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No. 17. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 15th June, 1911. -. ". . In view arranging time-table, would also like have your approval Fr'isco steamers leaving Wellington Friday.

No. 18. The General Manager. Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 16th June, 1911. Since wiring you yesterday have received your letter 13th. Presume may advertise " Maitai," " Aorangi," 25th August, 22nd September, five p.m., from Wellington. [Wn.-S.F. 11/141.] ___^^___________

No. 19. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 16th June, 1911. Yes; please advertise "Maitai," "Aorangi," twenty-fifth August, twenty-second September, 5 p.m., from Wellington, as you suggest. Desirable, of course, that this advertisement should be preceded by that of first departure Vancouver steamer from Auckland. [Acknowledged, 16th June.]

No. 20. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 17th June, 1911. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, asking that no penalty be imposed in respect of the late arrival in San Francisco and New Zealand of the R.M.S. " Aorangi " on the voyage begun at Auckland on the 11th February last. In reply, I am to inform you that your company is liable for a payment of £516 for the outward voyage and of £656 for the inward voyage, representing in each case, the whole period of the delay, but, under the circumstances, the Acting Postmaster-General remits the penalty without agreeing that similar circumstances would be a fair ground for similar remission. I have, &fc., D. Robertson, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Wn.-S.F. 11/164.] [Acknowledged, 26th June, 1911.]

No. 21. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 20th June, 1911. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, in reference to the conveyance of foreign closed mails on the inward voyages by steamers engaged in the performance of the San Francisco mai-hservice. As the " Navua " conveyed the mails only from Papeete to New Zealand, it is presumed that the Washington Post Office has credited your company with the conveyance from San Francisco to Papeete in error. This conveyance relates to the old contract, under which the duty of collecting the amounts due for the conveyance of inward correspondence does not devolve on this Department. The contract for the present service, as you know, requires this Department to claim on behalf of your company payment of sea-transit rates from countries whose mails are carried by steamers employed in the service; and the payments made direct by the Washington Office on account of the conveyance by the " Aorangi " and the " Maitai " have, therefore, been made in error. The Washington Office has already been requested to furnish the net weights of mails from the United States of America and other countries conveyed from San Francisco by steamers of your company from the 16th November, 1910, so that the various rates can be apportioned; but in view of the remittances to your company now brought under notice, the matter will be further represented. I have, &c, D. Robertson. Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. fWn.-S.F. 11/178-9.]