23
F.—6
No. 50. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company (Limited), Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 23rd June, 1904. Kindly advise whether it is intended steamers shall call at Fanning Island on outward or inward voyage.
. No. 51. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 23rd June, 1904. " Aorangi " September and alternate steamers following call Fanning Island going north. Calls are conditional on weather or other circumstances being favourable. If north-going steamer unable call she will tranship to south-going steamer Honolulu, and should latter be compelled to pass on will tranship to north-going steamer at Suva.
No. 52. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd June, 1904. Sir, — Mails for Fanning Island. Referring to the recent termination of the arrangement whereby Fanning Island was served by the San Francisco mail-steamers, this Department understands that the present proposal is that the vessels of the Canadian-Australian line shall, from September next, call at the island six times a year. I enclose herewith, for your information, copy of a letter which has been addressed to the London Post Office, advising that in the meantime H.M.C.S. " Iris " will probably visit Fanning Island next month, and that mail-matter should continue to be forwarded to Auckland for onward despatch, except in the case of maiis leaving London on the 29th July, and every eighth week thereafter. Anticipating your consent, I have asked that correspondence sent in every eighth week should be enclosed in rhe mail for Sydney, and I should be obliged if you would arrange for that office to make up a special bag, addressed to the Postmaster, Fanning Island, using the same letter-bill as for mails to New Zealand. Perhaps you would instruct the Brisbane office to make up a mail also. Any mail-matter posted or received in Australia for Fanning Island between the direct despatches should be sent to Auckland, as there may be occasional opportunities for despatch of mails by H.M.C.S. " Iris." 1 have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne.
No. 53. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Post Office Department, Canada, Ottawa, 30th June, 1904. With reference to your communication of the Ist December last [No. 67, F.-6, 1904], requesting a copy of the contract for a mail-service between Canada and France, I beg to say that this matter did not reach beyond the stage of negotiation, and that a contract has not been entered into, the promoters having failed to fill the conditions required by this Government. There has, therefore, been no contract, and, the negotiations having been confidential, I am unable to inform you what the conditions of the proposed contract were. I have, &c, R. M. Coulter, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.
No. 54. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, Sir,— Melbourne, 20th July, 1904. With reference to your letter of the 23rd ultimo, forwarding copy of a communication, dated the 21st idem, addressed by you to the Secretary, General Post Office, London, relative to the transmission of correspondence for Fanning Island, and asking that certain arrangements be made by this Department in connection with the matter, I have the honour to inform you the Post-master-General has approved of the steamers of the Canadian-Australian line being allowed to call at Fanning Island en route to and from Vancouver, commencing from September next, for