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No. 13. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Detention of Mail-steamers at San Francisco. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir,— Dunedin, 28th May, 1912. Referring to your letter of the 13th instant, 1 have to reply that, while we shall be pleased to detain the steamers at San Francisco beyond the forty-eight hours provided in the contract, we shall be compelled to consider the effect upon the fruit shipments from Rarotonga. It is, of course, unlikely that the extra detention in question will be required except on extremely rare occasions, and then only to the extent of a few hours ; but the difficulty is that any detention, even to the extent provided for, cannot by the means at present available be advised to Rarotonga sooner than by the local steamer from Auckland, which reaches Rarotonga only three days before the mail-steamer is due to leave there for Wellington. The fruit is practically all picked by that time, and if deterioration occurs shippers will complain that it is in consequence of the delayed sailing. There is also the risk of bad weather interfering with the shipping of the fruit in the roadstead on the day the mail-steamer arrives; and, seeing the steamer is already late, would you in such circumstances authorize detention until next day at Rarotonga ( When the steamers leave San Francisco on time-table date their movements are so arranged that they usually reach Rarotonga on the day preceding their due date, and thus they have a margin against unfavourable weather. If, when weather conditions interfere with the shipping of fruit, we had your authority to detain the steamers at Rarotonga for, say, up to thirty hours after arrival, it would not, we think, be unreasonable to let the shippers bear the risk of what deterioration might result from the delay. The time en route would still be shorter than if they had to ship to Wellington via Auckland, as they did before the mail-service was established, and as Mangaia, Aitutaki, &c, shippers still do. It would only then be necessary for your Resident Agent at San Francisco to communicate to you by cable what extra detention was required, and we should be pleased to make the best possible arrangement with you. When communication is established with Rarotonga by wireless telegraphy the arrangements will be simplified, and can be reconsidered when the time arrives. Tin-re is another point to mention, and that is our obligation as to arrival at Papeete under our contract with the Government of French Oceania ; but doubtless a communication from you t<> tinPostal Department at Papeete explaining the position will remove any obstacle in that direction. I have, &c, R. MoK. McLennan, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. For General Manager. P.S.—We are in the meantime instructing our agents at San Francisco to cable to us if your Resi dent Agent requests any sailing to be postponed beyond the forty-eight hours specified in the contract. —R. McK. McL. [Wn.-S.F. 12/113-4.]

No. 14. The Secretary. General Post Office. Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 4th June, 1912. The Postmaster-General has been informed by some one that a cargo of fruit was left behind at the islands recently, and that on a protest being made your company urged as an excuse that this Department would fine, them heavily if the mails were delivered late. Can you inform mc whether there is any truth in the statement, and of the real reason the fruit was left behind i I have, &c, D. Robertson. ('. Holdsworth, Esq., General Manager, Union Stedm Ship Company <>f New Zealand (Limited), Duuedin. [Wn.-S.F. 12/119.] ___^_^______^_^___

No. 15. The Assistant General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir,— Dunedin, 7th June, 1912. Your letter of the 4th June addressed to Mr. Holdsworth was opened by mc, Mr. Holdsworth having left for Australia per " Maunganui " on the 2nd instant. As regards the information supplied to the Postmaster-General in regard to a cargo of fruit being left behind at the islands on the ground that your Department would fine us heavily if the mails were delivered late, this evidently refers to a recent instance in which the " Maitai " arrived at Rarotonga some twenty-four hours late, delay being due to bad weather. The vessel loaded part of the fruit which was offering; but as bad weather came on an.l the vessel started to drag her anchors, and the indications were very bad, the master decided to put to sea and continue his voyage to New Zealand. Action is being taken by some of the fruit people against us to recover the value of the short-shipped fruit, and, as the statement of defence filed by us gives full particulars, I have asked Mr. Kennedy to hand you a copy of same, which will give you any further information you may require. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. D. A. Aiken. [Wn.-S.F. 12/121.]