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No. 38. The Secretary of State, Imperial Post Office, Berlin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [Translation.] Sir,— Imperial Post Office, Berlin, W. 66, 14th February, 1908. It has been arranged between the German Imperial Postal Administration and the Australian Mail Line that the steamers of this company, which run with four-weekly intervals between San Francisco and Australia, on the journey there and back regularly call at Apia (Samoa), conmencing with the journey from San Francisco on the 13th March. Since better opportunity of conveyance offers itself, via New York - San Francisco, from Germany to Samoa than via Suez-Sydney-Auckland, the mails hitherto despatched via Brindisi by ships of the P. and 0. Company, and via Naples by ships of the Orient Royal Mail Line, and of the North German Lloyd by the railway travelling post-offices Munich-Kufstein, Frankfurt-Karlsruhe-Basel, and Frankfurt-Strassburg-Basel, for Apia, have been abolished. Be good enough to inform those of your offices that were concerned in the transmission. By order of the Secretary of State. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P.O. 08/1456.] [Acknowledged 15th April, 1908.]

No. 39. [Newt extract, 24th February, 1908.] The Frisco Service. Auckland Port of Call on Return Trip. Auckland, 24th February, 1908. For some time past the management of the present San Francisco direct service have been considering the question of making a New Zealand port of call on the route Sydney to San Francisco, as well as from the California port westward. It has now been decided to call at Auckland and Apia on the return trips, the s.s. " Foreric " being the pioneer steamer to load here, leaving Auckland on or about the 21st March. In this way New Zealand shippers will not only be able to ship direct, but they will also be able to avail themselves of the service for cargo to Apia, and also to Tonga, should sufficient inducement offer. On the trip from San Francisco to Auckland the steamers will make Apia and Tonga ports of call, and the management feel confident that their steamers, which all fly the British flag, will, with the revision of the time-table, become of much greater service to oversea and island merchants. [P.O. 08/228.]

No. 40. The Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Sir,— Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C, 27th February, 1908. By direction of the Postmaster-General, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th ultimo, in which you state that the mails for Australia despatched (November 23, 1907) from San Francisco per the steamer " Quito " were transferred at Auckland and conveyed to Sydney by another steamer. In reply, you are referred to this Department's reply, under date of the 31st ultimo, and to your letters of the 10th and 18th December last; and requested to compensate the steamer for the conveyance from Auckland to Sydney in the manner indicated in said reply, in connection with the mails transferrred from the steamers " Foreric " and " Yeddo." The weights of the mails despatched per the " Quito " were—letters, 372,193 grams ; other articles, 7,230,257 grams. In view of the increased cost involved in the transhipment at Auckland, attention is invited to this Department's request that the mails for Australia be not transhipped at Auckland unless their delivery will thereby be materially expedited. I have, &c, J. T. McCleary, Second Assistant Postmaster-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. [S.F. Payts. 08/25 .]