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No. 151. The Secretary, Chamber of Commeice, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General. SIR, — Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 28th September, 1906. I have the honour, by direction, to submit to you that, in the opinion of the Council of this Chamber, the mail arrangements between New Zealand and the United Kingdom are in urgent need of improvement and extension. The San Francisco route provides, no doubt, an excellent service for the carriage of mails if due dates were strictly adhered to. Unfortunately, the mail often arrives in San Francisco too late for the despatch with which it ought to connect, while it is also frequently behindhand in its arrival in New Zealand, thus detracting appreciably from its value. But, however good the San Francisco service might be made, the volume and character of the colony's trade at the present day call for a more frequent service than once in three weeks. The mail via Brindisi might be utilised with much advantage were it not that the weekly steamer leaving Wellington on Saturday arrives in Sydney the day after the departure of the mail from that city. thus causing a week's loss of time for letters by that route. My Council desires, therefore, respectfully to urge that the Government should make such arrangements as would resulf in the weekly mail via S3'dne3 7 being despatched in time to connect with the mails via Brindisi leaving that city. I am, <fee, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. C. W. Carroll, pro Secretary. [Sues Conn. 06/55.1

No. 152. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, let October. 1906. The Postmaster-General has been requested to arrange for a close connection Wellington to Sydnej - with P. and 0. and Orient services. Steamer to leave Wellington in ample time, say, Friday, to insure connection with the train leaving .Sydney for Melbourne following , Tuesday afternoon. Kindly say whether you could provide such a connection—(l) every three weeks, and (2) once a fortnight, and, if so, what subsidy would be required. [Suez Conn. 06/67.1

No. 153. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) - Dunedin, Ist October, 1906. Cannot reply immediately your wire re connection with P. and O. and Orient services Sydney, for as you know Huddart-Parker hare one sailing in five between Wellington and Sydney, and will be necessary consult them. [Sues Conn. 08/67.]

No. 154. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 4th October, 1906. Referring your telegram Ist October. We shall be glad provide connection either once every three weeks or once a fortnight on Fridays from Wellington to Sydney for £300 a trip, subject to conditions for failing to connect not being too drastic as mentioned in Managing Director's letter of. Bth March, 1904 [No. 87, F.-6, 1904]. What term do you propose for contract? [P.O. 06/630(3).]

No. 155. The Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), (Memorandum.) Wellington, 18th October, 1906. Mail-services: In a telegram received by me from Dunedin, reference is made to the statement of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth to a deputation that negotiations with the Union Steam Ship Company and Huddart, Parker, and Co. are still progressing, with a view to arranging Friday sailings from Wellington to Sydney. In the same message it is mentioned that on 4th instant an offer was made-by my head office -by telegram to you in connection with this matter, to which, up to the present, no reply has been received, and I shall be obliged if you will kindly inform me whether it is proposed to communicate with Mr. Holdsworth by wire or letter, or whether it would be preferable to you for him to come to Wellington for the purpose of having a personal discussion with the Hon. the Postmaster-General on the subject. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. W. A. Kennedy. [Suez Conn. 06/58.] . ,