F.—6

6

No. 9. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Under-Secretary of State for Posts and Telegraphs, Paris. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 25th May, 1911. I have the honour to inform you that, under the contract for the performance by the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) of a mail-service between New Zealand and San Francisco, this Department is required to claim on behalf of the company payment of sea-transit rates from countries whose mails may be carried by steamers employed in the service. To enable the necessary claim to be made, I should be glad if you would kindly supply this Administration with the net weights of mail-matter despatched by steamers performing the service from Tahiti to San Francisco and from Taihiti to New Zealand. If you agree, a return for one despatch would suffice. In this ease, the correspondence conveyed for a year would be estimated on the basis of the one despatch. This request is also being made to the Post Office of Tahiti. I have, <fcc, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Under-Secretary of State for Posts and Telegraphs, Paris. [Wn.-S.F. 11/109.] [Letter of same date in similar terms to the Director of Posts, Papeete.]

No. 10. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 26th May, 1911. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th ultimo, on the subject of the despatch of New Zealand mails eastward from San Francisco. I beg to thank you for the action you have taken with a view to securing the prompt despatch of the mails. The Union Steam Ship Company has been requested to have mails for places in the eastern part of the United States and for the United Kingdom separated on board the steamers to facilitate their speedy transfer to the postal clerks on the dock at San Francisco. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D.C. [Wn.-S.F. 11/118.]

No. 11. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 27th May, 1911. I have the honour to enclose, for your information, copy of a letter, dated the 18th ultimo [see No. 3], from the Washington Post Office, on the subject of the despatch across the United States of mails from New Zealand. I should be obliged if you would kindly arrange, in accordance with the request made by the Washington Office, for mails for places in the eastern part of the United States and for the United Kingdom to be separated on the steamer 1 . The Chief Postmasters at Wellington and Auckland have been instructed to deliver the mails on board in such order as will facilitate separation of the bags at the proper time. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Wn.-S.F. 11/121.]

No. 12. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), g IR) Dunedin, 31st May, 1911. Referring to your letter of the 15th instant, regarding the stowage of inward mails, I have much pleasure in replying that we have sent instructions to the captains of " Aorangi " and " Matai " to carry out the arrangement desired, and trust that it will be found to give entire satisfaction. I have, &c, -R. McK. McLennan, for General Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Wn.-S.F. 11/127.]