2

F.—6a

SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

INCIDENTS OF AMERICAN TRANSIT.—DISLOCATION AND CESSATION OF SERVICE.

No. 1. The Editor, Shipping Illustrated, New York, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. g IR) 116 Produce Exchange, New York City, 18th March, 1907. We beg to ask your attention to an article on page 267 in our issue of the 16th March, 1907, marked copy of which is sent you herewith, and we trust the same may prove of value as well as interest to you. Yours, &c, For the Editor, The Postmaster-General, Wellington. S. S.F. News, 07/103.]

Enclosure in No. 1. Extract from the Shipping Illustrated, New York, 16th March, 1907. If, when there is danger of interruption to the ordinary regular mail-service to foreign ports, our Post Office authorities would give public intimation of the fact as far in advance as possible, they would be conferring a great favour upon the business community. Once more the maii-service to New Zealand is interrupted, and, although notices to this effect from the English Post Office appeared in the London papers on February 28th, no corresponding information was given to the people of this country who are striving to develop foreign trade for the nation. Inquiry at the New York General Post Office on March 12th elicited no information save that instructions were being awaited from Washington, and that a mail might be sent via Vancouver, 8.C., to close in New York on March 24th. The last mail for New Zealand closed here February 23rd, and the ordinary regular departure should have been on March 16th. In view of the very heavy cable tolls to New Zealand the interruption or delay of a mail becomes a serious matter, liable to involve the loss of much money to those doing business with that country, as was the case in the total omission of the mail before Christmas, and concerning which no notice was given by the Post Office here. The notice printed in the London papers, February 28th, was as follows: — " In consequence of the temporary withdrawal of a mail-steamer on the line between New Zealand and San Francisco, no mail for New Zealand will be despatched hence by way of San Francisco on March 9th, and no homeward mails are expected by that route on March 23rd. Correspondence for New Zealand which would in normal circumstances be despatched by way of San Francisco on March 9th will, if posted in time, be sent in the mail despatched via Italy on the evening of the Bth of that month." [S.F. News, 07/104.]

No. 2. The Superintendent, Division of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the PostmasterGeneral, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Foreign Mails, Sir,— Washington, D.C., 12th April, 1907. Referring to the suspension of the sailings of the Oceanic Steamship Company on the route San Francisco - Honolulu - Pago Pago- Auckland - Sydney, I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to inform you that articles mailed in this country addressed for delivery in Australia and New Zealand will be despatched via Great Britain as well as via Vancouver, and that such of the articles as are despatched via Great Britain in closed mails will be addressed to the offices of Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Hobart. Please cause due notice of the foregoing to be taken on your side. I am, &c, N. M. Brooks, Superintendent, Division of Foreign Mails, The Postmaster-General, Wellington. tS.F. Agt. 07/147.]