15
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No. 42. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister to the Hum Commissioner. (Telegram.) Wellington, 4th April, 1910. Wellington Tahiti service extended until further notice. Same intervals. Inform Post Office
No. 43. The Right Hon. the Primk Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir, Prime Minister's Office. Wellington. 6th April. 1910. 1 have the honour to confirm my cable message of the 4th instant. The service is definitely extended until the meeting of Parliament, and negotiations will have to be taken in hand then for further extension. The United States service between San Francisco and Tahiti is fixed to run to November next, I understand, so that there need be little apprehension of the interruption of the service until then at least. I have, &c, J. G. Ward. Prime Minister. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones. High Commissioner for New Zealand. London.
No. 44. The SECRETARY, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 13th April, 1910. With reference to your letter of the 31st January last concerning the mail for New Zealand despatched hence on the 11th December last for conveyance by way of San Francisco, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that the mail in question was forwarded from this country by the latest contract packet, regularly used for the conveyance of British mails to New York, which could be relied on to afford a safe connection with the steamer leaving San Francisco on the 28th December. The next regular packet for New York, which sailed on the 15th December, did not reach New York until the 23rd ; and, while it is possible that mails conveyed by this packet might have reached San Francisco in time for despatch by the outgoing steamer on the 28th, a margin of five days forthe transmission- of the mail from New York to San Francisco is considered too narrow for safety. You will no doubt agree that, in view of the serious delay that would result if the mails for New Zealand missed the outgoing steamer at San Francisco, the dates of their despatch from this country must be fixed so as to leave no risk of failure to catch the steamer. [ 1 It is, however, only under very exceptional circumstances that there can be so long an interval as in the present case between arrival at San Francisco and despatch thence. j> I I am to assure you of the Postmaster-General's desire to co-operate with you in your efforts to render the mail-service between New Zealand and the United Kingdom by way of San Francisco as efficient as possible. He will be glad to learn in due coursejthe outcome of the proposal which is now under consideration for the improvement of the[sea[service across the Pacific. I have, &c. The Hon. the Postmaster-General. Wellington. A. B. Walkley. for the Secretary. | U.S. Inc. 10/19.)
No. 45. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington. (Telegram.) Wellington, 15th April. 1910. WELLINGTON Tahiti service extended until further notice. Same intervals. [Telegram in similar terms to the Resident Agent for New Zealand. San Francisco.] [P.O. 10/598(2).]
No. 46. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir, General Post Office, Wellington, 16th April. 1910. I have the honour to confirm my cable message of the 15th instant. The service is extended until the meeting of Parliament. No doubt Parliament will approve of its extension again until November, when it is understood the United States contract for the San Francisco Tahiti service runs out. How much further the service is likely to be carried must necessarily be problematical. I have, &c, D. Robertson. Secretary. 11. Stephenson Smith, Esq., Resident Agent for New Zealand. San Francisco.