F.—B

No. 52. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 13th February, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo, suggesting, in connection with a delay in diverting messages on the 16th idem from the Pacific to the Eastern route, that whenever an interruption occurs to either route messages should be diverted to the other at once. In reply, I have to state that the delay referred to did not rest with this Department. 1 will bring your suggestion under the notice of the Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, and inform you of his reply. I have, Ac, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Melbourne. [li.E. Misc. 08/27.]

No. 53. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay. (Memorandum.) General Post Office, Wellington, 19th February, 1908. Interruption of Cable: Diversion of Messages. The Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension Austrsilasia and China Telegraph Company, in a letter, of which I attach a copy, suggests that whenever an interruption to either route occurs messages should be diverted to the other at once. I have informed Mr. Warren that the delay referred to did not rest with this Department, and that I would bring his suggestion under your notice and inform him of your reply. D. Robertson, Secretary. [E.E. Misc. 08/31.]

No. 54. The Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. The Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Sir, — Melbourne, 20th February, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, and to thank you for the action taken in re delay in diverting messages whenever, an interruption occurs to either route; and I hope my suggestion will appeal to the Superintendent of the Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, as being the proper course to take in order to avoid delay in the transmission of messages from and to your Dominion. I have, Ac, W. Warren, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington Manager in Australasia. [E.E. Misc. 08/34.]

No. 55. The Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, 4th March, 1908. Sir, — Diverted Traffic. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your memorandum dated the 19th ultimo, forwarding me a copy of a letter addressed to you by W. Warren, Esq., Manager in Australasia, for the Eastern Extension Company, having reference to diverted traffic on the 16th January last. On the date in question the interruption was between Southport and Sydney. The matter of ordering diversion was therefore out of my jurisdiction. I have made it a rule not to hold traffic for long periods when troubles exist between here and Auckland. 1 consider one hour is a fair limit, unless the exact position of the fault is known, and restoiation therefore expected at any moment. Luckily, line-troubles between Doubtless Bay and Auckland have been few and farbetween of late. I am inclined to agree with Mr. Warren, and I will suggest to the Board's General Manager that diversions should take place within, say, half an hour of interruptions. This system would be the means of preventing heavy delays to intercolonial business, and would be appreciated by our clients, who would not be slow to recognise that in event of temporary interruptions the State cable would not hold their messages pending restoration, but would at once forward them by another route if available. I think the value of the confidence which the Pacific would gain from 3able-users would more than compensate for the monetary loss it would sustain.

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