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No. 3. The Resident Auent foh New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Sechetaet, General Post Office, Wellington. Sih, — Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 17th April, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communications of the 26th February [No. 113, F.-6, 1907] and of the 11th March, 1907 [not printed], both in reference to the interruption and final disarrangement of the service per the Oceanic Steamship Company's steamers between Australia and this port, and to note further that in the meantime no mails from Great Britain will be forwarded via San Francisco. I trust this condition of affairs will be remedied in the near future. The vessels are now arriving here in a more or less dilapidated condition, and, it is rumoured, are to undergo large and thorough repairs in this port. Any repairs that do not contemplate new boilers will not, I fear, be sufficiently effective to warrant confidence in the performance of the vessels in the future. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Resident Agent for New Zealand. [U.S. Inc., 07/31.]

No. 4. The Seoretaet, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Postmastek-Geneeal, Washington. Sic, — General Post Office, Wellington, 10th May, 1907. I have the honour to direct attention to the fact that since the departure of the s.s. " Sonoma " from Auckland on the 7th February last New Zealand has ceased to make use of the San Francisco route for the regular conveyance of British mails. It is clear that the resumption of the San Francisco route for the regular conveyance of British mails cannot now take place for a period of six months from that date, and this Department is therefore empowered under Article XXXI, paragraph 3, of the Universal Postal Union Convention of Washington to request that new statistics be taken in respect of all mails conveyed between San Francisco and Great Britain by means of the American extraordinary overland transit and the Atlantic transit services. It is suggested, however, in view of the proximity of the next Postal Union counting (November, 1907), that the circumstances of the case would be better met by New Zealand paying on the actual weight of correspondence conveyed by the above-mentioned services, such basis of payment to date from the Ist March, 1907; and I shall be glad to hear that this course is agreed to by you. Under existing arrangements a statement of the actual weight of correspondence for the United Kingdom via San Francisco is already furnished both to San Francisco and to your own office for every mail at the time of its despatch from New Zealand. I have, &c, The Postmaster-General, Washington, D.C. D. Robeetson, Secretary. [S.F. Paytß. 07/59.]

No. 5. [Extract from the New Zealand Times, 7th June, 1907.] (Telegram.) London, 6th June, 1907. Feom August next Australasian mails are to be sent alternately by the Vancouver route and by Andrew Weir and Co.'s new San Francisco line. [S.F. News, 07/128.]

No. 6. The Seceetaet, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent foe New Zealand, San Francisco. (Telegram.) Wellington, 7th June, 1907. What information have you of Andrew Weir steamship line San Francisco Auckland? [U.S. Inc., 07/36.]

No. 7. The Resident Agent foe New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Seceetakt, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) ■ San Francisco, 7th June, 1907. Weir Line: First steamer is expected to leave 30th August, every four weeks, Auckland, possibly via Apia. Expected to arrive 25 days. Carries American mails. [U.S. Inc., 07/37.]