F.—6a,

5

A service via Vancouver would no doubt be eminently desirable, but at present there seems to be no hope of its attainment. A service via Brindisi is within our reach, which, though a little longer than an efficient service via San Francisco or Vancouver, is regular, reliable, and efficient, and such a connection would be infinitely preferable to the present position of uncertainty and confusion. This service, as pointed out on former occasions, would become available for our mails if the weekly steamer for Sydney were despatched on Friday instead of Saturday. The benefit of the partial arrangement in this direction now in foJce is unfortunately minimised, if not destroyed, by the irregularity of the San Francisco steamers, which seldom arrive in rime for the correspondence to be answered by this opportunity. This Chamber therefore desires respectfully to urge that, before leaving New Zealand, you will take steps to have the present partial arrangement made applicable to all the steamers leaving Wellington direct for Sydney. Yours, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. G. 'Shiktcliffe, President. [Suez Conn., 07/215.]

No. 11 The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General of New Zealand (in Jxmdon). (Telegram.) Wellington, 23rd March, 1907. Wellington Chamber of Commerce strongly urges arrange weekly mail via Sydney. Francisco service abandoned. [Suez Conn., 07/189A.J

No. 12. The Secuktaky, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General (in London). Sir, — Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 28th March, 1907. On the 23rd instant 1 had the honour, by direction of the Council of this Chamber, to send you a cable message. The view of the Council on the question of mail-services is that, as the San Francisco service is now definitely abandoned, and the commercial community is practically confined to the service via Australia and Suez, it is not unreasonable, in view of the increased volume of the business correspondence of the colony, to ask that New Zealand should secure the full advantage of the opportunities afforded by that route, by arranging for a weekly connection via Sydney instead of a fortnightly one. This arrangement would provide a regular and reliable service which would compensate for the slightly longer time of transit, and would meet all the present needs of the qolony. The resolution of the Council covering the above recommendation included a further suggestion on the subject of mail subsidies—namely, that the Government should endeavour to arrange with the direct lines of steamers trading between New Zealand and London; that in return for a reasonable subsidy they should establish a regular mail-service between the two countries, with a timelimit of thirty-five days. The companies carrying on this trade have served the colony well in the past, and have shown every desire to keep pace with the times, and to meet the requirements of the ever-increasing passenger and cargo traffic by steadily enlarging the size and improving the character of the vessels employed in the service. My Council considers that the time has.arrived when a thirty-five-days service is quite feasible, and that with the aid of a reasonable subsidy the companies would be prepared to lay on steamers of such a class as would attain this object. In addition to the mail advantages of such a service, my Council is of opinion that Hnes of superior steamers and a shortened voyage would constitute an excellent advertisement for New Zealand, attracting a greatly increased stream of visitors and immigrants to the colony, and generally would result in such advantages as would well outweigh the cost of a reasonable subsidy. I have, &c, S. Carroll, Secretary. The Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, K.C.M.G., Hotel Cecil, London. [Suez Conn., 07/170.]

No. 13. The Hon. the Postmaster-General (in London), to the Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington. (Telegram.) London, 30th March, 1907. Glad do my utmost help matter forward. [Suez Conn., 07/170 A.]