F.—6

11

Express No. 6. Leave San Francisco by Southern Pacific railroad at .. .. 6 p.m., saj Monday. Arrive Ogden at 5.30 a.m., Wednesday Arrive Council Bluffs by UnionJPacifioJailroad at.. .. .. 3.20 p.m., Thursday. (Transfers to fast mail-train, Burlington and Quincy railroad.) Arrive Burlington and Quincy railroad at .. .. 2.20 a.m., Friday. Arrive New York by New York Central and Hudson 4 a.m., Saturday. (This connection is seldom made.) West-bound. Time-table of Express No. 35. Leaves New York by Hudson River railroad at .. .. .. 9.16 p.m., Saturday Arrive Chicago by Lake Shore railroad at .. •• •• 8.20 p.m., Sunday. Arrive Council Bluffs by Chicago and North-western railroad at . 5.15 a.m., Monday. Arrive Ogden by Union Pacific railroad at $ij .. .. •. 2.40 p.m., Tuesday. Arrive San Francisco by Southern Pacific railroad at .. .. 6 p.m., Vednesday. Express No. 43. Leaves New.York'ty Hudson River railroad at .. .. .. 3.16 a.m., Saturday Arrives Chicago, \by Lake Shore railroad at .. .. >. 1.20 a.m., Sunday. Arrives Council Bluffs, by' Burlington and Quincy railroad at .. 2.30 p.m., Sunday. Arrives Ogden, by Union Pacific railroad at .. .. .. 3.30 a.m., Tuesday. Arrives San Francisco by Southern Pacific railroad at .. .. 11.20 a.m., Wednesday.

No. 17. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. Gentlemen,— General Post Office, Wellington, 12th May, 1904. I have the honour to inform you that the R.M.S. " Ventura " was fifty-nine hours over contract time in reaching San Francisco from Auckland on the March-April voyage. The vessel discharged the pilot at Auckland at 7.31 p.m. on the 18th March, and received the pilot at Golden Gate at 10.25 p.m. on the sth ultimo. The actual duration of the voyage was 455 hours, which, at the rate of £4 an hour for fifty-nine hours in excess of the 396 hours stipulated for in clause 11 of the contract entered into on the 30th June, 1902, makes the amount recoverable under clause 13, £236. Ihave &c W. Gray, Secretary. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, General Agents, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland.

No. 18. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), gm _ Auckland, 17th May, 1904. We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, claiming the amount of £236 against our " Ventura " by reason of its being fifty-nine hours over contract time in reaching San Francisco from Auckland on the March-April voyage. It occurs to us to inform you that an exceptionally heavy gale was raging round this coast on the 17th, 18th, and 19th March, which retarded the steamer's progress considerably; and under the circumstances had the vessel been forced to the speed required to keep contract time the lives of the passengers might have been in danger. Attached hereto we hand you a report of the trip from Captain Hayward, and will be pleased to hear if the circumstances described herein can be considered as relieving the ship from the whole or part of the claim under the exception of clause 11 of the contract reading " perils of the sea." Clause 13 of the same contract reads : " Provided that no sum shall be payable by the company under this clause in respect of any specified voyage unless the period of actual delivery of the mails at San Francisco exceeds the time of delivery provided by this contract by forty-eight hours." Do we interpret this clause correctly in thinking the forty-eight hours should be deducted from the fifty-nine hours charged? We have, &c, Henderson and Macfarlane, General Agents for New Zealand. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.