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5. Your Ministers will probably see no objection in the special circumstances of the case to extending to the British and French post-ollices in the French settlements the advantages already given to the ot her post-ollices of the Kinpire. No doubt the number of letters a fleeted will lie extremely small, but His .Majesty's Government would he glad to learn that your Government agree to the con cession being made. I have, &c., Governor the Right lion. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0.. &c. Crewe. P.O. ":' -MM.I No. 17. The Acting - Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Second Assistant PostmasterGeneral, Washington. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th May, 1909. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Kith March hist, declining I lie proposal of the Post master t ieneral of t his Dominion for t he reduction of t he minimum letter postage from the United States Io New Zealand to one penny. The Postmaster General regrets that voui Administration is unable to sec its way tit present to agree to the proposed reduction. In the hope that the question will he reconsidered, he desires to mention that I he adoption of the penny rate for letters from New Zealand to the United States has resulted in a largely int leased revenue: also that as the penny rale has been adopted for letters for the United Kingdom, he believes it would he of material advantage to the trade relations between our respective countries if the same concession were granted in the case of letters for New Zealand. I have, &<-.. \\. R. Morris, Acting-Secretary. The Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D.C. P.O. »'.i, 88.] No. 18. The Hon. the Acting Postmaster-General to the Hon. the Acting Prime Minister. [Minnie.| General Post Office, Wellington, 21st June, 1909. The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister. Arrangements will be made in New Zealand to pass letters stamped like letters from British India from British post-offices in French settlements in India. J. G. Findlay, For Postmaster-General. [P.O. U»/i-,21.|

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