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No. 9

the Superintendent, Pacific Cable Station, Doubtless Bay, to the Secretary, General Post Office, ;_£ Wellington. (Telegram.) fc- [ Doubtless Bay, 19thiSeptember,J1908. Following from Superintendent, Fanning] Island : '' Aeon ' wrecked Christmas Island. Officer reports total about 488. New Zealand 150 bags safe, undamaged. ' Manuka ' probably pick up 24th instant." [P.O. 08/450.]

No. 10. The Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 22nd September, 1908. Agent Weir Line states that outward-bound steamers from Australia for San Francisco will not call at New Zealand unless special arrangements are made for subsidy for carriage of mails. [S.F. Mine. 08/102.] ___^^_^^^^^^^—

No. 11. The Master s.s. " Indravelli," Suva, to the* Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) Suva, 28th September, 1908. " Indravelli " will be ready at the latest by Tuesday midday sail Auckland English mail. " Manuka " due on Wednesday evening. Would you prefer " Indravelli " wait ? Settlement if necessary you can arrange with the owners later. [Van. Conn. 08/98.] _____^_______^__^^

No. 12. The Secretary, General Post Office. Wellington, to the Master s.s. " Indravelli," Suva. (Telegram.) Wellington, 28th September, 1908. Kindly delay " Indravelli " for " Manuka's " mail. [Van. Oonn. 08/98.]

No. 13. The Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 6th October, 1908. Three hundred and odd bags mail ex " Manuka " and " Aeon " arrived from Suva per " Indravelli" at 7 this morning. The letter portion and large part of the papers for south will go forward by " Rarawa " to-day. [P.O. 08/456(7).]

No. 14. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir,— Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 29th October, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your memorandum of the 28th August last, respecting mails despatched from London on the 20th June last for conveyance from San Francisco by the steamer "Aeon " ; and to state, for the information of the Imperial Post Office, that all the mails for New Zealand have been received with the exception of one bag of newspapers, London to Wellington, of which no trace can be found. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. Prime Minister. [P.O. 08/456(7).]

No. 15. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Agents in Australasia, Australian Mail Line, Melbourne. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 17th December, 1908. I have the honour, by direction, to refer to your letter of the 30th June last, offering to arrange for the Australian Mail Line of steamers to call at Wellington or at Auckland on the voyage from Sydney to San Francisco, provided this Government paid a subsidy of £450 for each call made at Wellington or £350 for the call at Auckland ; and, in reply, to inform you that the Postmaster-General, while thanking you for your offer, has decided to take no action in the matter at present. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Howard Smith Company (Limited), Managing Agents, Australian Mail Line. Melbourne. [The last steamer of the Weir Line to call at Auckland on the voyage to San Francisco was the s.s. " Inveric," on the 2nd June, 1908.] [S.F. Misc. 08/109.]