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No. 25. The High Commissioner to the Right Son. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir, — 9th January, 1906. I beg to transmit herewith copy of letter from the General Post Office, London, and in reference thereto to state that I have in reply requested that in case the mail from New Zealand comes in two portions the arrival of both be cabled to the Post Office in New Zealand. 1 shall be glad, however, to have instructions in case the Postmaster-General decides that the cabling of the first portion only will be sufficient. I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. W. P. Reeves. [Inc. 06/13.]

Enclosure in No. 25. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the High Commissioner. Sic, — General Post Office, London, 2nd January, 1906. With reference to the correspondence ending with your letter of the 9th July, 1904, concerning the despatch to Wellington of a telegram advising the receipt of the mails for this office sent from New Zealand by way of San Francisco, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that the mails despatched from Auckland on the 6th October last by way of San Francisco reached this office in two portions, one conveyed by the British packet " Umbria," which left New York on the 28th of that month, and the other by the German packet " Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse," which left New York on the 31st. The mails from New Zealand and Australia conveyed by the " Umbria " consisted of thirty-three bags, and reached this office at 9.59 p.m. on the sth November; and those brought by the German packet, consisting of 126 bags, arrived here at 2.55 p.m. on the 6th of that month. In this instance only the time of arrival at this office of the first portion of the mails—namely, that conveyed by the "Umbria" —was notified by telegraph to the Post Office of New Zealand; and the Postmaster-General will be glad to learn whether, in the event of the mail being similarly divided on a future occasion, the notification of the arrival of the first portion will suffice. I am, &c, The High Commissioner for New Zealand. H. Buxton Forman.

No. 26. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 13th January, 1906. Have you any more precise information or particulars re burning Australian mails at Ah Say ? Inquiries made whether mails for Chicago, Boston, Guelph, Ontario, New York City were amongst those destroyed. [Inc. 06/36.]

No. 27. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. (Telegram.) Wellington, 13th January, 1906. All closed mails for such places as Chicago, Boston, Guelph, New York City went forward by previous night's train and escaped destruction. Correspondence destroyed was that usually sorted at San Francisco and incorporated in mails from that city. Registered letters for all places missed despatch and escaped destruction.

No. 28. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. g IR; Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 25th January, 1906. ..-. . The "Sierra" got in after midday; but the improvement in the overland service (schedule of which I enclose you) now permits a Tuesday departure to catch, unless serious disaster befalls the overland transit. The " Sierra " should leave nearly on time to-day. . . . The last homeward mails per " Columbia " arrived Glasgow Bth January, so probably were three days late in London. This time the mails left New York by the " Lucania," and therefore should arrive on time. . . . Yours, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. H. Stephenson Smith. [Ino. 06/11J