F.—c,

No. 27. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Shi). Company, Duuedin. IR '~ General Post Office, Wellington, sth September, 1912. [have the honour to refer to your letter of the 2nd April last [No. 71, F.-6,1912], on the subject of the mail-service agreement between your company and the Government of French Oceania, and shall be glad to receive a copy of the present agreement. 1 have, &c, ,„ D. Robertson, Secretary. IWn-SF in Mana B er ' Unlon Steam 8ti P Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 28. The Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Mr. D. F. Skinner, Wellington. SlR >— . General Post Office, Wellington. 7th September, 1912. Referring to your representations to the Postmaster-General oh the 2nd ultimo and to your letter of the 6th idem, on the fact that the Union Steam Ship Company requires shippers to sign an undertaking not to hold the company responsible for damage to goods caused by failure to ship or by delay in shipment due to the exigencies of the New Zealand-San Francisco mail-service, I have the honour, by direction, to inform you that the Department is advised thai there is no provision in the mail-contract to prevent the company imposing that undertaking. I have, &c, F. V. Waters, ~ _ „.. , Acting Assistant Secretary. L>. *. Skinner, Lsq., Messrs. Townsend and Paul (Limited), Wellington [Wn.-S.F. 12/168.]

No. 29. The Hon. the I , okt.master-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the MINiSTEB of Customs and Marine, Wellington. (Memorandum.) Postmaster-General's Office, Wellington, 16th September, 1912 In reference to your memorandum of the 2nd instant [not printed], relating to the requirement of the liuon Steam Ship Company that shippers should sign an undertaking not to hold the company responsible for damage to goods caused by failure to ship or by delay in shipment due to the exigencies of the New Zealand-San Francisco mail-service, I beg to inform you that the Department is advised that there is no provision in the mail-contract to prevent the company imposing that undertaking. ,_. lr . -~ , R- Heaton Rhodes, Postmaster-General. Liie lion, the Minister of Customs and Marine, Wellington. [Wn.-S.F. 12/169.]

No. 30. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General .Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. IR > — General Post Office, Wellington, 17th September, liJl2. 1 have the honour to refer to my letter of the 4th July last, and to previous correspondence on the subject of the request of this Department that the mail-steamer be detained at San Francisco beyond forty-eight hours if necessary. The Resident Agent for New Zealand in San Francisco reports that the condition requiring him to communicate with this office by cable, when it is desired that the steamer be detained beyond forty-eight hours is scarcely practicable, as it is very rarely that the necessity to hold a steamer beyond the time specified is known more than a few hours prior to the expiration of the forty-eight hours He proposes that your San Francisco agents be authorized to accept from him a detention-notice for the extended tune, whether or not they have received advice from your office. In the circumstances 1 should be glad if you would agree to the steamers being detained when necessary at the request to be made to your agents m writing, of the Resident Agent Eor New Zealand. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. Ihe General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) Dunedin [Wn.-S.F. 12/167.]

No. 31. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited). SlB >— Dunedin, 23rd September, 1912. In response to your letter of the sth instant, 1 have the honour to enclose herewith a press copy of the additional memorandum [not printed J modifying the agreement made on the 26th January last with the Government of French Oceania. This, with copy of the translation of the original

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