17

F.—6,

We have replied to Sydney referring them to our advice in November, in which we stated that the New Zealand contract covered only the carriage of outward New Zealand mails to San Francisco, and then we proceeded to say what our understanding with the New Zealand Post Office is, and that consequently, if their Post (Office asks t Imiii to refund the amount, it will be in order to do so. Will you kindly now see your Post Office Department, and if. as we expect, they are arranging to collect these mailages. please advise us so that we. can tell Sydney not to receive any more payments in connection therewith l . 1 have, etc., The Branch Manager. Wellington. H. McK. McLennan, for General Manager.

No. 52. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir,— General Post Office, London. 26th February, 1909. With reference to your letter of the 4th December last, I am directed to inform you that the Postmaster-General has been pleased to accede to your request for the establishment of closed mails from this office for Rarotonga. Such mails for Rarotonga will be made up in future in London, in the travelling post-office between London anil Holyhead, and at Cork, for transmission by the new service between San Francisco and New Zealand referred to in the letter from this office of the 31st December last [not printed]. The new mails will be despatched hence for the first time on the 27th of this month. In the three weeks before the despatch of such-mails on subsequent occasions correspondence from this country for the Cook Islands will be withheld from despatch by the route of Suez unless specially marked by the senders for transmission by that route. In other weeks correspondence for the Cook Islands will be forwarded by way of Suez ; and. in anticipation of your concurrence, the correspondence sent by that route will be included in the mails for Wellington instead of, as hitherto, in those for Auckland, as its onward transmission from New Zealand to destination will presumably be effected by the steamers of the Union Steam Ship Company sailing from Wellington. A closed mail from Rarotonga for London was received here on the Bth of this month, having been Conveyed by way of San Francisco. No notification of the establishment of the mail appears to have reached this office ; and the Postmaster-General will be glad to learn whether .similar mails will be despatched regularly from Rarotonga in future ; and, if so, by what opportunities. 1 have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. E. W. Farnall. [P.O. 09/311.]

No. 53. The Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Post Office Department, Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Sir,— Washington, 12th March. 1909. By direction of the Postmaster-General, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th ultimo, in which you inquire whether, in order to enable your Administration to render account* on behalf of the Union Steam Ship Company for the conveyance of mails from Tahiti to New Zealand by the line of steamers subsidised by vour Administration, this Department would agree to accounts being rendered on a statistical basis in accordance with the Postal Union practice. In reply, I am to inform you that this Department prefers to continue the present practice of settling for the conveyance in question upon the actual weights of the mails conveyed rather than upon the basis of the weights of the mails despatched during any single month. The reason for this preference is. among others, that payment upon the basis of the actual weights of the despatches expedites and simplifies the settlement (if the accounts, and prevents any complications which might arise in case the present arrangement, which is in the nature of a temporary expedient, should terminate unexpectedly. I have. &c, Joseph Stewart. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Second Assistant Postmaster-General. [P.O. 09/311.1 .

No. 54. The Acting-Secretary. General Post Office, Wellington, to the Maxaoer. Union Steam Ship Company. Wellington. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington. 15th March, 1909. In reference to your letter of the 18th ultimo, respecting payment for the conveyance from Australia to New Zealand of mail-matter for onward despatch by the Wellington-Papeete mail-steamer, I have the honour to inform you that this Department will collect all amounts due to your company for the conveyance Erom Wellington, but payment for the conveyance from Australia to Wellington rests with the Post Office of the Australian Commonwealth, and does not concern this Department. If the Commonwealth Post Office pays'grat uity rates, vour company will receive more than it would if paid proportionate Postal Union rates. I have. &c, W. R. Morris, Acting-Secretary. The Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited). Wellington. [Acknowledged 17th March 1909.] [P.O. 09/311(5).]

3—F. G.