3

F.—6

SAN FEANCISCO SEEVICE. NEW ZEALAND - RAROTONGA - TAHITI - SAN FRANCISCO ROUTE.

No. 1. The High Commissioner to the Hon. the Acting Prime Minister. Sir, — Westminster Chambers, 13 Victoria Street, London, 12th April, 1911. i have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Ist February last [No. 67, F.-6, 1911], desiring me to obtain from the Imperial Post Office the dates of the departure from London of the mails for New Zealand via San Francisco. In reply, I enclose herein copy of a letter from the General Post Office giving the desired information. I have, <fec, The Hon. the Acting Prime Minister, Wellington. Wm. Hall-Jones. [Wn.-S.F. 11/129.] [Acknowledged, 31st May, 1911.]

Enclosure in No. 1. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Secretary to the High Commissioner, London. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 30th March, 1911. In reply to your letter of the 27th instant [not printed], I am directed by the PostmasterGeneral to acquaint you, for the information of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, that when the Cunard packet sailing from Liverpool on the second Saturday before the date of departure from San Francisco is the " Lusitania " or the " Mauretania " the mails for the Dominion intended for transmission via San Francisco are forwarded from the United Kingdom to New York on that day — i.e., on the 11th day before the departure from San Francisco. When the Cunard packet sailing on that day is the " Campania " or any other slower steamer the mails are forwarded from this country to New York by White Star packet three days earlier — i.e., on the second Wednesday before the date of departure from San Francisco. In ordinary course the mails are forwarded by Cunard packet on two out of every three occasions. The proposed dates of despatch of mails from London for conveyance by way of San Francisco are, so far as is at present known, 22nd April, 20th May, 14-th June, 12th July, 12th August, and 9th September. These dates are, of course, subject to any alterations that may be made in the sailings of the steamers mentioned. I have, &c, E. W. Farnall. The Secretary to the High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. [Wn.-S.F. 11/128.] ' ____ < ______^^^^^^_

No. 2. The Postmaster, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Post Office, Office of the Postmaster, San Francisco, 12th April, 1911. Referring to your communication of 9th March, 1911 [No. 75, F.-6, 1911], I wish to inform you that the delay in departure of the " Maitai " on 14th December, 1910, was due to the following circumstances : — The sailing-hour was originally set for 3 p.in., and this office accordingly advertised the mail closing as 12.30 p.m. Subsequently the agents of the steamer advanced the sailing of the steamer to 2 p.m. The matter was then taken up with the agents by telephone, and upon the representation that patrons of this office'would be misled it was agreed to hold the steamer to permit of the mail being closed promptly at 12.30 p.m. The last load of mail for despatch by the " Maitai " on 14th December, 1910, was sent from this office at 1.45 p.m., every endeavour having been made by this office to expedite it as soon as possible after 12.30 p.m. I am unable to state the cause of delay in the sailing of the steamer on the Bth February, as the records do not show the reason. The last load left the office at 1.55 p.m. On that day, however, the " Nippon Maru," with mails for Hawaii, Philippines, and the Orient, sailed at 1 p.m., and the " Wilhelmina," with mails from Hawaii, also Australasian mails taken on at Honolulu, arrived at 10.15 a.m. It is probable the delay was due to the large amount of mail received, which taxed the efforts of all available help. However, every effort will be made to prevent future delays in sailing of the steamers. I have, <fec, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Arthur G. Fisk, Postmaster. [Wn.-S.F. 11/113-4.]