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No. 11. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. General Post Office, Wellington, 13th November, 1907. Sir, — Letter-postage. 1 have the honour to confirm my cablegrams to you of the 31st ultimo and Bth instant, and to acknowledge the receipt of your reply of the Ist instant. I beg to refer you to Article 5, paragraph 1, (1), of the Postal Union Convention of Rome, fixing the minimum weight at 20 grammes. One ounce was accepted by the Congress as the equivalent of 20 grammes. Further, in the report, dated the 20th October, 1 90G [not printed], of the British delegates to the Rome Congress, it was stated that the British Government would propose to the colonies that, when the Postal Union Convention came into operation, this unit of weight (1 oz.) should be applied also to the Imperial penny-postage system. This proposal was actually made in a letter, dated the 23rd November last [No. 14, F.-7, 1907], from the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor of this Dominion. It is assumed that a similar representation was made at the same time to your Government ; and, in the circumstances, it was not con sidered necessary to do more than to apply the provisions of the Convention. 1 attach a copy of the letter I refer to. I also attach a copy of the letter of the 21st September last [No. 3] to which my last telegram refers. And since telegraphing, the further letter [No. 4] (copy also enclosed) of the 27th September last has been received from London announcing the agreement of your Department to deliver without charge letters sent from places included in the Imperial penny-postage scheme, and prepaid at the rate of Id. per ounce. A copy of Parliamentary Paper F.-7 was sent to your office on the 28th ultimo. The new rate of postage was introduced in New Zealand on the Ist ultimo. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. P.O. 07/2905.j

Enclosure in No. 11. Extract from the Postal Union Convention of Rome (26th May, 1906). Article 5. — Rates of Postage and General Conditions. 1. The rates of postage for the conveyance of postal articles throughout the entire extent of the Union, including their delivery at the residence of the addressees in the countries of the Union where a delivery is or shall be organized, are fixed as follows : — 1° For letters, 25 centimes in case of prepayment, and double that amount in the contrary case, for each letter not exceeding 20 grammes in weight; and 15 centimes in case of prepayment, and double that amount in the contrary case, for every weight of 20 grammes or fraction of 20 grammes above the initial weight of 20 grammes.

No. 12. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 16th November, 1907. Instructions issued for acceptance letters from New Zealand prepaid penny per ounce. [Acknowledged, 21st November, 1907]. [P.O. 07/2905.]

No. 13. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Office of the Postmaster-General, Washington, 6th January, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd October last, confirming your cable message of the 12th of the same month, and enclosing the newspaper-clipping on which your telegram was founded, which stated that I was negotiating with Great Britain to introduce penny post. Nothing definite in regard to the matter has yet been accomplished. Yours, &c, G. v. L. Meyer, Postmaster-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. P.O. 08/1070(3).]