San Prancisco mail closed there at noon instead of 11 a.m. The Chief Postmaster thinks that it would be a greater advantage were the hour extended to 1 p.m., and states that on the 6th February and 2nd instant the mail-steamer did not get away