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No. 7. The Secretary, General Post Office. Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 7th January, 1915. RESIDENT Agent, San Francisco, telegraphs that. White Star line's important mails erroneously switched via Vancouver. He is recalling them, and has suggested " Moana " delay sailing until Sunday. Please say whether your company would be prepared to delay sailing of " Moana for, say, ninety-six hours, and, if so. under- what conditions. Kindly reply urgent.

No. 8. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin. 7th January, 1915. Your telegram received. Willing detain " Moana " in terms clause 15 contract : .£5 per bomafter first six hours. Shall we do so? [Detention and terms agreed to, 7th January. J

No. 9. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 7th January, 1915. Yoih telegram received. Have cabled agents to hold " Moana " for British mails. Agents just cabled that mails diverted St. Paul to Seattle due San Francisco Friday evening.

No. 10. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. (Telegram.) Wellington, 7th January, 1915. Company holds "Moana" Friday. When mails expected reach San Francisco?

No. 11. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, •„> Wellington. (Telegram.) San Francisco, 7th January, 1915. Mails stopped, diverted, due Friday night. Holding " Moana."

No. 12. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 7th January, 191.1. I have the honour to report that, as a consequence of the late arrival at New York of the s.s. " Arabic " conveying the British mails for New Zealand, I was compelled to serve notice (copy enclosed) upon the agents of the Union Steam Ship Company in this city requesting a detention of the R.M.S. " Moana " until 7th January. On the morning of the 6th instant, however, I received advices from the United States Railway Mail-service that these mails had erroneously been diverted at Chicago and sent to St. Paul en route, to "Vancouver. B.C. There being no despatch from that city until the 20th January I used every effort, to locate and recall the mails. I served verbal notice upon the steamship company to hold the " Moana " till even as late as Sunday morning if necessary, and cabled you of my action. On Wednesday afternoon we ascertained that the mails were on the Great Northern train between St. Paul, and Seattle, and had them sent to San Francisco by first possible opportunity. The mails are now due at this port on Friday night. I therefore served the Union Company with a written request for a further detention until Friday night (copy enclosed) in order to secure the connection, and cabled you accordingly. 1 have.this..morning your cable .advising me that the Union Company holds steamer until Friday. That is nothing more than what the contract provides, if my records are correct. Under the authority of instructions contained in your letter«of the 6th November [No. 47, F.-6, 1913],