F.—6

SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

CONTRACT WITH THE OCEANIC COMPANY, ETC.

No. 1. Messrs. Henderson and Macfaelane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), g lß> _ Auckland, 6th May, 1904. The Sydney agents of the Oceanic Steamship Company write to us that they have a dispute with the Commonwealth Government as to the rates paid for the carriage of Australian mails by the American and Australian line to San Francisco, and request us to send them a statement showing the amount paid by Fiji and New Caledonia and New Zealand, inclusive of rates between Auckland and Sydney. As we are not aware of the rates paid by Fiji and New Caledonia we will esteem it a favour if you will kindly have a statement drawn up showing the information required, provided, of course, that you have the information concerning the outside States at hand for' reference. Thanking you hi anticipation of your kind attention, We have, &c, Henderson and Maoparlane, General Agents for New Zealand. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 2. Messrs. Henderson and Macfaelane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), g m _ Auckland, 9th May, 1904. We have the honour to refer you to our letter of the 6th instant, dealing with the request of the Sydney agents of the Oceanic Company for the information concerning the rates paid for mails by Oceanic steamers from Fiji and New Caledonia. They now write us in the same connection as follows: "We shall be obliged if you will send us a statement showing the amounts paid by Fiji and New Caledonia to the Oceanic Company from the beginning of the present service in November, 1900, year by year, together with, if possible, the weights and the rates; also statement showing the payments, weights, and rates by New Zealand on New Zealand mails Auckland to Sydney " Touching the Auckland-Sydney mail-service, we take it they also wish a statement showing payments made from November, 1900, and trust, if we are not troubling you too much in this, matter, that you will be able to send us the information. We have, &c, Henderson and Macfarlane, General Agents for New Zealand. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 3. [Extract from the New Zealand Times, Ist June, 1904.] Victorian Mail Contract*. Melbourne, 31st May, 1904. A curious blunder has been made by the Victorian postal authorities over the carriage of San Francisco mails. _ Under the old arrangement the State remitted poundage payments to the New Zealand Government which handed them over to the contractors. Under the new method the Federal Government conveyed the mails and placed them on board the steamer at Sydney, and debited each State with the amount due for its mails. The Victorian postal authorities, in addition to paying tin-, continued remitting to New Zealand the 12s. poundage rate, oblivious of the fact that it was paying twice, until the AuditorGeneral dropped on the matter. Victoria is now seeking to secure repayment of over £3,000 from the Oceanic Company.