F.—6b.

No. 9. Mr. Dunnet, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), Sir, — . Wellington, 16th September, 1903. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 14th instant, referring to the proposals of the Oceanic Steamship Company to renew the San Francisco mail-service contract with the Colony of New Zealand. Since receipt of this I have communicated with San Francisco by cable, and beg to state that the company are willing to agree to renew the mail contract on the terms of payment in last contract, provided the period be not less than five (5) years; but they would prefer a term of seven (7) years. With such a term they hope to make the line pay, which it is not doing at present. The Oceanic Company feel that short periods of contract do not enable them to advertise and develop the line, from a tourist point of view, so fully as they would wish. Such development would be to the mutual advantage of the Colony of New Zealand and themselves. I have, &c, G. Dunnet. The Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, K.C.M.G., Postmaster-General, Wellington.

No. 10. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), Sib,— Auckland, 17th September, 1903. We have the honour to enclose herewith memorandum of agreement [No. 5] renewing and extending the Oceanic Company's mail contract with your Government for a period of six months dating from the 31st May, 1903. We have, &c, Henderson and Maoparlane. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 11. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. Gentlemen, — ' General Post Office, Wellington, 21st September, 1903. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant, forwarding memorandum of agreement, duly signed by the contractors, extending the contract between the Oceanic Steamship Company and the Postmaster-General for the San Francisco mail-service for a period of six months from the 31st May last. I have, &c, Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. W. Gray, Secretary.

No. 12. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Mr. Dunnet, Wellington. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 22nd October, 1903. I have been directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th ultimo, advising that the Oceanic Steamship Company would now agree to renew the San Francisco mail-service contract with this colony on existing terms of payment, provided that the term be not less than five years, but that a seven years' agreement would be preferred. In reply, I am to inform you that Cabinet is unable to recommend a renewal of the service for a longer term than three years. I have, &c, G. Dunnet, Esq., Wellington Club, Wellington. W. Gray, Secretary.

AUSTRALIA-SUEZ SERVICES.

No. 13. 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, 29th June, 1903. I have the pleasure to acknowledge receipt of your favour of the 23rd ultimo [No. 102, F.-6, 1903], asking on what terms we could arrange for a close connection with the Suez mail at Sydney by despatching a steamer from Wellington every Friday, or every third Friday. I regret that we cannot see our way to offer a weekly Friday sailing, except upon terms which would appear to be out of the question. Our present New Zealand-Sydney running is that which is best suited for the trade, and to change it would involve sacrificing the interests of the other ports included in the Melbourne-New Zealand-Sydney service, and making them subservient to the Wellington-Sydney connection.

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