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f No. 43. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. g IR _ General Post Office, Wellington, 27th April, 1908. I have the honour to inform you that this Department is in communication with the Washington Post Office respecting payment due to your company for the transport from Auckland or Wellington to Sydney of United States mails transferred from the Weir Line of steamers at Auckland. When the weight-statements are received, and other matters settled, payment will be arranged. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [S.F. Payts. 08/26.]

No. 44. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington. SIR _ General Post Office, Wellington, 29th April, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th February last authorising payment for the transport from Wellington to Sydney of United States mails for Australia transhipped from the " Quito " at Auckland on the 24th December, 1907. Before paying for the service I await your reply to my letter of the Bth instant, in which I expressed the opinion that under Article IV, section 3, of the Rome Convention, the rate should be 1 franc 42 centimes per kilogram for letters and post-cards, and 18 centimes per kilogram for other articles, instead of 4 francs per kilogram for letters and post-cards, and 50 centimes per kilogram for other articles, the 68 ITote 6 that mafis from your country for Australia are not to be transhipped at Auckland unless their delivery will be materially expedited, and have arranged accordingly. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D.C. [S.F. Payts. 08/27.]

No. 45. 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 g IR _ Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C, 11th May, 1908. By direction of the Postmaster-General, I have the honour to acknowledge ths receipt of your letter under date of the 24th March [not printed], in which—with reference to this Department's letter of the Ist August last [No. 19]— you ask to be furnished with a copy of the contract between this Department and the Australian Mail Line for the conveyance of mails from the United States to New Zealand and Australia. . . . In reply I have to inform you that no formal contract was entered into for the service in question. The Australian Mail Line tendered its services, and they were accepted; the compensation offered by this Department being 5 francs a kilogram of letters and post-cards, and 50 centimes a kilogram of other articles, calculated on the net weight of the mails conveyed, as ascertained by the Postmaster who makes up a mail. , Since the Ist October, 1907, the rate for the conveyance of letters and post-cards has been 4 trancs per kilogram. l haye > &c -> _ „, „ _ 1 6 J. T. McCleary, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Second Assistant Postmaster-General. [P.O. 07/998(3).]

No. 46. The Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Minute.) Auckland, 14th May, 1908. The agents for this line of steamers [Australian Mail Line] are unable to supply dates to the end of 1908. The time-table enclosed [dated April, 1908, not printed] is the only information concerning the matter they have in their possession. The " Aeon," which left this port on the 11th instant for San Francisco, is the last of these steamers which will call at Tonga. [S.F. Agr. 08/56.]