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No. 81. Messrs. Henderson and Macfaelane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 30th May, 1902. Certain Spreckels communicated with Washington previous to making limit of three days' delay Frisco, therefore consider it useless referring it for their further consideration. Positive, however, steamer would wait by courtesy over three days, as inland transit arrival is known to an hour. Trust you can arrange for contract to be signed and forwarded per " Sonoma."
No. 82. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macparlane, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 30th May, 1902. Frisco detention : Mr. Spreckels may or ix ay not have communicated with Washington; but, if you can give me an assurance on his behalf that in the event of the mails not arriving under four days the steamers will be detained the additional twenty-four hours, I will recommend the Minister to accept seventy-two in place of ninety-six hours, and ask him to sign two copies of the contract for the purpose of being forwarded by the " Sonoma" for final execution.
No. 83. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), Sir,— Auckland, 31st May, 1902. Your official wire of the 30th instant places us in a position in which we must again cable Messrs. the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company, as we cannot take the liberty of giving you a definite assurance on Mr. Spreckels's behalf that the mail-steamers will wait four days at San Francisco if required. We are perfectly confident, however, that the steamer would wait—as, for instance, if the mails reached Ogden on the Sunday morning the company would be perfectly well aware that they could not possibly reach San Francisco till the Monday, and would certainly not despatch the steamer at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning simply because the seventy-two hours had expired. We sincerely trust that you will consider the question in this light, as from private advice from San Francisco we are aware that the United States Government are always willing to extend the courtesy of a three or four days' delay at San Francisco on such a rare occasion as the English mail would be that time late. To refer the matter again to San Francisco, even by cable, will mean another delay of twenty-one days before the contract can go up for signature, and we feel confident your desire is to facilitate the signing of the contract, provided there are no vital questions yet left unsettled in the revised draft. If you will recommend the Minister to accept the seventy-two hours' delay at San Francisco, we, as agents, will strongly recommend our San Francisco principals to extend the seventy-tw.o to ninety-six hours, should such extension ever be required. After perusal of the foregoing, will you kindly wire us your intentions. Meantime, grateful for your past assistance in connection with this matter, We remain, &c, Henderson and Macfarlane. « The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.
No. 84. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th June, 1902. Frisco contract, and your letter 31st ultimo : Regret 1 do not see my way to recommend that detention at San Francisco provided for by clause 9 be reduced to seventy-two hours. As, however, you think it important that the contract should be signed by the Minister and forwarded by outgoing mail, this, I think, may be done on understanding that should Mr. Spreckels absolutely decline to accept the ninety-six hours' detention the seventy-two hours may be inserted by him when executing the contract, but without binding the Postmaster-General to agree to the amendment or prevent his reopening the question. Please reply at once.
No. 85. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, (American and Australian Line), Sir,— Auckland, 4th June, 1902. We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of 30th ultimo [not printed], to which is attached copy of telegrams exchanged between your Department and this firm, dealing