27

F.—6

No. 89. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir,— Dunedin, 18th October, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your favour of the 2nd instant, asking on what terms we could arrange for a closer connection at Suva with the inward Vancouver steamer. I am afraid that this could only be done by means of an extra boat to be employed in this work alone, which would necessitate payment of a subsidy —probably much in excess of the Department's views. At present, as you know, our Fiji steamer leaves Auckland with the outward Vancouver mail to connect direct with the mail-steamer at Suva. She arrives at Suva on Monday, connecting with the outward mail-steamer, which leaves the following day. She then visits the fruit ports to take in her outward cargo, and leaves on the following Thursday on her return trip to Auckland. The inward mail from Vancouver does not arrive until nineteen days after. If, on the other hand, the Fiji steamer made the connection with the mail from Vancouver, she would require to leave Auckland six days earlier than she does now, to connect with the outward mail, which would mean that her outward mails would lie in Suva a week. I need hardly say that we would be only too pleased to study the convenience of the Post Office, and if by consent any change were made in the Canadian and New South Wales connections we would endeavour to arrange so that the inward and outward mail-steamers would arrive and leave Suva at shorter intervals than the present time-table permits. I have, &c, T. W. Whitson, The Secretary, General Post* Office, Wellington. For General Manager. [Van. Conn. 07/07.] _^_^^_

No. 90. The Hon. the Postmaster-General to Mr. F. E. Baume, M.H.R., Wellington. Sir _ General Post Office, Wellington, 31st October, 1907. Referring to my reply to your question in the House of the 16th instant, on the subject of the close connection for the inward Vancouver mail from Suva to Auckland, I have the honour to inform you that a subsidy is at present paid to the Union Steam Ship Company for the Fijian service. This is an old-standing arrangement, and was originally made for trade purposes. It is, however, now regarded as a subsidy for the close connection between Auckland and Suva for the outward Vancouver mail. On inquiry I find that the only means of arranging a close connection inward would be to employ an extra steamer for that work alone. This would necessitate a heavy subsidy, and the close connection would be of value for American mails only. While these are important it is not considered that they are sufficiently so to warrant the expenditure of a large sum of money on a close connection. Correspondence is still proceeding about a fast service direct from New Zealand. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General. F. E. Baume, Esq., M.H.R., Parliament Buildings, Wellington. [Van. Conn. 07/84.J

No. 91. The Sbobetaby, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Postmaster, Honolulu. S IR _ General Post Office, Wellington, 10th January, 1908. I have the honour to inform you that in future the Auckland office will make up and despatch to your office a closed mail for Fanning Island, for conveyance to destination by the steamers of the Canadian-Australian line. I shall be glad if you will arrange for the mail to be sent on in due course. The Postmaster, Fanning Island, notifies that the last call to be made at the island on the northward voyage will be that of the " Aorangi" on the 2nd proximo, and that, commencing with the, departure of the " Moana " from Vancouver on the 27th March, the steamers will call at Fanning Island every eight weeks on the southward voyage. I have, &c, The Postmaster, Honolulu. W. R. Morris, for Secretary. [O.lt. 1852-08/ I.]

No. 92. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Postmaster, Honolulu. y IR _ General Post Office, Wellington, 12th February, 1908. I have the honour to refer to the letter of the 10th ultimo from this office about the despatch of closed mails for Fanning Island from Auckland to Honolulu, for conveyance to destination by the steamers of the Canadian-Australian Line ; and to say that the Postmaster, Fanning Island, has since represented [not printed] that it would be a decided convenience to the residents if it could be arranged for your office to make up direct mails for the island in place of the correspondence being sent forward on Sydney and Suva as at present. This I assume you were preparing to do ; but in any case, I shall be glad if you can see your way to give effect to the Postmaster's request. I have, cfec, The Postmaster, Honolulu. D- Robertson, Secretary. [O.R. 1852-08/ I.]