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No. 27. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd October, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th ultimo, notifying that your office had arranged to take advantage of the steamships of the Australian Mail Line running between San Francisco and Auckland for the transmission of correspondence from the United Kingdom for New Zealand. Also, that the mails, which would be forwarded from your office on the 14th September, and on every fourth Saturday thereafter, would contain correspondence which reached London after the despatch of the mails for New Zealand by the Suez route on the previous evening, in addition to correspondence specially superscribed by the senders for transmission by way of San Francisco. . In reply, I have to inform you that the necessary instructions for the due disposal of the mails have been issued to New Zealand offices. I have, &c, D. Robertson, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. For the Postmaster-General. [S.F. Agr. 07/169.]

No. 28. The Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 28th October, 1907. The " Yeddo " left San Francisco at 4.50 p.m. on September 27th, and arrived Auckland at 4.25 p.m. on October 27th, her actual steaming-time being 29 days 18 hours 1 minute 16 seconds. She experienced generally fine weather with exception of three days when strong head winds and seas were encountered. [Note. —This was the second steamer of the Weir line.] [S.F. Agr. 07/171.]

No. 29. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 7th November, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th ultimo, intimating that your Administration was not liable for the payment of gratuities on American mails ex " Foreric," transhipped at Auckland on the 30th September last. As you are aware, under the Postal Union Convention, the United States Post Office is responsible for the transit cost of its mails to their destination. The mails referred to were transhipped at Auckland to accelerate their despatch. It is an open question whether the United States Post Office would recognise any claim made in respect of such transhipment ; but in any case it is considered that such a claim should be made by your office, as the matter of the transit cost of mails from the United States to Australia does not concern New Zealand. I should be obliged if you would inform me whether it is desired that m future mails for Australia arriving at Auckland by the steamers from San Francisco should be left on board those vessels instead of being transhipped into faster boats, or steamers sailing earlier. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. iS.F. Payts. 07/91.]

No. 30. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. g m _ Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 21st November, 1907. With reference to your letter of the 7th instant, relative to the question of payment of gratuities on American mails ex " Foreric," transhipped at Auckland on the 30th September last, I have the honour to inform you the matter in question is one regarding which this Administration cannc accept responsibility, and to suggest that your office communicate with the Washington office m regard thereto * have ' &C- ' Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. The Secretary, General Post 'Office, Wellington, N.Z. [S.F. Payts. 07/90.]