F.—6.

No. 57. The Sbcebtaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to che Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 12th November, 1902. I have the honour to inform you that an agency of the New Zealand Post Office has been established at Fanning Island, and that parcels for that place may be treated and sent forward in the New Zealand mails under the same conditions as apply to parcels for places on the mainland of this colony. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [The same letter also sent to the Deputy Postmasters-General, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Ottawa ; the Superintendent, Office of Foreign Mails, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C. ; and the Director-General of Posts, Berlin.]

No. 58. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Pacific Cable Board, London. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th November, 1902. I have the honour to inform you that, anticipating your approval, an agency of the New Zealand Post Office has been established at Fanning Island, Mr. Outhbert, the Superintendent of the cable station, having expressed his willingness to act as Postmaster. The post-office should be a convenience to the Pacific Cable Board's employees on the'island, as it will enable them to receive ordinary mail-matter from all parts of the world, as well as parcels from places which have parcelpost exchanges with New Zealand. I have, &c, The General Manager, Pacific Cable Board, London. W. Gray, Secretary.

No. 59. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 14th November, 1902. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th September last, and to thank you for informing him that, once in six weeks, there will be an opportunity for sending correspondence to Fanning Island by means of the mail-steamers on the line from Auckland to San Francisco. With reference to the statement that any correspondence from this country for Fanning Island sent via San Francisco should be enclosed in the mail labelled " Samoa," I am to say that instructions have been given accordingly. It is understood that, as matters stand, the connection will be secured by the mails leaving London on the 15th November, 27th December, and thenceforward every six weeks. There would, it is calculated, be no advantage in sending correspondence for Fanning Island to Auckland via Italy on the first and second Fridays following a despatch by the San Francisco route. The Director of the International Bureau of the Postal Union has inquired of this Department, in connection with a communication which he had received from you, whether Fanning Island is included in the Postal Union. The Postmaster-General has no certain knowledge of the position in which the island stands in regard to the Government of New Zealand, and he is inquiring of the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it should, for postal purposes, be regarded as part of New Zealand, and as such included not only in the Postal Union, but in the penny-postage system. I am, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. H. Buxton Forman.

No. 60. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 18th November, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant, on the subject of the payment for the carriage of mails from New Caledonia by the San Francisco steamers, and, in reply, beg to inform you that, New Caledonia having settled annual accounts with this Department to the 31st December, 1900, on the basis fixed by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, the date of payment to your company by the Administration in question should be as from the Ist January, 1901. This account your company will, of course, have settled directly by New Caledonia. As to the carriage of mails for Fiji, claim has now been made by this Department for the June and September quarters of the present year. As soon as payment owing for the full year up to the 30th June, 1902, is received the amount will be handed over. This should be in a few weeks now. I have, &c, Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, W. Gray, Secretary, General Agents for New Zealand, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland.

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