F.—6

7

No. 18. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Harbour Board, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, sth March, 1907. There is now no contract between Postmaster-General of this colony and Oceanic Steamship Company for carriage of mails. [S.F. Agr. 07/70.]

No. 19. The Branch Managkr, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Aotinc-Sechetaisy, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 25th March, 1907. Auckland Harbour Board, claiming no contract, applying harbour dues Oceanic steamers. As " Sonoma " inward has mail and Mail Agent on board, should she not be exempt? [S.F. Agr. 07/105.]

No. 20. The Acting-Secretahy, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 26th March, 1907. Contract for San Francisco service expired 10th November, 1906. Postmaster-General did not come to the determination not to continue contract until later in year. All voyages outwards up to and including that begun on the 7th February from Auckland, and up to and including that to be completed by the " Sonoma " on her next arrival at Auckland from San Francisco should be regarded as contract voyages. On all these voyages the ships carried Mail Agents, representatives of the New Zealand Government, in the performance of (/wtf-n'-contract duties. [S.F. Agr. 07/105.]

INCIDENTS OF AMERICAN TRANSIT.—EARTHQUAKE, — DISLOCATION OF SERVICE.

No. 21. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), DeahSir,— Dunedin, 12th June, 1906. I have to acknowledge your favour of the 31st May [No. 72, F.-6a, 1906], which reached us on the 9th instant, enclosing copy of a letter [No. 70, F.-6a, 1906] forwarded to the PostmasterGeneral at Ottawa. We wish to express our appreciation of the trouble you are taking on our behalf to recover the poundage for the conveyance of mails by the " Moana," and hope that your efforts will meet with success. Yours, &c, D. A. Aiken, for General Manager. T. Rose, Esq., Acting Secretary, Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington. [P.O. (W/1774.]

No. 22. The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmastkr-General. Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division Sin. of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., 11th July, 1906. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to inform you that, in compliance with the request made in your letter of the Bth ultimo [No. 75, F.-6a, 1906], Mr. F. E.. Whitney and Mr. R. A. Whiting, Chief Clerks of the United States Railway Mail-service at Portland and Seattle respectively, have been informed of the appreciation of your Department of thejr courtesy in connection with the -diversion of the mails to Vancouver brought by the steamer " Sonoma "' upon the occasion of- the earthquake at San Francisco on the 18th April last. I am, &c, N. M. Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. (lfi/l'^-<.