F.— 6a

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No. 8. The Resident Agent foe New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir,— 216 California Street, San Francisco, 10th June, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your cable of the 7th instant, to which I replied, and which 1 desire to confirm. Upon receipt of your cable I waited upon the San Francisco agents of this line, and obtained the information as above. This is purely a cargo line—carries no passengers —and the time-table (enclosed) [not printed] is evidently arranged to operate every two weeks between the departure of the Vancouver boats. The agents state that these steamers will make the trip to Auckland in twenty-five days, including the possible call at Apia (which will only be done should sufficient inducement offer). lam rather doubtful whether these steamers can make the time the agents claim. The agents inform me that they have secured the carriage of the American mails. Whether under subsidy or not the agents are not advised, but I think probably only under the Postal Union poundage rates. The line will be of questionable value as a mail-route, in my judgment, but will be better than nothing. I enclose you copies of the time-table [not printed] as now arranged, as well as the schedule for freight [not printed], which may be useful for inquiries. 6L *^* J * * * * * * * Trusting the above may be of interest. I have, <fee, H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent for New Zealand. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [U.S. lucts. 07-47.]

No. 9. The Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), S IR ,_ Auckland, 30th July, 1907. We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 25th and 26th instant [not printed], for which we thank you. ********* Kindly note that Mr. J. C. Spedding, of this city, has been appointed correspondent in New Zealand since the closing of the company's office. We have, &c, Oceanic Steamship Company. J. C. Spedding, New Zealand Correspondent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [B.F. Payts. 07/78.]

AUSTBALIA-SUEZ SBEVIGES.

No. 10. The President, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, to the Hon. the PostmasterGeneral . g IK _ Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 18th January, 1907. The Council of this Chamber feels constrained to approach you once more, on the eve of your departure from New Zealand, on the vexed subject of'the unsatisfactory character of our ocean mail-services—or, rather, the absence of any arrangement that can be reasonably described as It had been proposed to ask you to receive a deputation from the Chamber on this matter, but as your early departure from New Zealand renders this course impracticable, the present method of submitting the question for your consideration is adopted. The present position of the mail connections between the colony and die Mother-country is such as to put the traders of New Zealand at a serious disadvantage, and constitutes a grave injury to the commerce of the country. , , ' The service between the colony and San Francisco seems to have practically broken down. No serious attempt is apparent to restore its efficiency, and it is impossible to discern any probability of its becoming again effective within any reasonable time.