F.—6b.

A sailing from Wellington every third Friday presents serious difficulties also, in view of its having to be maintained all the year round, but we will be prepared to undertake this on the terms quoted in our letter of the 26th April, 1899 [No. 287, F.-6, 1899] —namely, £1,000 per trip ; or for an annual payment a little in excess of the aggregate of this we will provide a fortnightly connection and employ our best steamers solely in the service. I have, &c, C. HOLDSWOBTH, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, General Manager.

No. 14. The Secbetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manages, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 21st August, 1903. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th June last, offering to run a steamer from Wellington to Sydney every third Friday for £1,000 per trip, or to provide a fortnightly steamer for a sum slightly in excess of the aggregate of that amount, so as to insure prompt connection at Sydney with the Federal steamers on the following Tuesday. In reply, I have to inform you that your terms for the sailings in question have been submitted to Cabinet, which, however, regrets its inability to favourably consider your offer. I have, &c, Thomas Eose, For Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 15. The Secketaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the SECEkTABY, Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 31st August, 1903. I have the honour, by direction, to refer to your letter of the 21st April last [No. 101, F.-6, 1903], on the subject of a weekly mail-service by way of Suez, and to inform you that offers were invited from the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) for a service from Wellington for Sydney (a) every Friday, and (6) on the Friday in each week following that on which the San Francisco mail leaves here, with the view of insuring a connection with the Suez mail leaving Sydney the following Tuesday. The Postmaster-General regrets, however, that the offers were such as he could not entertain. 1 have, &c, W. Geay, Secretary. The Secretary, Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch.

No. 16. The Seceetary, Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, S IB) Christchurch, 14th September, 1903. I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st August, referring to the weekly mail-service vid Suez, and to express the regret of the committee that the offers of the Union Steam Ship Company could not be entertained. The committee trust that, in view of the proposed acceleration of the Sydney-London service, the matter will be kept in view by the Department. I have, &c, H. Antill Adley, Secretary. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 17. The Geneeal Manages, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secbetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sib,— Dunedin, 3rd October, 1903. I duly received your letter of the 21st August, from which I gather, with regret, that the Cabinet was unable to consider favourably the offer made you by us to run a steamer from Wellington to Sydney every third Friday, so as to insure prompt connection at Sydney with the Federal mail-steamers. I have, &c, T. W. Whitson, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. For General Manager. Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,475 copies), £3 Bs. 6d.

Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9o3.

Price 6d.]

2_F. 6b.

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