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19

No. 60,

The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Sir, General Post Office, Wellington, 27th January, 1910. 1 have the honour to refer to the letter from your office of the 15th September last, notifying the cost of special trains from Sydney to Melbourne and from Melbourne to Adelaide for the conveyance of New Zealand mails for the United Kingdom and other places despatched from Wellington on Fridays and arriving at Sydney too late to connect with Tuesday's express train to Melbourne. It is noted that the cost of a special train from Sydney to Melbourne would be £218 55., and from Melbourne to Adelaide, £181 2s. 6d. 1 should be obliged if you would arrange to send the mails forward by special train from Sydney to Melbourne, and, if required, from Melbourne to Adelaide, when such a step is rendered necessary by the late arrival of the Wellington steamer at Sydney. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 09/108-1

No. 61. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department. Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 28th January, 1910. Adverting to your letter of the 15th October last, relative to the time-table of mails to and from Australia by the Orient steamers, 1 have the honour to inform you that the steamers employed under the Orient Steam Navigation Company's new oversea, mail contract with the Commonwealth Government will leave Adelaide, South Australia, on Fridays at I p.m. on and from the 11th proximo. and arrive there on Saturdays at 2 p.m. on and from the 12th March next. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. [Suez Conn. 10/16.] ___________________

No. 62. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 28th January, 1910. Referring to the alteration in the day of departure of the Orient steamers from Adelaide from Thursday to Friday, I have the honour to inquire whether there will be any difficulty in your arranging for the connecting steamer from Wellington to leave on Saturdays to connect with, the mails by the Orient line, the departure from Wellington in the alternate weeks being fixed on Fridays as heretofore. • I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Suez Conn. 10/13.] ________________

No. 63. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company. Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 9th February, 1910. Are you yet able to reply about despatch of steamer to connect with Orient on Saturdays instead of Fridays ? [Suez Conn. 10/17.J

No. 64. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 9th February, 1910. We are in communication with Huddart Parker on subject of alternate Friday and Saturday sailings from Wellington and will reply definitely later. Meantime I would point out that alternate Friday Saturday sailings from Wellington would be inconvenient for the general travelling public.

No. 65. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. sj IK Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 14th February. 1910. With reference to your communication of the 27th ultimo, asking that arrangements be made by this Department to send New Zealand mails for the United Kingdom and other places forward by