25

F.—6

I have already had some communication with your office by telephone on the matter, and have been informed that it would not be possible to detain the express from Invercargill. I should, however, be much obliged if you would give the matter further consideration, with a view to making some arrangement by which a delay up to fifteen minutes could be arranged when absolutely necessary. Now that the summer months are approaching it is not likely that the detention of the express would often be required. W. Gray, Secretary. The General Manager, Railway Department, Wellington.

-No. 59. The Hon. the Postmaster-General to Mr. J. Graham, M.H.R., Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 26th September, 1905. Referring to your letter of the 12th instant [not printed], forwarding one returned herewith from the Chamber of Commerce, Nelson, in connection with the delivery at Nelson of the San Francisco mail which arrived at Wellington on the 29th ultimo, I have the honour to inform you that I find the s.s. '.' Mapourika " left Wellington for Nelson on the date in question at 6.30 p.m. The Union Steam Ship Company were asked whether they could hold the vessel until 7.45 p.m., to enable the Nelson mails to be sent by her; but after the captain had been seen and the matter discussed with him the company expressed regret at not being able to meet the wishes of the Department, as to do so would mean the loss of a tide at each port on the West Coast. Under the circumstances there was no option but to keep the mails for the " Tasman." I have, &c, J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General. J. Graham, Esq., M.H.R., Parliament Buildings, Wellington. [P.O. 05/2699(2).]

Enclosure in No. 59. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Nelson, to Mr. J. Graham, M.H.R., Wellington. Dear Sir, — Chamber of Commerce, Nelson, Bth September, 1905. I have been instructed to forward you the following copy of a resolution that was passed by the committee of this Chamber at a recent date, and to ask your usual attention to the matter referred to therein: "That the member of the district be requested to call the attention of the authorities to the fact that the arrival of the last San Francisco mail in Nelson was delayed a day through the departure of the Union Steam Ship Company's steamer about half an hour before the arrival of the mail train at Wellington. Had the steamer been delayed even an hour she would have had ample time to catch the tide." Tours, &c, John Graham, Esq., M.H.R., Wellington. J. Porter Harris, Secretary.

No. 60. Mr. J. Graham, M.H.R., Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. Wellington, 16th October, 1905. Sir, — Re Frisco Mail. I have the honour to forward you herewith a letter containing a resolution passed by the Nelson Chamber of Commerce in reply to your letter to me dated 26th ultimo, and which was forwarded by me for the information of .the Chamber of Commerce at Nelson. I am, &c, Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General, Wellington. John Graham.

Enclosure in No. 60. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Nelson, to Mr. J. Graham, M.H.R., Wellington. Dear Sir, — Chamber of Commerce, Nelson, 13th October, 1905. Referring to the Hon. the Postmaster-General's letter of the 26th ultimo that you were good enough to forward for perusal of this Chamber, I have been instructed to forward" you the following copy of a resolution passed by the committee of the Chamber at a meeting of that body held yesterday: "That the secretary be instructed to write to the member for the district regarding the delay in the despatch from Wellington of the San Francisco mail referred to in the Postmaster-General's letter of the 26th ultimo, pointing out that the steamer that left Wellington without the mail was detained at the outer anchorage for an hour after she reached Nelson, thus disproving the assertion that the vessel was unable to wait an hour in Wellington for the mail in question. The committee is of opinion that a judicious expenditure by the Postal Department of a comparatively trifling sum would prevent a recurrence of a similar cause of complaint." Yours, &c, John Graham, Esq., M.H.R., Wellington. J. Porter Harris, Secretary. 4—F. 6,