¥.— 6

21

No. 79. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, IU) Auckland, 21st January, ]907. 1 have the honour to confirm my telegram of the 20th instant. From advices from San Francisco it would appear that the contractors who made the repairs to the ship when she was in Sydney last trip omitted some rather important work, which was supposed to have been completed and advised as performed by such contractors. The work omitted, although of a minor character, will be attended to in Sydney this trip, and, as stated, the captain is confident of making good time on the homeward voyage. Our Sydney office will cable us a few hours after the " Sonoma's " arrival at their port when she will be despatched, and at the present writing we anticipate that it will be the 29th instant, or one day after time-table date. I have, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. V. A. Sproul, Branch Manager. [P.O. 07/203.]

No. 80. The buPEKINTKNDKNT of FoKEIGN Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmabtbr-Gbnheal, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Sik, Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., 24th January, 1907. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your reply, under date of the 27th November j_ No - 62], to this Department's letter of the 13th July last [No. 23] relative to au allowance by this Department to the Union Steam Ship Company for the conveyance from Vancouver to Fiji of mails which in regular oourse would have been despatched from San Krancisco by a steamer of the Oceanic line scheduled to sail on the 19th April last, but were im>t despatched on account of the earthquake at. San Francisco on the preceding day. In reply, 1 am to inform you that, for reasons set forth in its letter above referred to, this De partment does not see its way clear to make the proposed allowance to the Union Steam Ship Com pany for the service in question, said service having been rendered not to this Department, but to the Post Office Department of Canada, which, so far as this Department is concerned, conveyed the mails in question. The service became necessary by reason of the terrible catastrophe at San Francisco, which created such an emergency as would warrant any Administration in availing itself temporarily of (lie services of another Administration to the fullest extent allowed by (he stipulations of the Universal Postal Convention. The Canadian services, being available at the moment, were utilised; but as the exceptional despatch does not come within the scope of section .'5 of Article XXXI of the Postal Union Regulations, which specifies the conditions under which special transit statistics may be demanded, the service in question cannot call for any exceptional compensation, but must be considered as being provided for in the regular settlements made upon the basis (if the general transit statistics. In the opinion of this Department, any deviation from the principle laid down in said Article XXXI would create an unfortunate precedent. It is noticed from your letter under reply that the Canada Office is in substantial accord with the views of this Department in regard to this matter, as expressed in its letter of the 13th July. I am, &c, N. M. Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. 06/1774.]

No. 81. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company (at Wellington) to the Secbetary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company, American and Australian Line, SIH) _ Wellington, 25th January, 1907. I have the honour to advise you that we expect to despatch the R.M.S. " Sonoma" from Sydney on the evening of Tuesday, 29th instant, and are advertising her to leave Auckland (id Saturday, the 2nd prox., at 6 p.m. I have, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company, V. A. Sproul, Branch Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 07/278.]