F.—6

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No. 143. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 11th April, 1907. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th ultimo [No. 124]. 1 am unable to say at present what will be the outcome of the suspension of the San Francisco service. I note that no communication had reached you from the Oceanic Steamship Company about the discontinuance of the service. I also note that the American Congress adjourned on the 6th ultimo without taking any definite action on the pending Shipping Subsidy Bill. In the absence of the San Francisco service, mails between (his colony and Great Britain are being exchanged by way of the Suez, Vancouver, and direct routes. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. H. Stephenaon Smith, Esq., Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. [U.S. Inc. 07/25.]

No. 144. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 18th April, 1907. Just received cable this afternoon, "Ventura" arrived Frisco last Tuesday [16th April; left Auckland 25th March]. [P.O. 07/1084.]

No. 145. The Branch Manager, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 20th April, 1907. " Sierra " arrived San Francisco Thursday last [18th April; left Auckland Ist April]. [P.O. 07/1085.]

AUSTEALIA-SUEZ SEEVICES.

No. 146. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Si R) _ General Post Office, Wellington, 18th May, 1906. I have the honour to forward herewith statement of New Zealand mails despatched by the Orient line of steamers during the year 1905, and by the P. and 0. packets during January of the same year. The weight adjustments for 1904, and particulars of certain mails conveyed by French and German packets during the dislocation of the Orient service, have also >been embodied in the account. The net amount due to Melbourne is £567 ss. 10d., payment of which has been arranged through the money-order account. 1 have, &c, Thomas Rose, Acting-Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 06/21.]

No. 147. The Comptroller and~Accountant-General, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Post-master-General, Wellington. g IR General Post Office, London, 4th July, 1906. With reference to your letter of the 20th April last [No. 88, F.-6a, 1906], in connection with the payment by your office for the sea transit of New Zealand correspondence by P. and O. packets from Australia to Europe, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that this Department proposes to recover the charges due to the United Kingdom on this account since Ist February, 1905, on the basis of special statistics taken by the Commonwealth in respect of mails despatched during the period Ist to 28th June, 1906.

5-F. 6.