F.—6

16

No. 47.

The Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Post Office Department, Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Sir, — Division of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., 16th April, 1910. By direction of the Postmaster-General I have the honour to asknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth ultimo, transmitting, with reference to this Department's letter of the 4th December, 1908 [No. 42, F.-6, 1909], a copy of a letter from the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, in which the company mentions its misunderstanding with reference to the rate of payment for mailservice from Papeete to New Zealand which this Department is able to fix. It is very much regretted that the steamship company has mistaken the stipulations of the Universal Postal Convention fixing the intermediary transit rate to be paid by one Administration to another Administration for the conveyance of mails, for the rates which should apply to this service. As you are aware, the Universal Postal Convention rates for intermediary transit service have no further or other force than that of providing the basis for settlement between Administrations in cases where one performs such a service for another. The service in question is not of that character, but is performed by the steamship company for this Administration. In such a ease this Department is limited in its power of contract by the Federal statutes, which provide a maximum rate of pay which can be made to a foreign steamship for carrying the United States mails. The rates fixed in this case are the maximum rates allowed under this statute, and are the same as allowed for service by the longest route across the Pacific, from San Francisco to Australasia, Japan, or China. I trust that you will convey this explanation to the steamship company, and express my hope that it may find it possible tojcontinue the service under these circumstances. I have, &c, Joseph Stewart, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Second Assistant Postmaster-General.

No. 48. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. to the Secretary. General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Wellington. 11th May, 1910. Shall we announce farther sailing Wellington-Tahiti, and, if so, what date? 7th or 9th July from Wellington, 17th or 19th respectively from Papeete ? You will observe " Mariposa "on account carnival arrives Papeete 11th July and remains till 19th.

No. 49. The Secretary, General Post Office. Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 11th May, 1910. Please announce further sailing. Immaterial to Department whether steamer leaves Wellington 7th or 9th July, provided she does not remain longer time than usual at Papeete.

No. 50. The General Managf.r. Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 11th May, 1910. Thanks for telegram. Will announce sailing from Wellington seventh July and from Papeete seventeenth.

No. 51. | News Extract, 12th May, 1910.] Tahiti - San Francisco Mail-service.—Contract renewed for Three Years. The s.s. " Mokoia," from Tahiti to-day, bring news of the renewal of the San Francisco-Papeete mail contract. The Governor of French Oceania, M. Francois, signed a contract with the Oceanic Company (Spreckels's line) on the 30th April for the carriage of mails for three years between Papeete and San Francisco. The service will be maintained by the " Mariposa." [H. 1.8., p. 430.|