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(No. 6.) The Managing Directoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir,— Dunedin, 10th January, 1896. Referring to your communication of the 20th ultimo, regarding the acceleration of the train-service in America probably permitting the mail-steamers to leave San Francisco for Auckland a day earlier than at present, I enclose for your information copy of a letter received from Messrs. Spreckels and Brothers by this mail bearing upon the same subject. I have, &c, W. Gray, Esq., T. W. Whitson, Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. For Managing Director. (Enclosure in No. 6.) The J. D. Spreckels and Brothers Company, San Francisco, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Dear Sir, — San Francisco, 9th December, 1895. Our telegraphic advices of the steamer bringing Australian mails for despatch by the s.s. " Monowai " were received this morning, and read as follows : First one from Fire Island, to the effect that the s.s. " Etruria " south of Fire Island at 8.55 p.m., Saturday, 7th December. Later message, dated 11 p.m.: " 'Etruria's ' mails will reach wharf about 1.30 a.m., Sunday, Bth December." The Post Office advised us that the mails were despatched from New York at 9.30 yesterday morning, Sunday, Bth December, which, according to the new schedule of train-service, will bring the mails here on the evening of the 12th, at 8.45 ; we accordingly look for the sailing of the " Monowai" between 8.45 p.m. and midnight on the 12th. Were it not for this recently expedited train-service the mails would not have arrived here before Friday morning, the 13th, and the " Monowai's " hour of sailing would be 2 p.m. We notice by the sailing of the Cunard line that the " Etruria " will be on the course to bring the next Australian mail for despatch by the s.s. " Alameda," and in February it will be the "_Umbria," and in March probably the "Umbria" again. But no steamer is advertised for the sailing from Liverpool, 22nd February. In event the " Campania" and " Lucania " are returned to this course, as was the case last year, it is more than likely that Wednesday will be a possible sail-ing-day from here, as intimated to you some time ago; that is, if the present running overland train is continued. For instance, when the steamer arrives in New York too late for the despatch by the evening train, and the mail is despatched on the morning train ("Lucania" and " Campania" generally arrive in New York before midnight on Friday), the departure from here will be Wednesday, but should the mail arrive in time for the Friday evening's train from New York, which was the case once this year, and the mail arrive here on Wednesday, a day ahead of time, the time of departure may be made 2 p.m. on Wednesday. If the overland train is continued, as is probable, it will be well to calculate on this change, in event the " Campania " and " Lucania " are returned to the course. By the "Etruria" and " Umbria" bringing the mails we can hardly look for the Wednesday day of departure from here. Yours, &c, J. D. Spreckels and Brothers Company, Per L. F. Cockeoft. P.S.—A further delay of six hours put the sailing off until Friday at 9 a.m. Mr. James Mills, Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. (No. 7.) The Seceetary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Post and Telegraph Department, General Post Office, Sir,— Wellington, 23rd January, 1896. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th December last and enclosures, advising me of the acceleration of the train-service between the Atlantic sea-board and San Francisco, and informing me of the action taken by you in the direction of changing the sailing-date of the steamers from your port to the Wednesday instead of the Thursday. In reply, I beg to inform you that the Postmaster-General desires that every advantage should be taken of the accelerated train-service, and that, if practicable, Wednesday should be substituted for Thursday as the sailing-day, as suggested. My letter of the 20th idem, in reply to yours of the 14th November, will have informed you that I had written to the Union Steam Ship Company, asking that arrangements might be made with Messrs. Spreckels and Brothers Company for a Wednesday departure of the steamers from San Francisco, and I now enclose copy of their reply, and copy of letter from Messrs. Spreckels to the Union Steam Ship Company on the same subject. From these you will gather that the contractors are quite willing to adopt Wednesday as a sailingday. Mr. Mills, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, is a passenger by the " Monowai," and I have taken the opportunity to ask him to arrange with Messrs. Spreckels and Brothers Company to change the sailing-day to the Wednesday if it is still reasonably certain that the accelerated train-service will be continued, and that the London mails will continue to be despatched by the fastest steamers on the Atlantic line. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., W. Gray, Secretary. Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.